PHILADELPHIA – After gaining six points from six in its first two matches of 2021, the University of Pennsylvania men's soccer team remains home for a pair of matches this weekend. The Quakers will host Penn State on Friday night and Loyola (Md.) on Monday, with both matches scheduled for 7 p.m. kickoffs.
 
MATCH DAY 3: Penn State at Penn
Friday, Sept. 10 | 7 p.m.
Video Stream (ESPN+) | Live Stats | Spectator COVID-19 Attestation (starts on 9/10)
 
MATCH DAY 4: Loyola (Md.) at Penn
Monday, Sept. 13 | 7 p.m.
Video Stream (ESPN+) | Live Stats | Spectator COVID-19 Attestation (starts on 9/13)
 
Ivy League on ESPN
A reminder that the Ivy League is paired with ESPN and you will be able to find all Penn home games, as well as road Ivy matches and select non-conference road games, on ESPN+ this fall with the same high broadcast quality you've come to expect. ESPN+ is a subscription-based service that offers monthly and yearly packages. Click here to subscribe to ESPN+!
 
The Series with Penn State
The Quakers and Nittany Lions are meeting for the 33rd time, with PSU holding a 24-6-2 lead in the series. Most recently, these teams faced off eight times over a nine-year span from 2007-15, with Penn State going 7-1-0 in that stretch including a 2-0 decision the last time these programs played, in 2015.
 
About Penn State
The Nittany Lions (2-1-1) dropped out of the United Soccer Coaches (USC) national poll last week after losing at West Virginia last Friday. They responded with a 3-1 win over American on Monday night. Andrew Privett and Peter Mangione have scored twice already this season, and Seth Kuhn has four assists to lead the attack.
 
The Series with Loyola
The Quakers are meeting the Greyhounds for the fourth time and are unbeaten (1-0-2) in the first three matchups which were played in consecutive seasons from 2003-05.
 
About Loyola
The Greyhounds (1-1-1) also played West Virginia recently, drawing with the Mountaineers on Monday. Prior to that, Loyola had beaten UC Irvine 2-0 and lost to Old Dominion 1-0. Justin Ingram figured in both goals against Irvine, scoring one and assisting Matthew Lala for the other.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*With the 2020 season canceled due to Ivy League regulations regarding the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, when Penn took the field at FDU last Friday the Quakers were playing their first intercollegiate match since November 16, 2019 when they defeated Harvard, 2-0.
 
*In Penn's season-opening win at FDU, senior Matt Leigh scored a pair of goals while graduate student RC Williams netted the winner with a penalty kick in the 70th minute. That allowed the Quakers to escape with the road win after giving up a 2-0 lead.
 
*On Monday, it was graduate student Joey Bhangdia who had the two-goal brace while senior Ben Stitz netted his first of the season.
 
*Leigh had an assist in Monday's win, giving him five points for the weekend. On Tuesday, he was named the inaugural Ivy League Player of the Week for the 2021 season.
 
*In addition to his goal, Stitz has two assists this season and is tied with Bhangdia for second on the team in points (4) behind Leigh.
 
*Junior Nick Christoffersen got the start in goal on Monday and posted the clean sheet, the second of his career.
 
*Senior Dane Jacomen was between the pipes for the opener and made six saves against Fairleigh Dickinson last Friday.

*The Quakers return two 2019 All-Ivy selections in Bhangdia and junior Kai Lammers. Bhangdia led the team with six goals that season, while Lammers was a key part of defensive front that posted seven shutouts and just 13 goals across 16 matches.

*Between the pipes, Penn has two returners with collegiate minutes in Jacomen and Christoffersen. In 2019, Jacomen started 14 matches and Christoffersen started the other two. Combined, they recorded seven shutouts, 47 saves, and gave up just 13 goals.

*Since taking the helm in 2018, head coach Brian Gill has had two seasons of .500 or better, accumulating 12 wins. In 2019, he wrapped up the Ivy League with a 3-1-3 record for 12 points and second place in the standings after a strong four-match streak ending with wins over No. 24 Yale and Harvard and draws against Brown and Princeton.

*The coaching staff has three new faces on the sidelines: Matt Poplawski, Ryan Sandell and Joshua West. Poplawski rejoins the program after a successful playing career with the Quakers before he graduated in 2017. Sandell comes to Penn after a professional career and a college career as a goalkeeper with Elizabethtown. West takes the role as Director of Operations; he played his collegiate soccer for William & Mary.