While most Philadelphians had their eyes glued to their television screens watching the Eagles’ NFL season opener in Brazil, No. 25 Penn men’s soccer earned a 4-0 statement victory over city rival Temple.
The match was a physical, end-to-end contest immediately after the opening kickoff. Senior forward Stas Korzeniowski was constantly battling with Temple’s (1-2-2) deep midfielders and central defenders. Despite not scoring early on, the Quakers’ (2-0) biggest goal threat was a crucial component for Penn’s build-up play from the jump, maintaining composure while fending off challenges.
“My job as a striker is, first and foremost, to score goals, and it's one of my primary goals, but there's a lot more to it,” Korzeniowski said. “I want to make plays on the field; I want to draw fouls; I want to have good hold-up moments, be dangerous on the attack, put guys in goal-scoring situations themselves.”
It didn’t take long for the Red and Blue to settle themselves in. After the opening five minutes, Penn’s midfield began to dictate the pace of the game, maintaining possession while consistently looking for dangerous penetrating passes or long ball switches. The team looked calm with and without the ball, finding the right combinations in open spaces.
“We had a shortened preseason with fewer games this year, so it was just about getting as many trainings in to build on-field chemistry,” junior midfielder Patrick Cayelli said. “We spend a lot of time with each other off the field just trying to build that connection and relationship.”
Cayelli opened the scoring early. Upon receiving the ball in the box, Cayelli was instantly pressured by a Temple center back but managed to turn and clinically slot it in the net for his first career goal.
“When I received the ball, I felt the defender kind of overcommit off my shoulder and thought I could spin him a little,” Cayelli said. “And then, as I wound up to shoot, I saw another player coming across from the far side, and so I thought to shoot it between the defender’s legs aiming for the near post and it went in.”
The Quaker center-backs were on high alert for any potential Temple attacks, making sophomore goalkeeper Phillip Falcon’s life a little bit easier. Sophomore Connor Dawson and senior defender Leo Burney teamed up well to intercept and clear dangerous crosses in the box from Temple’s attacking wings.
Back from the halftime break, Penn changed its attacking gameplan, focusing more on crosses and wing play. With Korzeniowski out, junior forward Jack Wagoner and freshman forward Romeo Dahlen led the line upfront, allowing the Quakers to send a lot of players into the opposition’s box at a moment’s notice.
Then, after checking back in, Korzeniowski put the game to bed. Following a Temple corner, the 6'4" striker made a run through the middle of the pitch, received a perfectly weighted ball from senior midfielder Charlie Gaffney at the edge of the box, and bent the ball into the goal with a first-touch finish, putting the Quakers ahead 2-0 with a little more than 10 minutes to play.
“It always feels good when I'm able to put one in the back of the net,” Korzeniowski said. “I was a bit frustrated in the first half with the few chances that just slipped by me ... I'm always hungry to score."
It was all Penn from there on out. A few minutes after the second goal, senior defender Ben Do found Cayelli with a bit of space outside the Temple box. Cayelli wasted no time and smashed the ball into the back of the net for his second in a memorable night.
“Yeah, getting my first career goal and brace in the same night means a lot,” Cayelli said. “It's been two years in the making, but I just want to thank all the guys for backing me, giving me confidence, and helping me through different moments.”
But that wasn’t all from Rhodes Field. Capping off a wonderful playmaking display, Gaffney earned yet another assist, running the length of the field before playing a precise through ball into the run of Korzeniowski. Channeling his inner Erling Haaland, the striker celebrated his brace in flavorful fashion with a dance in front of the Penn crowd.
“I'd love to go as far as I can with this team this season, win an Ivy League, go to the tournament, and just really push the boundaries of what this program can do,” Korzeniowski said. “I'm just so excited about the potential of this group, and, it being my last year, I want to go out with no regrets.”
The Quakers will look to keep their early season momentum going against Fordham on Monday at 7 p.m. in their third consecutive match at Rhodes Field.
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