Junior defender Leo Burney celebrates his goal against Brown with teammates and fans during the Ivy Tournament semifinal round on Nov. 10.
Credit: Chenyao LiuThe end of August doesn’t just mean the return of classes — it also marks the return of Penn sports. In this first semester, the Quakers will feature in plenty of exciting matchups against a plethora of opponents. Here are five of the most highly anticipated games to catch as a fan of the Red and Blue.
Sept. 1: Return of Rhodes Field — Men’s soccer
Rhodes Field has been out of commission for the past season, but now, with renovations complete, both soccer teams will be back home on a natural grass pitch. The men’s soccer team gets the honor of stepping onto the pitch first in an ACC-Ivy matchup against the University of Pittsburgh, marking the first ever matchup between the two Keystone State programs. Penn hopes the nighttime game will mark the first win of many as it looks to reclaim the Ivy League throne.
Oct. 12: Road to redemption — Men’s soccer
It was heartbreak in Penn Park last fall when Penn, the 2022 Ivy League champions, fell to Brown in the semifinals of the Ivy League Tournament on penalty kicks. But a new season is looming, and Penn will be eager to reclaim its spot at the top of the Ivy League. Each conference match will count, but none will count more than this rematch against Brown — a chance for the team to get revenge for how last season concluded.
Oct. 25: Ivy League Tournament semifinal rematch — Field hockey
Last season, Penn’s strong 5-2 conference record earned them a bid to the inaugural Ivy League Tournament for field hockey. In the semifinals, the Quakers faced off against Harvard, one of the two opponents that had beaten them in conference play. There, they narrowly fell to the Crimson with a final score of 1-0. Now, Harvard will make the trip to Ellen Vagelos Field, where Penn will seek to knock off the reigning Ivy League champions and one of the nation’s best field hockey teams.
Nov. 15: Big night in the Big 5 — Men’s and women’s basketball
It’s a two-for-one special at the Palestra. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams will face off against a Big 5 powerhouse: Saint Joseph’s. On the men’s side, the Hawks are the defending champs, while the women went undefeated in Big 5 play last year. It won’t be an easy task to take them down, but the Quakers are no stranger to showing up in Philadelphia-rivalry matches. And with these two games happening back-to-back, the Palestra will packed on Friday night.
Nov. 16: The revenge tour comes home — Football
Each of Penn football’s four Ivy losses in 2023 were within single digits, but none stung more than its triple overtime loss against Harvard. The game was electric, with a 10-point comeback in the second half and an interception in double overtime. But the outcome just didn’t land Penn’s way. This time, though, Harvard is at Franklin Field and will have to face a hungry Penn team looking to prove the doubters wrong — all in front of the thousands of alumni that will be in town for what is slated to be Penn’s Homecoming game.
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