Men's soccer pulls off tight victory versus Harvard

Rest at the end, not in the middle.

Although it may be fall break at Penn, no respite was needed for men’s soccer who continued its quest for an Ivy League Championship this past weekend in dominant fashion.

In its first road Ivy League game of the season, No. 25 Penn (7-1-1, 2-0 Ivy) defeated Harvard (1-4-3, 0-2 Ivy) by a final score of 1-0. Being a defensive battle for most of the game, the Quakers broke through in the 58th minute with a goal by senior forward Stas Korzeniowski, who continued his stellar play on the pitch. The victory comes in familiar fashion as last weeks match versus Columbia also finished in a tight 1-0 contest.

“It’s always good to get a win in Ivy League games because it is always harder to get points against a team like Harvard,” sophomore midfielder Jack-Ryan Jeremiah said. “Going up there to play is hard and travel up there is a lot … just happy with the win.”

The game started the way it would end, with Penn’s defense leading the way. Having scored three goals in their previous game against Merrimack College, Harvard looked to continue their multiple goal streak against the Quakers. However, the Red and Blue had other plans, preventing the Crimson from getting a shot on goal in the first half. 

In fact, Harvard didn't record its first shot until the 35th minute. Stifling defense has continued to be a positive trend for the Quakers, who have only allowed a total of two goals in their past four games.

On the offensive side, Penn came out with a flurry of shots on goal by sophomore defender Owen Sullivan and junior midfielder Erickson Sakalosky in the eighth and ninth minutes. Despite a shotless game that ensuing for the next thirty minutes, the Quakers would get the final opportunity of the quarter with a shot from senior midfielder Charlie Gaffney in the 42nd minute.

Knotted at the half 0-0, Jeremiah, who had two shots during the game, credited his team’s willingness to stick together amidst a scoring drought as the key to winning the match.

“We know at halftime there was still a lot of game left, and a lot of the guys felt pressure during the game, [as] we felt like we should’ve been up,” Jeremiah said. “We [know we] can be playing better. It goes to show how together this group is and how we have each other’s backs.”

Indeed, the dry spell of goals would see its end in the 58th minute, when Korzeniowski took advantage of an opponent’s give-away and snuck the ball past Harvard’s goalkeeper to put the Quakers up 1-0. The score would add to Korzeniwoski’s team-leading tally of six goals on the season, underscoring his ability to come through for his team when they need him the most. He would finish the game with three shots, two of which were on goal. 

“He’s obviously a leader-figure for us on the team, and obviously his talent and skill is something I have never seen before,” Jeremiah said of Korzeniwoski’s playing ability. “The play that he gives us … it’s really tough to play against him.”

As good as Penn played defensively, it didn’t come without Harvard having their fair share of chances. The Crimson had eight corner kicks throughout the game, while the Quakers only had two corner kicks. Nonetheless, the Red and Blue stood tall in front of the goal, keeping Harvard’s offense at bay.

“We always try to keep a one game at a time mentality, focusing on the details, pushing each other during training, and doing the small things right, and our goals will come eventually,” Jeremiah said. “[We] can’t be thinking too far ahead, just want to go step by step, game by game, and focus on the now.”

With a ranked opponent on the horizon in No. 14 Hofstra, the team will return home and look to continue a promising performance. With still five more Ivy League matchups to go, a “break” is not in this team’s vocabulary.