“As the game wore on into the second half, it felt like it was going to take something special to get the three points for either team,” coach Rudy Fuller said following the game.
And right when Penn men’s soccer needed it most, Forrest Clancy found that special something.
With the game tied 0-0 in its 58th minute, the junior stepped up to take a free kick with the game tied 0-0. Clancy gave Penn a 1-0 lead with a beautiful boot into the upper 90 that proved to be the difference against Cornell.
“We picked up a foul probably 30, 35 yards out from goal and Forrest stepped up and absolutely hit a stunner,” Fuller said. “It was just an unbelievable goal. He hit it about as true as you can hit it.”
Facing a tough opponent in the Big Red (6-3-1, 0-1 Ivy), the Quakers (5-4, 1-0) were prepared for a long drawn-out battle. In rain-soaked Ithaca, both teams struggled to sustain long plays and opportunities were at a premium.
For most of the game, Cornell was able to find more opportunities on the offensive side, but couldn’t find ways to convert. The Big Red outshot Penn, 12-8, on the game, including three more shots on goal.
“Both teams are really strong defensively. [...] The field made it really difficult to string any soccer plays together,” Fuller said. “With the combination of those two things, you knew chances were going to be few and far between.”
When Penn finally had an opportunity to score soon after the half, Clancy was able to convert and put the Quakers ahead. The Red and Blue kept Cornell under control the rest of the way for the win.
Clancy’s goal was backed up by a strong performance in goal by junior Max Polkinhorne, who recorded five saves for the clean sheet. The Portola Valley, Calif., native recorded his third shutout of the season and the fifth of his career.
“Both keepers were called on to make a few saves and Max made one or two really good ones for us to keep them off the board and preserve the shutout.“ Fuller said. “Overall, it was just a really committed team effort.”
While Penn didn’t see any scores from its usual pair of goal scorers — senior Duke Lacroix and sophomore Alec Neumann — the pair was still active on the offensive end. Lacroix contributed five shots, but against a strong Cornell defense and in tough playing conditions, Penn wasn’t able to get its usual offensive rhythm going.
In a matchup between the two previous Ivy League champions, a win for the Quakers was “huge,” according to Fuller.
Cornell had a strong showing in the nonconference portion of its schedule. The Big Red fought to a draw against No. 2 Louisville and had been riding a four-game winning streak into this weekend’s contest.
With a tough Ivy League to navigate this season, getting three points against Cornell could prove to be key to Penn’s title defense.
“To get a win on the road in the league any time is a great accomplishment and a huge challenge,” Fuller said. “But to do it against a team of their caliber makes it that much more special.”
