PHILADELPHIA – Following its 1-0 victory at home against Dartmouth (10/3), the University of Pennsylvania men's soccer team returns to the pitch Tuesday night at 6 p.m. for non-conference action at Loyola Maryland. The Quakers' victory over the Big Green marked its first in Ivy League play and they hold a 4-1-2 overall record heading into the midweek matchup.
 
Penn (4-1-2, 1-0-1 Ivy League) at Loyola Md. (2-8-1, 1-2-1 Patriot League)
Tuesday, Oct. 6 | 6 p.m.
Baltimore, Md. | Ridley Athletic Complex
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
The Penn vs. Loyola Md. Series
*Penn's visit to Ridley Athletic Complex marks the seventh all-time meeting between both programs and the Quakers have yet to suffer a defeat to the Greyhounds. Through the first six encounters, the Red and Blue boast a 2-0-4, collecting wins at home during the 2025 and 2005 campaigns. Penn coasted to a comfortable 4-0 win over the hosts to begin last season and both sides drew 0-0 last time out in Baltimore (2023).
 
*The first meeting between the Quakers and Greyhounds took place on September 21, 2003, at a neutral site which concluded in a 2-2 draw.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Sophomore midfielder Becket Empson-Speiden put together a strong performance last time out against Dartmouth (10/3) that led to him claiming Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week honors. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native's clinical strike in the 73rd minute was the defining moment of the match that pushed the Quakers past the Big Green. He was also named Philly Soccer 6 Player of the Week.

*Marco Bottene still stands as Penn's leader in points (12) with six goals in seven appearances so far this season. The junior forward has started all seven matches as an attacking midfielder and his .86 goals per game ratio tops the Ivy League and ranks seventh in the nation. Bottene's 1.71 points per game average places 18th in the country while his two match-winning goals are tied for 28th.

*Six Quakers—Jack-Ryan Jeremiah, Owen Sullivan, Connor Dawson, Phillip Falcon III, Kalani Kunimura, and Malachi Neal—have all eclipsed 450 or more minutes played in 2026 and will continue to be cornerstones of Penn's defensive and midfield units.
 
*Senior midfielder George Herbert came off the bench against Dartmouth and registered a season-high 55 minutes in the win. The Orange, N.J. native started the first three matches of the season and offers a calm presence deep in the Red and Blue's midfield.

*Three Quakers are tied for the team assist lead heading into the match with Loyola. Joaquin Niehenke, Adam Ambrus-Aikelin and Sullivan all sit on two assists this campaign, while five other Penn players have one.

*Penn's upperclassmen are responsible for 57.1 percent (8 of 14) of the team's goals this season. The remaining goals were scored by Mario Stoka (1), Empson-Speiden (2) and Ambrus-Aikelin (2).

*Stoka made his third start in Red and Blue versus the Big Green and tallied 41 minutes. Head coach Brian Gill continues to show faith in his freshmen class, as Isaac Tortola, Landry Moncrief and Wyatt Bonos have also featured in all seven contests.

*Senior center backs Dawson and Neal have started together in six matches as Penn's primary pairing, and Kunimura sits on 599 minutes played as the team's right back.

*The Quakers' offense stands as one of the largest threats amongst their Ancient Eight foes, ranking second in goals per game (2.00) and points per game (5.57). They have also been a disciplined side through the opening six matches, standing as the only team in the conference to average less than 1.0 yellow cards per game (.43).

*Falcon III has solidified himself as the Red and Blue's primary goalkeeper, playing all 617 available minutes so far in 2026. In seven starts, the senior has made 19 saves and boasts a .704 save percentage, which ranks sixth in the conference. Falcon III and Penn's defensive unit earned its first clean sheet of the season last time out against Dartmouth.

*Penn's midfield rotation trio of Phil Pak, Herbert and Jeremiah have been mainstays of the Quakers' early success this season.

*The hosts earned the third-place spot in the Ivy League men's soccer preseason poll, securing 94 points. Reigning Ivy League Tournament champions Princeton were picked to finish first with 123 points and 14 first-place votes, followed by Cornell with 111 points and two first-place votes. Harvard rounded out the top four spots with 79 points.
 
Scouting the Greyhounds
*Loyola Maryland enters Tuesday's matchup with a 2-8-1 record and 1-2-1 mark in the Patriot League. Following a 4-2 road victory at Holy Cross (9/26) two weeks ago, the hosts returned to Baltimore over the weekend and dropped a 2-1 final versus Boston U. (10/3). Prior to those results, Loyola was on a four-match streak without a win, losing to Delaware, Lehigh and Hofstra and drawing with American. The Greyhounds took down Mount St. Mary's (9/4), 3-0, to collect their first win of the season after starting the year with four consecutive defeats.
 
*The hosts' primary attacking threats this season have been Tyler Flynn and Lukas Cortes. Flynn paces the squad with three goals and one assist for seven points while Cortes leads with four assists and one goal for six points. The midfield duo have started all 11 matches for Loyola and were both recently on target in the win over Holy Cross.

*Four Greyhounds—Tyler Tucker, Jeremiah McGuire, Cortes, and Flynn—have started in all 11 contests this season.
 
*In the Patriot League preseason poll, the hosts were picked to finish seventh among the conference's 10 members, receiving 33 votes. Loyola currently sits outside of the playoff picture in seventh place, and have failed to earn a spot in postseason play since the 2024 campaign when it finished sixth.

*The Greyhounds have been outscored by their opponents 11-23 through their first 11 matches and they are tied with Holy Cross for the most goals conceded in the Patriot League (23).
 
*Head coach Steve Nichols has utilized a combination of Felix Huebner and Connor O'Keefe in between the posts throughout the year. Huebner leads the way with seven starts and 10 appearances while O'Keefe's made four starts. Huebner has racked up 29 saves and a .690 save percentage compared to O'Keefe's six stops and .375 save percentage. O'Keefe has strictly been used in non-conference matches, most recently playing the full 90 minutes versus Hofstra.