The boys are back.
After opening Ivy play with a draw against Columbia, the reigning regular-season Ivy League champions Penn men's soccer have pivoted into an upswing as they earned their first Ivy League victory of the season on Saturday night. Penn extended their three-year win streak against Harvard by scoring 2-0 thanks to a consistent defensive effort and timely goals.
From the opening whistle, Penn’s energy was apparent. Although Harvard (3-4-2, 0-2 Ivy) started with possession, the Quakers (4-2-3, 1-0-1 Ivy) quickly flipped the field to control the tempo. In the first 10 minutes, senior midfielder Patrick Cayelli and senior midfielder Erickson Sakalosky both tested the Crimson’s defense with early shots.
Momentum swung Penn’s way in the 17th minute when Cayelli sent a precise corner kick that found an unlikely target — junior defender Malachi Neal. Drifting toward the net, Neal was in the right place at the right time to take advantage of a rare attacking opportunity past Harvard’s defense to mark his first collegiate goal.
“I was right there,” Neal said. “[The] ball just found my head and just put my head on it. [It was a] really good ball, so [it] forced me to get the goal.”
The unexpected goal from a defender rewarded Penn’s early pressure by giving them a 1-0 lead that set the tone for the night.
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Soon after, the Crimson received a dangerously close free kick after a foul near the box, but the Red and Blue’s back line held sturdy. The remainder of the first half was peppered with free kicks being traded back-and-forth to both teams. In his fourth game since returning from an injury, junior goalkeeper Phillip Falcon III stayed sharp between the posts when he cut off an attempt by Harvard at the 21st minute.
“Obviously, picking up the injury early in the season is tough,” Falcon III said. “I’m happy to be back in with the guys and I'm ready to get this thing going.”
Confident with their lead, Penn made a slew of substitutions with seven minutes left in the half. The Quakers’ defense stayed compact despite efforts from the Crimson to press forward in the closing minutes before the break.
Eager to even the score, Harvard came out of the locker room aggressively. Harvard midfielder Lucas Benuce Sarvas fired a shot in the first three minutes, but it sailed high. Penn focused on absorbing the pressure and didn’t generate any chances on the counter until the 53rd minute when senior forward Jack Wagoner’s shot went wide to the right of the box. Senior midfielder Gavin Seele and senior midfielder Will Kelly followed with consecutive attempts just three minutes later, but both were intercepted.
Sophomore midfielder Marco Bottene took more chances in the 74th minute, with one shot blocked and another hitting the crossbar.
Harvard regained possession and moved the gameplay back to Penn’s side. However, Falcon soon collected the ball as it neared the box and made a punt that set the next play in motion. With the ball back on Harvard’s end, Bottene gave a header to Sakalosky. This led to a swift pass to Cayelli, who slotted the ball home and raised the score 2-0.
“We’ve been doing a lot of extra training as a front group to try to find more goals in the game,” Cayelli said. “[I’m] grateful that I got my chance.”
Though Penn had been maintaining their initial lead in the second half, creating more opportunities later in the game continued to be a priority. This goal was the result of targeted preparation during practices in transitioning from defense to offense.
“A big focus for me over the past few weeks has just been … my kicking,” Falcon said. “[The] second goal was just a punt in a good spot.”
With the clock running out, the Crimson rallied for a final push, sending three shots back-to-back that went long. In the last six minutes, Harvard found themselves stuck in a corner-kick trance as they tried to press close enough for a goal. Still, the Red and Blue stayed steady, supported by strong saves from Falcon.
Despite injuries forcing changes to the lineup, the Quakers have shown resilience as they progress further into the season. New player combinations and strategies have been pieced together effectively, and Penn’s ability to adapt will likely be a key predictor of their performance moving forward.
Next week, Penn will look to build on its momentum when it battles city rival Temple on Oct. 7 and resume Ivy play after.
