No. 12 Penn men's soccer's season isn't done just quite yet.
With a loss to Princeton on Sunday in the finals of the Ivy League Tournament, the Quakers were unable to secure an automatic bid in the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer tournament, which was instead granted to the Tigers. Instead, they would have to wait until Monday at 1 p.m. to find out if their season would continue — when the selection committee announced its at-large bids.
The team wouldn't have to wait long, as the Quakers were named the sixth seed.
The 22 conference champions automatically qualify for the NCAA tournament. They are joined by 26 at-large teams — one of which is Penn — selected based on season performance, strength of schedule, and other factors, making for a field that features 48 teams to start. The top 16 teams are seeded and receive first-round byes with an opportunity to host the quarterfinals.
Despite a loss in the tournament finals, Penn’s selection as an at-large team is a testament to its successful season.
The Quakers began the year with a statement victory, defeating then-No. 3 Pitt in a closely contested matchup. In all three of its games against ranked opponents this year, the Quakers were undefeated. Throughout the regular season, Penn also maintained a consistent presence in the NCAA rankings, climbing as high as seventh in the country.
The Quakers were also the regular season Ivy champions, maintaining an undefeated record in regular season conference play. The strength of the Red and Blue is also reflected in numerous individual accolades. Penn boasted two Ivy League Player of the Year selections in senior forward Stas Korzeniowski and senior defender Leo Burney, with nine total players named to the Ivy League All-Ivy teams. Coach Brian Gill also took home Ivy League Coach of the Year honors.
Though it fell short in the conference tournament, Penn’s record as regular season Ivy champions and its impressive performances against top-tier competition made for a compelling case for its inclusion in the NCAA bracket. It's no surprise that the Quakers will keep playing into late November.
As the sixth seed, the Red and Blue will receive a first-round bye. The Quakers will play host to the winners of Massachusetts versus Evansville. Penn's first tournament game is currently set to kick off in Rhodes Field on Sunday at 5 p.m.
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