Sometimes teams win games they deserve to lose. Sometimes teams lose games they deserve to win. When both teams deserve to win, they're lucky to tie. Last night the Penn men's soccer team faced Seton Hall at Rhodes Field, the first of two Big East opponents.

Considering what has happened in the last several weeks, the men's soccer team now has little reason to be intimidated by a big-conference opponent. The Quakers take on Seton Hall, the first of two Big East opponents, tonight at Rhodes Field. The game kicks off at 5 p.

Fourth-string quarterback Richard Irvin was all set to start under center for Harvard this weekend. After starter Liam O'Hagan was suspended for misconduct and backups Chris Pizzotti and Jeff Witt went down with injuries, the Crimson was in a tough spot. But after all the drama, Pizzotti recovered more than a week before expected, and led the Crimson to victory.

When Penn was storming through the first half of its season last year, its run defense turned heads around the nation by consistently ranking as one of the best in I-AA football. That front seven was among the more inexperienced units on the 2005 Quakers squad, and they returned this year as a relatively sure thing on a team with no shortage of question marks.

There's a game at the Class of 1923 Ice Rink this Friday night, but the players lacing up their skates aren't varsity athletes.

Coach Mick Statham will pace the Rhodes Field sidelines once again this evening. But this time the former Penn women's soccer assistant will be leading Lafayette against the Quakers. Statham assisted head coach Darren Ambrose at Penn in 2004, helping the team to a 9-6-2 record.

Freshman Jess Rothenheber always knows where her roommate is. On Saturday, Rothenheber saw Jessica Fuccello cut between two defenders and pass her the ball, which Rothenheber converted for the game's only goal in the women's soccer team's 1-0 victory over Cornell.

When the Penn men's tennis team stepped on to the court Friday to participate in the ECAC Tournament, it knew that it had a target on its back. The Quakers won the tournament last year in impressive fashion and were looking to repeat. And Penn handled the added pressure well.

The team that senior Melina Tsui called "the best it's ever been" couldn't have seen this loss coming. Faced with a winnable game, the Quakers crumbled in Hanover, N.H., to Dartmouth on Saturday evening. Dartmouth (3-5, 1-2 Ivy) went ahead 2-0 at halftime and withstood Penn's second-half comeback.

In general, Penn and Princeton are considered to be bitter athletic rivals. But in sprint football, the series is so one-sided that it can hardly even be called a contest. Penn has dominated Princeton for over a decade now, with the Tigers' last win against the Quakers coming in 1995.

In general, Penn and Princeton are considered to be bitter athletic rivals. But in sprint football, the series is so one-sided that it can hardly even be called a contest. Penn has dominated Princeton for over a decade now, with the Tigers' last win against the Quakers coming in 1995.

The victory cigar of two weeks ago was gone; Al Bagnoli wasn't celebrating. It may have been that the 101st win of his Penn career - a 17-10 escape versus lowly Dartmouth on Saturday - wasn't a milestone the way his 100th was. Or he may have watched the game and thought that an express order from the local smoke shop may have been premature.

The men's soccer team's loss to underdog La Salle on a late goal two weeks ago could have been the turning point in the Quakers' season. It could have taken the wind out of the team's sails at the worst possible time - right before the onset of the Ivy League season.

Dartmouth had just scored on a miracle catch and needed an onside kick recovery to have a chance to finish its miracle comeback.

In a thriller of a match on Saturday night at the Palestra, the Penn volleyball team lost its Ivy League opener to Princeton in four games. The Tigers (10-0, 1-0 Ivy) had already grabbed a 17-11 lead in an electrifying first game when coach Kerry Carr was forced to call a timeout.

Receiver Matt Carre was in sync with sophomore quarterback Robert Irvin on Saturday. So was Braden Lepisto. And Chris Mizell. One week after throwing for under 100 yards and two interceptions, Irvin was hitting all of his targets on Saturday. Three Penn receivers set career highs in the win over Dartmouth.

In a game that saw three goals in the final 10 minutes, the men's soccer team started off its Ivy League season with a bang. Now, the Quakers (5-2, 1-0 Ivy) will attempt to ride the momentum of that 3-1 win over Harvard when they face Cornell (1-3-3, 0-0-1) tomorrow in Ithaca.