The men's soccer team had its five minutes of fame, but it appears that's all the glory the Quakers will get for the time being.
Penn moved into the No. 26 spot in the Collegesoccernews.com poll and No. 19 on the NSCAA coaches' poll Monday after 3-2 wins over Villanova and Cornell. However, the 7-1-3 Quakers were undefeated when the rankings were released, and after last night's 2-1 double-overtime loss to Lehigh, they will likely drop out.
The trip was the first representation in the coaches' poll and third week in the top 30 in the Collegesoccernews.com poll.
Penn's Ivy League rivals Brown and Dartmouth have also spent part of the season in the rankings.
Don't forget the O. Thanks to a seven-game shutout streak to start the season, the Penn defense has garnered much of the attention this season. The squad has been successful on the other end of the field, too.
Even after allowing two goals in each of the last four games, Penn went 2-1-1 in those games thanks to scoring nine goals over that span. In fact, the Penn offense has performed well all season despite receiving minimal attention compared to their defensive teammates.
The team is ranked at the top of the Ivy League in every major offensive statistical category: shots, goals, assists and points - both total and per game. Perhaps the team's most success has come in ball distribution; they lead second-ranked Harvard by nearly an assist per game.
That assist output hasn't been due to any particular player. Fifteen different Quakers have notched one this season. The actual scoring has been dominated by senior forwards Omid Shokoufandeh, with six goals and Andrew Ferry, who has four goals.
Weathering the weather. Though the Quakers have struggled over the past 10 days, much of that has come from battling not only the 11 players on the other team, but also the elements.
In the tie to Temple and narrow victory over Villanova, Penn battled muddy conditions and, in the game against the Wildcats, a constant downpour.
Senior goalkeeper Drew Healy blamed the muddy field for some of the team's defensive struggles against the Owls and Wildcats.
Against Lehigh last night, the cold weather led to a dewey turf. The conditions may have decided the game when Healy slipped as Lehigh scored the game-winner.
With six Ivy League games left on the season, the Quakers can still earn a conference title and an at-large NCAA bid. They will need consistently good play on both sides of the ball, and some better luck with Mother Nature.
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