Penn soccer utilizes long-throw strategy

It is the strangest and most unnatural play in all of soccer — the one exception to the rule. In a game dominated by feet, the Penn soccer squads have made a lot of headway with the long throw.

“College soccer is a battle of the box, and [with a long throw] you have a real aerial threat,” senior center back Jake Levin said. “We are looking to get on the end of it and do anything to get the head on the ball.”

This year, both the men’s and women’s teams have done their best to maintain a crucial advantage on the attack.

The history of the throw-in has somewhat clouded origins. The most likely explanation is that English schools adapted the restart from the rugby line-out in order to incentivize teams to keep the ball in play.

The men’s team (3-2-1) has been using the long throw to great effect since 2008 when Zach Barnett began to play regularly. That year, Barnett registered five assists from his cannon-like throw, including a late game-winner against Yale.

Barnett, who graduated last spring, has passed the torch down to sophomore midfielder Austin Kinn. The super-sub who can play both centrally and out wide has helped the Quakers maintain their distinct advantage.

“Towards the end of the year [Barnett] helped me out,” said Kinn, who can reach the edge of the six-yard box and the near post, depending on the weather conditions. “I’m looking for one target to get a flick on goal, and everyone else crashes [to the goal] after … the shot gets off.”

One of the targets that Kinn has been looking for is Levin, whose 6-foot-3 frame is easy to pick out at Rhodes Field. A physical player with immense strength, Levin is also a highly rated professional prospect.

But as important as the long throw is to the Quakers’ attack, the approach to headers has helped bolster their defense as well.

Levin was tested on Sunday when dealing with Villanova’s height, and he takes a slightly different approach with his back to goal.

“On defense, you’re just trying to meet the ball at its highest point,” Levin said. “Any contact with the ball is good. Even if you’re not winning the header, you’re still jumping to distract the player.”

Not to be outdone, the women’s team (5-1-0) has a long throw of its own that has created numerous chances.

Senior Ursula Lopez-Palm— who returned from a minor knee injury this weekend after missing last Sunday’s game against St. Joseph’s — brought her own long throw back into Penn’s attack.

As both teams wind down with their last non-conference games this weekend, each will naturally have to score goals to increase their standing to possibly make a return trip to the NCAA tournament ­— they may even have to do so unnaturally.

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