Lee-ning on Rubenstein's skills

He may have been more than halfway finished with his collegiate soccer career, but it wasn't until the third-to-last game in the 2008 regular season that defender Lee Rubenstein was thrown into his first high-stakes moment.

Starting center back Ryan Porch suffered a groin injury and Rubenstein, then a junior who had only played in 14 games in his almost three years at Penn, was called upon by coach Rudy Fuller to replace the senior defender.

"I needed to be on my game at that instant," Rubenstein said. "I let Rudy … know I was ready to play and stepped in at probably the most important time of the season."

Following that game - a 4-0 victory over Brown - Rubenstein helped the Quakers capture the Ivy League championship as he started the season's last two games as well as Penn's 1-0 NCAA tournament loss to George Mason.

This season, as Porch and his 11 classmates from the Class of 2009 have graduated, Rubenstein will anchor the Quakers' defense as a full-time starter and will surely be a key to the team's success.

Just one of two seniors, the captain saw action in three games as a freshman. Over the last two years, he started seven games and played in eight more.

"Coming into Penn was a big learning experience, not necessarily a huge adjustment soccer-wise but more of a lifestyle change," Rubenstein said. "I was learning from the older guys, seeing how they act on and off the field, and learning to act like a student-athlete."

As the only four-year player on the team - the other senior Alex Takakuwa transferred from the University of Chicago - Rubenstein has happily embraced his role as a mentor for the younger players.

"I've literally gone from the bottom to a leadership role," Rubenstein said. "I think that it's easier for the younger guys to connect with me and look up to me."

Fuller has also been pleased with how his team captain has carried himself in the beginning weeks of the 2009 season.

"This year, he's been great so far," the 12th-year coach said. "He works very hard, he's a great example to the younger guys, and he's a pleasure to have around."

Though he didn't earn a start until his sophomore year, Rubenstein entered college with a great deal of soccer experience, both in the United States and overseas. The Penn Valley, Pa., native was a member of the Region I Olympic Development Team.

"This commitment that we're all making didn't just start when we put on a Penn jersey," Rubenstein said. "If anything, the commitment at times has been easier because instead of a two-hour drive to practice, it's now only a 10-minute walk."

Rubenstein stressed that the Quakers cannot rely on their success last year to perform well this season, especially because the senior headlines a group of nine new full-time starters.

"Right now, we're starting at ground zero. We're not defending our Ivy League title," he said. "This is a long season, and we want to peak at the right time."

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