Senior defender Leo Burney poses at Rhodes Field on Sep. 22.
Credit: Weining DingAs Penn men’s soccer senior Leo Burney steps into his last season with the Quakers, he has continued to receive recognition for his critical role on the team as a captain and center back. After being named first team All-Ivy in his past three years on the team, his first accolade of this season was a nomination to the United Soccer Coaches Defenders to Watch list in early August, with more to come.
Penn men’s soccer sophomore goalkeeper Phillip Falcon III said that no one on the team was surprised to see the nomination. “Everyone knows that Leo is the dominant player he is,” Falcon said. “It was earned.”
Born into a tennis family, with his father and older brother both playing in college and his mother picking up a racket when she met his father, Burney became the first soccer player in the family.
“Tennis was my second sport until I was 12, when it was clear that I was way better at soccer,” Burney said. “I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’m ever going to be as good as my brother,’ so I charted my own path.”
At 12 years old, Burney dropped tennis and fully committed to the sport that would bring him to Penn only a few years later. When exploring colleges four years ago, Burney knew he wanted to go outside of his hometown of Seattle. After getting to know the coaches and players at Penn men’s soccer, he knew Penn was the right fit for him.
“In high school, [the coaching staff] was always reaching out to me and I felt like it would be a place I’d be wanted and could contribute right off the bat — and I was able to do that,” Burney said. In addition to the high caliber of academics offered at Penn, Burney emphasized the importance of being with the right people in his decision to become a Quaker.
When Falcon first played with Burney two years ago, he was taken aback by Burney’s presence on the field. “The first time playing with him, I was just in shock at just how dominant he was on the field and how good of a leader he was, to not only me as a freshman, but even people in his class and older than him,” Falcon said.
So far this season, the team has played eight games, with a 7-1-1 record. The team played a number of difficult games in the spring, notably against Georgetown University and the University of Denver, Burney said, which tested the players and helped them figure out that “[they] just need to work incredibly hard and build trust in each other.” In addition, Burney credits a lot of the team’s success to the players’ close relationships.
“We enjoy hanging out with each other outside of the field, and I think that definitely helps our togetherness,” Burney said. “You can see it on the field in tough moments of the game, where we're always supporting each other … it just feels amazing to go out there and compete with this team and get results.”
Falcon says that Burney has taken up a big leadership role for the team altogether. “He’s very vocal in his communications and very personable and easy to talk to," Falcon said. "If there’s any problems, on or off the field, he really is a steady rock for everyone on the team to go to.”
As a center back, Burney leads the Quakers’ defensive unit alongside the other defenders.
“I’ve had the pleasure of playing with some great guys who were some of my best friends,” Burney said. For the past three years, for example, Burney has played right next to Penn senior Ben Do. “He’s one of the best players I’ve ever played with, so it’s just a pleasure every time we get to step on the field.”
Burney has also gotten close with the younger players on the team like Penn sophomore defender Connor Dawson and Falcon. “We’re always communicating with each other, and everyone seems to know exactly what to do at the right time. It’s great to see young guys mixing with older guys and just being such a tough unit to play against,” Burney said.
While Falcon calls Burney the rock of the defense, he also has a large impact on Penn’s attack. “He’s almost like a quarterback in a way, where he’s making the big play, like the big slide tackle, but then he’s getting up and giving the ball to the attackers to score,” Falcon said. “He’s definitely the most well rounded player I would say I’ve had the opportunity to play with in my time here.”
Burney has also helped shape the team’s practice sessions during his time on the team to be as game-like as possible. “You don’t get to be that good or that dominant on the field without being a hard-nosed, hard-working guy," Falcon said. "Leo is one of the reasons why our practices are the way they are.”
So far, Burney has played every minute possible in his last season with the Quakers, tied with Falcon to lead the team at 810 minutes. “A lot of the time he makes my job way easier,” Falcon said. “He’s winning one vs. one battles that you don’t see other people winning in this country, or conference, or anywhere really.”
When asked about this being his last season, Burney responded, “I’m just trying to take it a day at a time and get the most out of every single day.” Though time has passed quickly, Burney has tried to savor every moment. “I'm just trying to enjoy everything and take stock in the little things, like getting meals with the guys, or just hanging out.”
“[Leo] will be missed heavily within our program,” Falcon said. “I will miss having him back there, obviously, he’s a good guy to be around and good for our locker room, so Leo Burney will be missed.”
Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Burney has high hopes for the team.
“I don't want to jinx anything, but I think if this team keeps focusing on little things and keeps pushing each other, we can have a great season,” Burney said. “I think we can get all of our goals, but we have to keep being diligent and training hard.”
After closing out his time with Penn men’s soccer later this year, Burney is looking to play at the professional level.
“Hopefully I have a pretty good season this year, and that can lead to professional opportunities next year,” Burney said. “I want to see how long I can keep playing.”
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