While the Quakers do not want a repeat of last weekend’s two home losses — which opened their season with an 0-2 record at Rhodes Field for the first time since 2003 — they do hope to remain the reigning champions of the Penn Soccer Classic. This weekend, the tournament includes Air Force, Hartford and Villanova.

After a 2-0 start to the season, the Red and Blue host Marist on Friday before playing at local rival Drexel on Sunday.

The Penn athletic department announced Thursday that Bob Heintz has been hired as the new head coach, replacing Scott Allen, who held the position since 2008.

Van Roten, a 2012 graduate, recently signed a deal with the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad after participating in the team’s training camp.

Quarterback Billy Ragone, though good at times, faltered in last season’s most crucial moments. If Penn is to reclaim the Ivy crown, the success lies with the quarterback.

Looking to expand their games as much as possible, junior Miles Cartwright, his fellow classmate Fran Dougherty and sophomore Renee Busch took their talents, not to South Beach, but across the Atlantic.

After spending eight years guiding the archrival Princeton Tigers men’s cross-country team, Steve Dolan has taken over as the newly minted director of Cross Country and Track and Field for both the Penn men and women.

With just two matches under their belts, the Quakers are already 2-0 and off to their best start since 1997 after defeating Lehigh and Towson in a pair of weekend games at Franklin Field.

After initially struggling to find an offensive rhythm in matches against James Madison and Temple, the Penn women’s soccer team ultimately delivered at Rhodes Field and defeated both opponents, 2-1 and 2-0, respectively, to open the season.

With wins over La Salle and Villanova over the weekend, the Red and Blue improved their overall tournament record to 9-3.

Following their loss to Lafayette Friday at Rhodes Field, the Quakers fell again Sunday in double overtime to New Hampshire, 2-1. The two losses marked the first time since 2003 that Penn dropped its first two home matches.

For the purpose of this column, I don’t have the good fortune of taking one risk — in this case, making a sports prediction for the upcoming year — and immediately walking away with my earnings, never to return. Oh no, I’m in it for the long haul. The following are my predictions; come April I’ll be happy just to get my 20 bucks back.

After losing 33 seniors and 11 All-Ivy players a year ago, the Quakers entered 2011 the preseason favorite, but an unprecedented third straight Ivy title eluded the Red and Blue. But players, many returning this year, gained valuable experience along the way.

After winning back-to-back Ivy championships, the Quakers found 2011 to be a more challenging year, as they finished in fifth place. But this year, coach Kerry Carr believes an infusion of new faces both will propel Penn to the front of the Ancient Eight standings.

There are voids on the pitch, barely visible, but the Penn men’s soccer team is asking everyone to pay no attention to the men of yesteryear. Yes, former stars Jake Levin, Christian Barreiro and two-time captain Thomas Brandt are gone, but coach Rudy Fuller doesn’t want his team to grieve.

Thanks to the return of several key components from last year’s squad, the Quakers are in a good position to make a run at the Ivy title.

Picked first in this year’s Ivy Preseason Media Poll, it’s Harvard that is now watching the Throne. And the Quakers? They’re perfectly fine with that. In fact, they’re better than fine.