Down goes Dartmouth.
Penn men’s soccer overcame Dartmouth, 1-0, in its first Ivy League victory of the season, but the Quakers (4-1-3, 1-0-1 Ivy) couldn’t convert against Loyola University Maryland (2-8-2, 1-2-1 Patriot) three days later, drawing the Greyhounds in a scoreless contest.
Sophomore defender Becket Empson-Speiden scored the game-winning goal against the Big Green with less than 20 minutes left on the clock. Empson-Speiden notched his second collegiate goal and Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week honors with a right-footed strike to the bottom corner.
“I was just thinking about obviously getting the spot on the long throw, and then just taking it down, having the composure to put it past the defender and then the goalie,” Empson-Speiden said.
Quakers down Dartmouth for their first Ivy League victory
Dartmouth entered Rhodes Field off an impressive upset victory over then-No. 18 Princeton in its Ivy League opener. The Quakers looked to defend their home turf and get their first conference win of the season after drawing with Yale in September.
Penn started off hot, recording three shots and two corners within the first 15 minutes of play. Although Dartmouth began to hit its stride as the first half continued, Penn’s defense limited the Big Green’s attempts to convert and gain control of the ball.
Back-and-forth play ensued through the bottom of the first half as players got more aggressive on the pitch. Perhaps threatened by the Quakers’ dominant ball possession, the Big Green began to get physical, recording three fouls in the same five minutes that Penn logged three shots.
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Although back-to-back offside calls thwarted the Quakers’ initial attempts to score at the top of the second half, Penn wouldn’t be stopped so easily.
Empson-Speiden made his way back into the fray in the 62nd minute, immediately making his presence known with a foul less than a minute after coming onto the field. More fouls followed as the game wore on, until the Quakers were awarded a throw-in, which senior defender Owen Sullivan launched into the box.
Although a Dartmouth defender managed to take back the ball, a backward pass sent the ball right into Empson-Speiden’s path. With just two touches, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native put the Quakers in the conference win column.
Hoping to stay at the top of the conference standings, the Big Green began throwing everything they had at Penn’s defense. Dartmouth midfielder Olly Spicer had a chance to convert with a shot on goal in the final three minutes of play, but a save by senior goalkeeper Phillip Falcon III foiled Dartmouth’s attempt at a late-game equalizer.
“It’s just going to be sometimes a pretty tight affair, regardless of who you’re playing,” coach Brian Gill said. “Games boil down to stringing together consecutive plays that wind up making the difference.”
“The more we get into the season, my hopes are that the team is getting more comfortable being in those games,” Gill added.
Loyola’s passes stretch the field, evading the Quakers
With an Ivy win under their belt, the Quakers entered their Tuesday non-conference match with momentum. The Greyhounds, on the other hand, were coming off their eighth loss of the season against Boston University on Saturday. However, when the first whistle blew, both teams surprised fans with similarly skilled play.
The first half saw an even back-and-forth between both teams, with the Greyhounds sending long passes down the field to run out the clock. Despite being faced with fatiguing play, the Quakers fought hard to gain and convert possession.
“Sometimes a team is able to make a game feel long and you’re going to have to run and you’re going to have to be together,” Gill said.
Whenever the Red and Blue gained possession, they drove the ball deep into the Greyhounds’ side of the pitch. Penn attempted six shots in the first half, but none of them successfully made it past Loyola goalkeeper Felix Huebner.
On the defensive end, Falcon made an impressive save in the 22nd minute, turning around to catch a ball that had flown just above his hands. Loyola promptly challenged the call but was unsuccessful.
“The players that we’ve been playing in the back line, … goalkeepers, [and] our central midfielders are doing a really nice job covering the ground to make as good of efforts as they can be making towards limiting chances against us,” Gill said.
The gameplay in the second half resembled much of the first, with closely matched energy from both sides. The ball continued to fly across the length of the field, and each team played with precision and energy. Even during challenging moments, the Quakers maintained high spirits through a balance of composure and hunger to play well. However, neither the Greyhounds nor the Quakers got on the board, with both teams missing a decisive final piece, and the game ended in a 0-0 draw.
Penn men’s soccer will face No. 22 Cornell on the road on Oct. 10 before returning to Philadelphia for a non-conference battle against local rival Drexel on Oct. 13. The last time the Quakers faced the Big Red, they got shut out in the Ivy tournament semifinals.
“We feel excited about the opportunity to play a game like this … all these points and all these matchups become pivotal,” Gill said. “The players are excited about playing at big games like this.”
