In his first collegiate game, freshman midfielder Mario Stoka notched his first goal, helping secure Penn men’s soccer’s (1-0) 4-1 victory over Monmouth (1-2). Although the game was cut short by nearby lightning strikes, the Quakers were electric on the pitch, limiting the Hawks to seven shots and three shots on goal in 77 minutes of play.
“The anticipation, the excitement coming into the first game, a lot of nerves, a lot of butterflies that come into it,” Stoka said. “Just to be able to get in the game, find some rhythm, and then be able to run into the box and find that goal … all the work put in, it just feels good.”
“Any time you’re able to come out and put together a performance like that, I think you’re going to be happy with things,” Penn men’s soccer coach Brian Gill said in an interview. “The fact that it was a season opener, obviously, with the team kind of still in the early days of figuring ourselves out, putting together something like that will give the team a good amount of confidence moving forward.”
A starting lineup of upperclassmen headlined by junior forward Marco Bottene took to the field for the first minutes of play. Bottene made some early attempts at the goal, and was finally able to convert in the sixth minute of play, scoring the Quakers’ first goal of the season with assistance from fellow junior forward Romeo Dahlen.
Play paused for a moment as a sea of Red and Blue jerseys descended on Bottene, celebrating his early goal. The energized Quakers took the momentum into their defense as Monmouth attempted to break through their shields and gain possession.
By the 17th minute of play, Bottene walked away with his second goal of the night after hitting the bottom left corner of the net, while the Hawks had yet to make a single shot.
“I’m super excited to have scored two goals today, especially early in the game and early in the season,” Bottene said after the game. “It just starts the year off really well and ultimately helps us get the win. The team winning is really big, and the fact that I can have an impact on the team winning is huge.”
Inflammatory language soared from one end of the field to the other as Monmouth attempted to gain their footing and shift play to the Quakers’ side of the pitch. A yellow card earned by sophomore defender Kalani Kunimura in the 18th minute gave the Hawks their first attempt on a goal off a free kick.
Monmouth was able to convert on their second attempt mere minutes later, scoring their only goal of the evening. Similar to the Quakers at the top of the period, Monmouth utilized the momentum of their goal to push play onto the other side of the field.
The smell of the storm to come wafted through the air as the ball moved back and forth between teams. A yellow card called on Monmouth’s Raul Garcia in the 37th minute broke up the fray for a moment, opening up an opportunity for a Quakers press.
Monmouth quickly regained possession, but the Hawks couldn’t foil a sneaky misdirect from sophomore defender Becket Empson-Speiden, which was later converted into a goal from sophomore midfielder Adam Ambrus-Aikelin.
Although Monmouth held onto the ball, they were seemingly held in a defensive gridlock by the Quakers, refusing to branch out onto the other side of the field for scoring opportunities.
Penn entered the second period confidently, holding onto the ball from the kickoff despite daring dives attempted by Monmouth. The Hawks played riskily to foil the Quakers’ game of keep away, but strong ball management and straight shooting kept the ball with the Quakers.
“We’ve been talking with our attacking players about making a concerted effort to get into the box to take chances as well, and I think it was a nice translation of training sessions that we’ve been trying to put in front of the team over the early parts of the season,” Gill said.
A Quakers press into the Hawks’ side of the field resulted in a goal from Stoka, marking the freshman’s first collegiate goal.
“The fact that it’s [Stoka’s] first game, for him to come in and be able to have that kind of a play to remember in his first appearance, for Penn and at home, I think that will be a special thing for him,” Gill said.
The Quakers will take on the Pitt Panthers in Pittsburgh on Labor Day, hoping to continue their winning streak. For Stoka, the game means more than a typical non-conference contest, as he hopes to show up and show out on his brother’s old stomping grounds.
“Pitt is a very, very talented team and they have some great players,” Stoka said. “But we know what we’re able to do, and we have our system, and we’re very confident in our ability to be dangerous on game day.”
