It was a rough one on offense for Penn men’s soccer Monday night against Rutgers University across the border in New Jersey.
Unable to beat the Scarlet Knights in the previous five meetings dating back to 2007, the Quakers sought to upend the trend last night in Piscataway, N.J. The score was 0-0 heading into halftime, with only one shot for the visitors and four for the home club, and both teams were looking to capture a jolt of energy as they headed back out on to the pitch for the second half.
Rutgers forward Anthony O’Donnell provided that spark. Off of a free kick, freshman forward Matthew Acosta passed to senior back Thomas DeVizio, who crossed the ball into the box. He found a waiting O’Donnell, and the junior headed it past Penn’s junior goalkeeper Nick Christoffersen for the game’s only goal.
The Quakers put up a total of five shots throughout the game, each by a different player, with their only target on goal coming on a far shot in the final seconds. Rutgers’s junior goalkeeper Oren Asher made the stop, dropping the Quakers to 3-2-1 on the young season and keeping the Scarlet Knights undefeated at 7-0-1. Christoffersen himself registered four saves in what was ultimately a defensive struggle.
The Quakers will look to get back on track this weekend at home against Monmouth University on Saturday at 7:00 p.m., before starting Ivy League action in the following weeks, with matches against Cornell and Columbia.
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