MILWAUKEE - It was déjà vu for the University of Pennsylvania men's soccer team, as for the second time in only a week, the Quakers prevailed in overtime on a golden-goal winner off the head of
Alex Touche, sent in by a ball from
Brandon Bartel. The victim this time around was BIG EAST foe Marquette, as Penn improves to 2-0-1 on the season with the road victory.
PENN NOTES
*The Quakers are 2-0-1 to start the year for the first time since 2008. The last time Penn played Marquette was in 2008 to open the season.
*Penn has played into overtime in each of its first three contests for the first time in program history. The Quakers have been playing varsity soccer since 1910.
*The Red and Blue have recorded two-straight shutouts for the first time since 2015.
Scott Forbes now boasts four shutouts in his career and has lowered his GAA this season to 0.59.
*
Alex Touche's golden-goal winner is his second in three games this season and the most in the Ivy League. The sophomore now boasts four points on the year.
*Similarly,
Brandon Bartel's game-winning assist is also his second in three games, both coming off set pieces. The junior captain is tied for the league-lead in the category.
*Penn notched seven shots on the night, each coming from a different player. The Quakers held Marquette to just one shot on goal.
*Marquette led in corner kicks, 10-6, but Penn closed the gap exponentially to end the game before winning off a set piece.
*The win is Penn's first over a BIG EAST opponent since a 2-1 win at Villanova on September 18, 2011.
*Penn remains unbeaten against Marquette, pushing its record to 1-0-1 all-time against the Golden Eagles.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a slow start on the stat sheet for both teams, as neither team recorded a shot until the 21st minute of the match. That shot came from Penn, as sophomore
Jake Kohlbrenner featured a quick turnaround, forcing the Marquette keeper into a save. While the Golden Eagles controlled much of the possession early, Penn found its footing midway through the opening stanza. Marquette would rally for a flurry of chances late in the period, but Penn's defense remained composed, fending off four shots in the final 10 minutes before the break.
Marquette continued to apply the pressure in the second half, but again, whenever the Quakers found themselves in dicey situations, a late tackle or punch from Forbes would settle play back into the midfield. Penn had several key chances on free kicks just outside of the box following fouls from the Golden Eagles, but were unable to find the back of the net, including off of one shot on goal from Bartel. While the home team was racking up more shots and corners, Penn stayed around and remained poised, allowing it to gain footing in the waning seconds of regulation.
Having only two corner kicks on the night, Penn doubled that number in the final two minutes before the 90-minute mark, and allowed that momentum to carry into overtime. Bartel set up two more corners to open extra time, before placing a third just right, connecting with the head of Touche who directed the ball into the left corner of the net, notching a win for the Red and Blue.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Quakers will continue their stay in the Midwest, set to face another local team, Milwaukee, on Sunday, September 9 at 8 p.m.
#FightOnPenn
