PHILADELPHIA – Two goals in a three-minute stretch early in the opening half held up for the University of Pennsylvania men's soccer team as the Quakers opened the 2022 season Friday night with a 2-1 victory over Rider at Rhodes Field.

Quaker Notemeal
*Penn moved to 4-0 in season openers under head coach Brian Gill, with all four wins coming against New Jersey-based schools (Monmouth 2x, Fairleigh Dickinson).

*Leo Burney, a first-team All-Ivy defender last season, notched his second career goal.

*Mateo Zazueta, making just his second career start, recorded his first career goal.

*Penn finished the match with advantages in shot (13-10), shots on goal (6-2) and corner kicks (6-4).

How It Happened
Penn came out of the gates swinging, taking a 2-0 lead in the first 10 minutes. First, it was Burney, who knocked in a loose ball off a deflection from a Ben Stitz free kick in the fifth minute.
 

Three minutes later, Zazueta took advantage of a persistent Penn attack, burying one from outside the 18-yard box, tucking it just inside the right post.
 

That 2-0 lead held for nearly a half-hour before Rider got on the board in the 38th minute.

The physical play picked up in the latter stages of the opening half, with neither side registering a shot after Rider's goal. The physicality continued to increase in the early stages of the second half, with Penn unable to create some separation and Rider unable to equalize. Rider finally registered the first shot of the half for either side in the 53rd minute.

Penn had a pair of outstanding opportunities a minute apart in the 78th and 79th, but a header from Michael Hewes and terrific shot in traffic from Burney were both denied by diving stops from the Broncs' goalkeeper. Stas Korzeniowski had a look in the 82nd, but missed just wide.

The Quakers' stout defensive effort remained throughout the full 90, with Rider managing just two off-target attempts over the final 35 minutes of the match.

Up Next
Penn plays its first Soccer Six match of the season Monday night at 7:00 p.m. against Temple from the Temple Sports Complex.