In Ivy soccer playoffs, Penn hopes to prove the adage of ‘it’s not how you start, but how you finish’

Over the last two seasons, Penn has been responsible for half of the men’s soccer hat tricks recorded in the Ivy League, so the Quakers are used to things coming in threes.

But more impressive than any of those was the hat trick the Quakers pulled off around this time last year when Penn was the recipient of the Ivy League’s awards for coach of the year (Brian Gill), offensive player of the year (Stas Korzeniowski), and defensive player of the year (Leo Burney).

It served as the cherry on a season in which the Quakers earned their first Ivy title and NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013.

This season, all three award-winning team members returned, with Gill earning coach of the year honors again and the Quakers (7-3-5 overall, 4-1-2 Ivy) having a shot to repeat as Ivy champs for the first time since 1972. It will be the first time, however, as part of the inaugural Ivy Tournament, being held this weekend at Penn Park.

The Quakers will open the four-team tournament with a semifinal matchup against Brown (5-4-7, 2-0-5) on Friday (6:30 p.m., ESPN+) before potentially advancing to the final on Sunday (1 p.m., ESPN+).

Last year, Penn bowled through its regular-season schedule, finishing 12-2-2. This season was a bit rockier, especially at the onset when Penn’s first two games led to as many losses as it did during the 2022 regular season.

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“Through it all, the important quality was guys keeping the belief and knowing it will come together and not giving up on each other, even though sometimes in those moments it could be really hard,” said Korzeniowski. “Just continuing to trust the process and work with each other, whether it be in the film room, on the side having a difficult conversation if need be, or even in the training itself with functional stuff.”

As the regular season progressed, Penn found its footing and peaked at the right time, rattling off four straight wins to close out the season — outscoring its opponents, 12-2. Now, the Quakers will have the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage, a crucial factor for Penn, which notched a 5-0-2 record at home.

Heading into the Ivy Tournament, Penn’s main strength is its lockdown defense. The Quakers followed up an Ivy-leading 0.78 goals allowed average last season with an even better 0.67 average, good for fifth-best in Division I.

“To be able to play here in Philly on our home field is something that, when you get into the playoff time of the year, playing home games becomes important,” said Gill. “Last year, [in the NCAA Tournament against Rutgers], we were able to play that game at home, and it just puts you in a familiar setting and puts you a little bit more at ease. You don’t have to travel as much, [and there are] more things you control.”

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It wasn’t all clean sheets for Penn at the onset, as the defense struggled with adapting to new starters. Since the first two games, though, nearly half of Penn’s games have resulted in clean sheets.

“I think it’s just a testament to how we’ve grown together as a defensive unit,” said Burney.

Two big additions to the back line this season were senior center-back Mattias Hanchard and sophomore right-back Oliver Pratt, who both started nearly every game after mostly remaining on the bench to start their college careers.

“They’ve really sunk their teeth into their own development over the last couple of years, which has been great for them as individuals, but also important for our team to see that,” said Gill.

Another key for Penn’s defensive unit? They say it’s the camaraderie, which aids with the culture and communication of the squad.

“I think it starts with us all liking each other a lot,” said Burney. “We get along well with each other, on and off the field.”

Penn’s offense has been solid this season, averaging the second-most goals per game in the Ivy League with 1.467. But it’ll face its toughest test this weekend when it plays Brown, a team that gave up just one goal in its seven games of Ivy play.

Korzeniowski, who finished second team All-Ivy this season, is “a very big focal point of the team,” says Gill. The junior forward sits at the top of the Ivy League with seven assists, many of which arise from the outsized attention that often comes his way from opposing defenses.

“He’s physically a bigger player, but he’s also got a lot of tactical skill sets that help us play a certain way,” said Gill. “Teams will focus on him, and the players that play with him in the attacking half of the field, but everybody on the team, recognizes that when he’s at his best and he’s feeling confident, that there’s a lot of positive byproducts that we as a team and then as individuals can enjoy, just because of some of the attention that he gets.”

And when it comes to Brown?

“They are a very defensive-oriented team. They really pack in well, and they hold a good block that’s hard to penetrate,” said Korzeniowski, who finished second-team All-Ivy this season. “I think for us, we just need to keep trusting our game plan. I think, in particular, one thing that’s worked well for us is an aggressive start. Having teams feel our pressure, having teams have to adapt to the game that we put on.”