Penn, which has already scored 16 goals through four games, will host Rider at Franklin Field on Wednesday night and look to avenge last season’s 7-1 loss to the Broncs.

Men’s soccer coach Rudy Fuller described the relationship between the men’s and women’s teams at Penn as being “one program.” Perhaps no one knows this better than the newest men’s soccer assistant coach Pete Pososki, who previously served in the same role on the women’s side from 2005-10.

The only problem is my team is struggling. In fact, both my teams are struggling. Penn men’s soccer has been on the wrong side of four one-goal results, including three tough 2-1 defeats in a row at home.

Unlike some of its non-conference opponents, Penn does not provide athletic scholarships, putting the Quakers at a disadvantage.

Senior George Dickson III may never benefit from the vast improvement Penn hopes Steve Dolan will bring to the program, but the runner has still helped mentor freshmen and impressed coaches with his leadership.

In the offseason, junior defensive back Dan Wilk became a match to donate bone marrow through the football team’s annual “Be the Match” program.

But despite less-than-ideal conditions, Fink and her team have only prevailed. In 2011, Penn went 3-14 on the season. Four games into 2012, the Quakers have three wins and more goals than they had in their first 12 outings last year.

Senior Leslie Kovach finished second for the women while the men’s team had strong performances from its freshmen.

The Quakers fell short of achieving a team goal of beginning the year 4-0, but the 3-1 start is still the program’s best since 1997.

Playing against former teammates in the annual Alumni Game, the sprint football team was dealt a 20-0 shutout loss.

Facing tough competition, the Red and Blue returned from their West Coast road trip with a victory, going 1-2 in Berkeley, Calif.

A year after the Red and Blue registered 13 shutouts, Penn found itself on the other end of the goose egg, losing, 2-0, against Marist on Friday and falling, 1-0, at Drexel on Sunday.

Friday night, the Quakers fell to Air Force after Penn allowed two goals following defensive restarts, eventually losing, 2-1.

Penn (2-1) heads to Berkeley this weekend for the Molten Classic, where they will face the University of California (2-3), Northern Arizona (6-0) and UC Riverside (3-3) in some of its toughest matchups of the season.

While new backup quarterback Andrew Holland has no proven record to point to, the senior has practiced in Penn’s system for three full years and should perform well if and when he’s called upon.

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.