PHILADELPHIA - Tightly contested competition is nothing new in the city of Philadelphia, and that was on full display Saturday night in the City of Brotherly Love as the University of Pennsylvania men's soccer team defeated local rival Temple, 1-0, on Rhodes Field. Junior
Joey Bhangdia scored the eventual game-winner in the 54th minute, while the Penn defense notched its third shutout of the season, moving the Quakers to 3-1-1 on the year.
PENN NEWS AND NOTES
*Bhangdia's goal is his third of the season and fourth of his career.
*The assist on Bhangdia's goal came from freshman
Nick Schimbeno, who clocked his first career minutes against the Owls, playing 26 in the win.
*
Dane Jacomen totaled four saves and was key in preserving the shutout for Penn, using his height routinely to cut off crosses in the box.
*Penn's mark of 3-1-1 is its best start through five games since the Quakers opened the 2010 season 4-1.
*There wasn't much to separate Penn and Temple statistically, as the Owls held a slim 9-8 advantage in shots but both teams recorded four on target. Temple also edged the Quakers 7-6 on corner kicks while fouls were even, 13-13.
*The Quakers have either won or earned a draw in seven straight matches at home on Rhodes Field.
*The Quakers improve to 23-7-7 all-time against Temple.
*Penn is 1-0 in Philadelphia Soccer Six play on the year and will face Drexel in late October with a chance to earn a share of the city crown.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The early portion of the match featured both teams feeling out the rhythm of the game, with a physical tone set from the opening whistle. Penn registered the night's first shots, including a blocked attempt from
Ben Stitz and a low blow from Bhangdia in the 13th minute.
The Owls would begin to tilt the field in their favor for the reminder of the period though, putting the Quakers on their heels with speed in the midfield. Jacomen was a solid resource for Penn in between the pipes, reading Temple's plays well and collapsing on the ball for a save when needed.
It appeared Temple took a 1-0 lead in the 34th minute off a free kick, but the Owls were called offside on the header attempt much to Penn's relief to keep the score level at zero. The Quakers held on to that tally till the break.
Penn found its footing offense more in the early portions of the second half, sending balls down the right flank to probe the Temple defense. Just a minute prior to Bhangdia's decisive score, Jacomen was tested again, falling to his right to collect another save for the Red and Blue.
The Quakers found their goal-scoring shape on a ball played wide in the midfield to
RC Williams who traveled into the attacking half before a bouncing ball fell to the feet of Schimbeno. On top of the right corner of the penalty box, Schimbeno swiftly snuck a pass to Bhangdia who settled it and bounced it into the side corner of the net at the far post to give Penn a lead it would never relinquish.
Temple would understandably begin to mount pressure for an equalizer, but the defense of the Quakers stood tall the remainder of the game, fighting for balls and able to clear away all of the Owls' major threats. Offensively, Penn nearly doubled its lead on a left-footed shot from Stitz outside the box in the 74th minute, but it was collected by the Owls' keeper.
The Owls had chances late with two corner kicks in the final 10 minutes, but the Red and Blue kept the clamps on for their third victory of the season.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Quakers wrap their three-match homestand with a contest against Lehigh on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. on Rhodes Field.
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