Penn men’s soccer holds Brown to a goalless draw

After 90 minutes of battling Brown on Saturday, Penn men’s soccer left just as it started with a tie.

Following back-to-back wins against Harvard and at Temple, the Red and Blue’s (5-2-4, 1-0-2 Ivy) third conference matchup would end goalless on Saturday afternoon in Providence, R.I. The Bears (5-3-2, 1-1-1) proved to be a stout defensive challenge for Penn’s attack.

Junior goalkeeper Phillip Falcon III stood out as the man of the match for the Quakers, finishing with four saves to stop the Bears. As the first half of the contest drew to a close, Falcon was called upon to keep things level. In the 41st minute, Falcon made back-to-back saves. Brown had long spells of possession to end the first half, but the Quakers maintained their shape and made it difficult for their opponents to break through. Falcon left New England with his 14th collegiate clean sheet, his fifth of the season.

The next big moment would come in the second half, when freshman midfielder Adam Ambrus-Aikelin forced Brown goalkeeper Max Pfaffman to make a big save. Following a throw-in from senior defender Oliver Pratt, Ambrus-Aikelin found himself close to goal with the ball loose in the air. He quickly positioned himself for a headed effort, but Pfaffman was able to parry the shot out of play. Pfaffman, like Falcon for the Quakers, played a big role in maintaining a clean sheet for the Bears.

Much of the game’s only chances for both sides came from set-piece situations. The Bears had a few opportunities early in the contest off of corner kicks but failed to create serious threats in open play. 

Penn fired off some shots midway through the first half. Sophomore midfielders Marco Bottene and Aiden Frick and senior midfielder Patrick Cayelli took repeated shots at or near the Brown goal. The second half picked up with the Quakers creating some opportunities. However, the failure to score kept the Bears in the match and led to a tense late-game finish.

Penn’s offense has had a slow start this season, scoring more than two goals in only three of its eleven games. This marks the team’s fourth goalless outing of the campaign, halting the group’s momentum after a short win streak.

The Quakers will host William & Mary on Tuesday at Rhodes Field. This will be the final match before a stretch of four games against Ivy League opponents to close out the regular season.