Penn men's soccer faces early Ivy test

It’s hard to call the first game of Ivy play a must-win for any team, but Penn men’s soccer just might be the exception.

The Quakers will take their first steps toward defending their Ivy League title this Saturday, as the team makes the trek up to Ithaca to face Cornell.

Penn (4-4) may be the reigning champion, but the Big Red (6-2-1) appear to be primed for a run at the Ivy title, particularly in light of the team’s dominant defensive performance this season.

Cornell will enter Saturday’s contest ranked ninth among all NCAA defenses in goals allowed, and senior goalkeeper Zach Zagorski has conceded only four goals in over 800 minutes of play. Cornell is also undefeated on its home field, and no opponent has found the back of the net in any of the Big Red’s five games in Ithaca this year.

“We’ve got a battle on our hands,” coach Rudy Fuller said. “It’s going to be a hard-fought and gritty contest because Cornell is rolling. They are hot, they are feeling confident about their play on their home field and we have our work cut out for us.”

However, despite this adversity, the Quakers remain confident about their chances entering their first Ivy match.

“I think we always go into Ivies expecting to do very well because coach Fuller always puts together a very tough preseason for us,” junior goalkeeper Max Polkinhorne said. “We not only played against but competed with some of the top teams in the nation, and that is a mentality we don’t lose when we start Ivy play.”

Penn is also coming off an impressive win against fellow Philadelphia Soccer Six school St. Joseph’s on Tuesday, and the team’s 2-1 double overtime victory says a lot about the level the team has reached.

“[Tuesday night] was a different type of game that we played,” Fuller said. “We have played against a lot of exceptional opponents, and Saint Joe’s was a continuation of that. It’s a testament to how much we have worked for our guys to come away with a win from a very tough game.”

While Penn has faced more than its fair share of top level opponents this year, Cornell has also tangled with the best the nation has to offer. In its first game of the season, the Big Red fought No. 2 Louisville to a 0-0 draw and later played No. 20 Syracuse in a 3-0 defeat.

Although overshadowed by its defense, Cornell’s offense has been impressive this season as well, and senior midfielder Conor Goepel is tied with Penn’s sophomore striker Alec Neumann for the top spot on the Ivy League leaderboard with 13 points. However, Penn is confident that its defense will be up to the challenge.

“We had some defensive issues earlier in the season conceding late goals, but that has been something we have really worked on in practice, and I’m really confident about our play now,” Polkinhorne said. “I think this weekend will be a really close game.”

This weekend’s game will almost certainly determine a favorite for the Ivy League crown, but according to Polkinhorne, that’s what makes games like these great.

“I love games like this, and while I wouldn’t say we are the underdog, going into a game and not really being sure who the better team is, that’s exciting,” he said. “Tough games are great.”

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