PHILADELPHIA – The nationally ranked University of Pennsylvania men's soccer team fell 1-0 to the University of Massachusetts in the second round of the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship on Sunday night at Rhodes Field.
 
In the first-ever series matchup, the Minuteman scored in the 46th minute to advance to the championship, while #6 Penn's historic season ended with a 14-4-1 (7-0 Ivy League) record.
 
Quaker Notemeal 
*Stas Korzeniowski led the offense in the battle with four shots. 
 
*Penn had the edge in offensive opportunities in the match, outshooting UMass12-10. 
 
*Goalkeeper Phillip Falcon III stopped three of four shots faced on the defensive end of the field
 
*Leo Burney, Connor Dawson, and Falcon docked the full 90 minutes on the pitch.
 
*In the heated meeting, the teams exchanged 16 fouls and two yellow cards. 
 
*The Quakers end the 2024 season with a 14-4-1 overall record, their best since 2002.
 
How It Happened
The Minuteman controlled the pace from the start, as Alec Hughes slammed one at Falcon 30 seconds into the match that the sophomore easily saved. UMass kept up the pressure around the five-minute mark with another shot at Falcon, but the keeper tallied his second save early to hold the battle scoreless.
 
A minute later, sophomore Dawson headed Penn's first shot of the bout off a free kick, but UMass' keeper Alex Geczy made the save. Both defenses were on point in the match as the next shot did not come until the 22nd minute when Matt Cence tallied another shot that was ultimately blocked by the Quakers' defense.
 
UMass stayed hot, posting three straight shots, highlighted by one in the 35th minute that defender Burney saved in the box to keep the Minutemen off the board.
 
The final shot of the first came from Patrick Cayelli in the 39th minute, but his attempt sailed above Geczy's goal before it could disrupt the tie before the break. UMass opened the second half with a point to prove, as Hughes netted the one in the 47th minute to push the Minutemen ahead 1-0.
 
Senior Korzeniowski reentered the match with intensity, attempting back-to-back shots in the 53rd and 54th minutes, but both were saved by keeper Geczy. Two minutes later, Charlie Gaffney had a solid opportunity in UMass' zone, but Geczy added another save to the board.
 
The Quakers kept throwing shots at the Minutemen's box as Jack-Ryan Jeremiah and Cayelli tried to score in the 57th minute, but both were misdirected before they could find the back of the net.
 
Penn did eventually find the back of the net in the 71st minute as Korzeniowski snuck one past Geczy, but the goal was unfortunately ruled offside to keep the match at 1-0 in favor of UMass. The called-back goal dampened the final minutes of play as the Quakers could not get another one past the Minutemen, allowing the New England team to advance in the NCAA tournament.

Up Next
The 2024 season has concluded.