M. Soccer takes on familiar foe

Today, the Penn men's soccer team will face its mirror image at Rhodes' Field.

Temple (3-4-0) has a three game win streak and boasts last week's Philadelphia Soccer 7 player of the week, freshman Joe Brocker.

Meanwhile, the Quakers (3-1-0) are also coming off of a three game win-streak and they have this week's Philadelphia Soccer 7 player of the week, sophomore David Maier.

"We've had a similar run," Penn coach Rudy Fuller said. "It's going to be a very competitive game, and they're not going to give an inch."

Even though the Red and Blue come into the game as reigning Philadelphia Soccer 7 champions, they are still worried about their foes.

Last year's title was the first to go to Penn in the 23-year history of the tournament.

The Quakers are particularly wary of Temple's offensive prowess, since the Owls are known to make big plays on restarts.

But after scoring six goals in the past two games, the Quakers hope that they will counter with an offensive spark of their own.

"We definitely made some strides in the offensive area," senior tri-captain Nathan Kennedy said. "But there is still room to improve."

The Quakers have made some notable changes since the beginning of the season.

Off the field, they have seen these improvements pay off, as they have skyrocketed through the rankings from No. 10 to No. 5 in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

But if the Quakers want to continue to climb up the rankings, their star player, Maier, must continue to step up. He currently leads the team in both goals (three) and points (seven).

"Dave is playing the best soccer we've seen him play at Penn," Kennedy said. "He has loads of potential and he could score lots of goals easily."

Still Maier is humble, tending to play down his own accomplishments and instead, focusing on the challenge that lies ahead.

"Temple is a typical Philly style team," Maier said. "They are aggressive and will fight tooth and nail."

The Quakers believe that every Philadelphia Soccer 7 game poses a challenge. However, they are still very confident.

"We are capable of beating any Philadelphia Soccer 7 team," Kennedy said.

This attitude is new for a Quakers team that seemed unsure of itself at times last year.

"The difference between this year's team and last year's team is that this year we believe that we will win each time we get on the field," Maier said.

Regardless of the outcome, the game is sure to be intense -- after all, the two teams have shown themselves to be quite similar.

"We respect them and they respect us," senior Chris Kan said. "Every Philly 7 game is a battle."

This weekend the Quakers begin their campaign for an Ivy League title against Cornell.

After today's game against Temple, the Red and Blue will be on the road for over two weeks. This upcoming weekend the Quakers will be in Ithaca, N.Y., playing Cornell. The following weekend, Penn travels to Hanover, N.H., to take on league rival Dartmouth.

They return to Rhodes Field on Wednesday, Oct. 9 when they take on in-state rival Lehigh.

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