PRINCETON, N.J. – The University of Pennsylvania men's soccer team's remarkable season reached a new high Saturday night when the Quakers clinched the program's first Ivy League title since 2013 with a 3-0 win over Princeton.
Quaker Notemeal
* The win was Penn's first over Princeton since 2013, its first AT Princeton since 2006 (1-0 in OT), and its first road win in regulation at Princeton since 1975.
* Penn picked up its 12
th win for just the sixth time in program history.
* Coming into the match with a team-leading seven assists,
Charlie Gaffney finally notched his first goal of the season.
*
Ben Do, who had just four shots attempts for the season entering the match, notched his first goal as a Quaker.
How It Happened
Penn knew exactly what was at stake as it took the field at Princeton's new Roberts Stadium on Saturday night. The Quakers needed either a tie to clinch at least a share or a win to win outright and render the Cornell-Columbia result in Ithaca moot. Cornell did what it had to do, beating Columbia. But Penn wasn't in a sharing mood on this day.
Penn's first goal came via the penalty spot, just as the opening half was reaching its midpoint.
Mateo Zazueta drove the ball into the box and was fouled by the Tigers' Malik Pinto, who received a yellow card on the play. Senior captain
Isaac McGinnis took the PK and was true, tucking it inside the left post as Princeton goalkeeper William Watson went the other way.
Gaffney made it 2-0 13 minutes later with a scintillating strike. A goal kick from Christofferson was settled in Penn's offensive end by Stitz, who pushed a ball over a Princeton defender. From outside the box, Gaffney one-timed a volley that snuck over an out-of-position Watson and under the crossbar and Penn doubled its lead.
Sophomore defender
Ben Do put the match to bed just past the hour mark. An attempted clear was gathered just outside the box along the left side, and Do fired a right-footed shot that beat Watson to his right and tucked inside the near post for Penn's third goal, the first of his Quaker career.
All that was left was for the final whistle to blow, and once it did, the Penn bench roared onto the field to celebrate their collective efforts over the past few months.
Up Next
Penn and the 47 other NCAA Tournament teams await their collective fate, which will be decided during the Selection Show on Monday afternoon, with opening round action beginning Thursday November 17.
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