Pair of late goals push No. 25 Penn men's soccer past Fordham

Famous sports broadcaster Vin Scully used to declare "deuces wild" when the count in baseball was two balls and two strikes, and there was a runner on second base. For Penn men’s soccer on Monday night, it was not deuces wild, but instead "treys" wild, as the Quakers scored three goals to gain all three points and win their third consecutive game to start 2024 against Fordham. 

Even though the two teams were relatively evenly matched throughout much of the contest, Penn used a pair of late goals to pull ahead of the Rams and win 3-1.

“They’re an experienced team," coach Brian Gill said. "They have a lot of older players, and they have guys that have been pretty well traveled over the course of their careers, now at Fordham. And you just know that those kinds of teams will pose threats."

Both teams started off the season strong, with the Quakers (3-0) undefeated heading into Monday evening. Fordham (3-1-1) had also played strongly, coming off a 4-0 win against Santa Clara. The Rams’ only previous falter had been a goalless tie to open the season against No. 17 Hofstra. 

But at the opening kick, the Quakers controlled the game, maintaining possession and testing Fordham’s defense. While the Rams had to build from their goalkeeper, Penn often regained the ball around midfield and began its attack anew.

In the 14th minute, Penn’s pressure paid off. After a frenetic sequence in the Fordham box, several Quakers raised their hand to appeal for a handball, and a few seconds later, the referee rewarded it by pointing to the penalty spot. Senior forward Stas Korzeniowski calmly converted, rolling the ball into the bottom left corner of the net to give Penn a 1-0 lead. 

“He’s one of the more dynamic forwards in the country,” Gill said of Korzeniowski. “His goal scoring is what can really make him a next-level player, not just at the college level but beyond. [But] he’s been working quite hard [on other areas]. He cares a lot. I think he understands how he can really bring great impact to the group in other ways than just scoring goals.”

Now defending a lead, the Quakers continued to press. They had the game’s first seven shots and wouldn’t let up on Fordham’s defense. Around 30 minutes into the game, though, the momentum began to shift. The Rams had a pair of corner kicks, and on the second, would have had a goal if not for an offsides violation. It didn't matter because six minutes later, Rams forward Luke Pompliano scored unassisted, and there was no doubt that this goal would count. This marked the first goal given up by the Quakers all season. 

Afterwards, the two teams looked relatively evenly matched, trading chances. At halftime, the score was 1-1. This stalemate continued for much of the second half. Both teams had chances, but neither could capitalize on them for a go-ahead goal. The Rams sent multiple crosses across the face of goal, but each time Penn’s defense cleared the ball away. 

This changed in the 72nd minute when off a Penn corner, senior defender Leo Burney steered the ball into the back of the net to give Penn another lead. 

“We’ve really been working hard on set pieces in training, so it just feels really good that we got to score one today,” Burney said. “So far this year, we’ve scored a lot through the run of play, so it’s really good for the team that we can score on set pieces as well.” 

With under 20 minutes left to go, all Penn had to do was keep the Rams from scoring. But this would prove difficult. Junior goalkeeper Philip Falcon III made crucial saves, and the Quaker offense advanced down the field to search for a game-sealing goal. And with just over three minutes to go, Penn found exactly that. After getting the ball just past midfield, senior midfielder Charlie Gaffney dribbled past Fordham’s goalkeeper and scored. 

With the win, Penn stays perfect on the year. It hopes to stay that way this weekend, which sees the Quakers leave Rhodes Field for the first time in 2024. The Quakers head to the Cavalier State to visit William & Mary on Friday at 7 p.m.