Sports columnist Avery Brobbey discusses the home field advantage Penn men's soccer has.
Credit: Kenny ChenThere’s no place like home. For No. 19 Penn men’s soccer, the Wizard of Oz’s famous words could not be more true.
That's because the Quakers have gone 24 straight regular season games undefeated at home, a streak which dates back to 2022. That includes a spotless record in 2024, which has seen the Red and Blue reel off an 8-0 record at recently-renovated Rhodes Field.
After the 2021 season, Penn men’s and women’s soccer teams were shocked to find out that the field — their home field since its construction in 2002 — would be under renovation for two years. Penn Park, a field with very different features, became an interim home for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Returning to Rhodes has been a huge boost for the Quakers. The new field was christened with a stunning upset victory over No. 3 Pitt, and has been a welcome benefit for the team after the two-year hiatus.
“It's as good of a grass field as it can get. We've missed out on it for the last two years,” senior forward Stas Korzeniowski said. “We had to adapt by playing at Penn Park, but we made that feel like home. But being back on Rhodes has been a game changer.”
Natural Bermuda grass. New, shiny bleachers. Victorious memories. The renovations of Rhodes Field have transformed the home of the Quaker soccer team, raging on with a newly renovated spirit. Penn Park is a contrasting field due to its use of turf, and this greatly alters the quality and speed of play. Turf also leads to a higher risk of injury due to its slippery nature.
The nuances of Rhodes Field create hidden advantages at home for the Quakers, including the environment surrounding the stadium itself.
“It's a very noisy part of the city. We have the train overhead [and] the highway next to us.” Korzeniowski notes. “And sometimes that's chaotic for other teams but for us it's, it's, we're pretty at peace and we just, we love playing there.”
For many seniors, their Penn soccer careers were split between the two locations. Senior defender Leo Burney talked about the nostalgia that comes with playing on the same field where he played his first collegiate minutes, viewing the season as the perfect cap on his time at Penn.
"There is no other place I'd rather finish my career on," Burney said.
There is a great chance the Quakers will also get to stay home for the Ivy League tournament. After clinching a share of the conference title for the third straight season, Penn has the chance to host the event as the conference's top seed. The Quakers will attempt to secure that right, and an outright title, when they take on Princeton on Nov. 9.
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