The Quakers are rolling.
It goes without saying that Penn men's soccer as a team is very familiar with success. With that said, one of the players who has been instrumental to the Quakers’ success this year is senior midfielder Patrick Cayelli. For the first time in Cayelli’s career, he was named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week.
This award comes on the heels of a strong performance this past weekend against Yale. Against the Bulldogs, Cayelli netted a goal in the 13th minute, while also assisting his teammate, senior forward Jack Wagoner, on two additional goals. Cayelli currently leads the Ivy League in assists with eight, goals with nine, shots on goal with 24, and points with 26. After losing a standout senior class, including Stas Korzeniowski and Leo Burney, Cayelli has led the way in stepping up and providing the offensive firepower that the team needs to win games.
Having won three of their last four games, including two crucial Ivy League matchups, Penn currently sits in third in the Ivy League rankings. Most recently, the Quakers defeated Dartmouth and Yale, and have secured their spot in this year’s Ivy League tournament, marking the fact that the Quakers have made the tournament every year since its inception in 2023.
The Quakers are hoping to avenge their championship loss in the tournament last year to Princeton, which is currently undefeated in Ivy play and appears to be the front-runners to repeat in this year’s tournament.
For the first time, the Ivy League tournament will not be held at Rhodes Field, but instead at Princeton, an honor given to the team finishing first in the regular season standings. For the first time, Penn will not be the No. 1 heading into the tournament and will be on the road.
In their final tune-up before the big dance, the Quakers will square off against their Ivy League rivals, the Princeton Tigers, this Saturday at Rhodes Field. The final regular season matchup doubles as Senior Day and offers Penn a valuable preview of what the postseason could bring — especially if these two elite programs find themselves facing off once again in the championship.
