PHILADELPHIA - While many across the country will use the Labor Day weekend to take time off work and travel, it will be the opposite for the University of Pennsylvania men's soccer team, as the Quakers are set to kickoff their season at home with two matches over the long weekend. The Red and Blue open up against Monmouth on Friday, August 31 at 8 p.m., with a Monday night tilt set for 7 p.m. against University City foe Drexel on September 3. 

MATCH DAY 1 - Penn (0-0) vs. Monmouth (0-2)
Friday, August 31, 2018 | 8 p.m. | Rhodes Field | Live Stats | ESPN+

MATCH DAY 2 - Penn (0-0) vs. Drexel (2-0)
Monday, September 3, 2018 | 7 p.m. | Rhodes Field | Live Stats | ESPN+

Ivy League on ESPN
The Ivy League Network has paired with ESPN and you will be able to find all Penn home men's soccer matches, as well as road Ivy matches, on ESPN+ this fall with the same high broadcast quality you've come to expect. ESPN+ is a new, subscription-based service that offers monthly ($4.99) and yearly ($49.99). Click here to subscribe to ESPN+ and start your 7-day free trial! Click here for frequently asked questions about the Ivy League on ESPN.

The Start of the Gill Era
Friday marks the beginning of the Brian Gill era for Penn Soccer. Gill took over the reins of the program after 20-year head coach Rudy Fuller made the move to Senior Associate Athletic Director, Intercollegiate Programs for the Red and Blue. Gill is not a total stranger to the Quakers however, having spent 2017 as Fuller's top assistant. Prior to arriving at Penn, Gill spent seven seasons at Georgetown University. Joining Gill on the coaching staff is Jonathan Delano, Peter Lowry and Dan Scheck.

Previewing Penn
The Quakers return 13 letterwinners and nine starters from last season, and boast a mix of veteran experience with a handful of newcomers. Penn earned four All-Ivy honorees a season ago, and return three of them, including second-team selections Joe Swenson, Jake Kohlbrenner and Alex Touche. Swenson led the team in goals (7), assists (4) and points (18) in 2017, while Kohlbrenner (9) and Jerel Blades (7) round out Penn's top three point returners. 

A quartet of upperclassmen, Gavin Barger, Brandon Bartel, Jerel Blades and Joe Swenson, were tabbed to lead Penn as captains for the 2018 season. 

Series History
Friday is just the second meeting all-time between Penn and Monmouth, continuing a series that began a year ago. The Hawks earned a 2-0 victory over the Quakers in 2017 in West Long Branch, N.J., opening the year for the Red and Blue.

Penn is 31-11-1 all-time against the Dragons but the series has been closer recently, with each team grabbing three wins apiece in the last six matchups. Last year, Drexel squeaked out a 2-1 victory at Vidas Field, holding off a late Penn comeback. The Quakers have been dominant against Drexel on Rhodes Field, having defeated the Dragons nine-straight times when playing at home. 

Scouting the Hawks
Monmouth enters Friday's match with an 0-2 record on the year, sporting a 4-0 loss to Denver and a 1-0 loss to Lafayette. The Hawks went 7-9-2 a year ago, finishing seventh in the MAAC, and were picked to finish sixth in the conference this year. 

Scouting the Dragons
Drexel runs into the weekend with a 2-0 record, its best start since 2010, boasting wins over Binghamton (3-2) and Lehigh (2-1, OT). Kwesi Allen and Griffin Mallas lead the team with two goals each, while Drexel has used two goalkeepers in each of their first two games on the year. The Dragons are set to battle George Mason on Friday prior to their matchup with Penn.