As the fall season kicks into gear, some Penn teams are preparing for season openers, and several others look to improve upon their previous outings. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect from all of Penn Athletics’ competing teams this weekend.
Soccer
Penn women’s soccer (1-0-3) earned a victory last weekend in a 2-1 contest against Lehigh (0-3-1). The win followed three consecutive ties to begin the season, and now, the Quakers will look to build on their momentum in two home weekend contests.
First up, the Red and Blue will take on Navy (3-2-2) on Thursday at 6 p.m. The Midshipmen have been on a tear the last five years, having not produced a sub-.500 season since 2016. The last time these two teams played — almost four years ago to the day — Navy emerged victorious by two goals.
Then on Sunday, Penn will face Stony Brook (3-3), a team that’s coming off two straight losses. The matchup will mark the first between the two schools in over 20 years.
Penn men’s soccer (1-0-1) enters the weekend coming off two games in which three different players scored goals and the team let up only one goal in each contest.
This weekend, the Quakers head to New York for two road matches against Albany (0-3-1) and Colgate (2-0-1), respectively.
Don’t let Albany’s current standing deceive you, though; the team went 10-7-1 last season and notched a 7-1-1 home record.
Colgate, on the other hand, went 0-18 last season and suffered a 3-0 loss against Penn almost a year ago to the day.
Tennis
Penn women’s tennis kicks off its season this weekend in a tournament the team will host at home, the Penn Invite, which runs from Friday to Saturday at the Hamlin/Hecht Tennis Centers.
Over the last several years, the Quakers have been a model of consistency, achieving winning records every season since 2019.
Following a sophomore class with four members, the Invite will serve as the opening meet for a freshman class with just two members, Juliana Munhoz and Maya Urata.
Volleyball
This weekend, Penn volleyball has a farther trek than all other teams, as the Quakers will be traveling to California for three matches over a two-day span.
On Friday, the Red and Blue will go head to head against Cal State Northridge (1-5) and Saint Mary’s (0-4) before closing out the trip on Saturday against San Francisco (6-0).
Like Colgate men’s soccer, though, don’t be deceived by San Francisco’s record. Last season, the Dons went a whopping 0-25, achieving not a single victory across three months of play.
Field Hockey
Following losses against two highly-ranked opponents last weekend (No. 9 and No. 2) at the ACC/Ivy League Conference Crossover, the Quakers will face a lesser challenge, but not by much.
On Friday, Penn field hockey (0-2) will play its first home game of the season against No. 20 Boston College (1-3). The Eagles lost both of their games last weekend at an ACC conference crossover of their own (against the Big Ten), but they’re coming off a season in which they went 12-6 and narrowly lost in the ACC Championship.
Two days later, the Quakers will face Villanova (3-1), a team Penn defeated 2-0 last season in a mid-September contest.
Golf
Penn women’s golf will begin its season this weekend at the Yale Fall Intercollegiate on Saturday and Sunday. There, the Quakers will seek to bounce back from a sixth of six finish at the Ivy League Championships just over four months ago.
Leading them in that effort are the veterans of the team, which includes a senior class of three — outnumbering every other age group.
The men’s team, on the other hand, will be competing in its second tournament of the season after finishing 11th out of 14th at the Alex Lagowitz Memorial.
The Red and Blue are led by senior Mark Haghani, who finished 10 strokes better than any other Quaker last weekend and ended up placing fifth amongst a field of 90 total golfers.
Cross Country
On Friday, Penn men’s and women’s cross country will open its season at the Spike Shoe Invitational, which will be hosted by Penn State.
Following its road trip to State College, Pa., the Red and Blue will be on the road for four meets across six weeks before reaching the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships on Oct. 28 and the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship on Nov. 11.
Last season, Penn men’s cross country finished third out of eight at Ivy Heps and sixth out of 26 at NCAA Regionals, while the women’s team placed fifth out of eight at Ivy Heps and 10th out of 27 at NCAA Regionals.
Sprint Football
On Saturday, Penn sprint football will open its season against Penn sprint football.
Yes, the Quakers will face themselves, as the current roster faces members of its alumni base. Last season, the varsity team narrowly edged out the old-timers in a 27-20 victory.
After the Red and Blue's test against the ghosts of its past, the team will officially begin its season and compete against Collegiate Sprint Football League foes for seven consecutive weeks. They'll look to improve on their 5-2 record last season in the hopes of taking their first CSFL title since 2016.
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