PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania men's soccer team is back in action Saturday night at 6 p.m. as it prepares to host Seton Hall at Rhodes Field. The Quakers look to bounce back after suffering a 1-0 defeat on the road at Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

The hosts boast a 1-1 record through their first two matches of the season and their matchup with the Pirates is the first of a two-game homestand.
 
Penn (1-1, 0-0 Ivy League) vs. Seton Hall (2-1-2, 0-0 BIG EAST)
Saturday, Sept. 12 | 6 p.m.
Philadelphia, Pa. | Rhodes Field
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
The Penn vs. Seton Hall Series
*Saturday's contest will be the 19th meeting between both programs. The visitors hold the all-time series lead with a 12-3-3 mark and haven't lost a matchup against Penn in their last four meetings. The Red and Blue's latest victory over Seton Hall was during the 2008 campaign when they walked away with a 2-0 win.
 
*Both teams met for the first time during the 1990 season, which ended in a 3-3 draw in Philadelphia.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Junior forward Marco Bottene currently paces the Red and Blue in goals (2) and points (4), after netting a brace during Penn's season-opening triumph over Monmouth (Sept. 1). The Hermosa Beach, Calif. native looked equally as dangerous on Tuesday at Pittsburgh, but the Panthers' stout defensive unit were effective in keeping him off the scoresheet. At the start of the week, Bottene was named Philly Soccer Six's Co-Player of the Week.

*Sophomore Adam Ambrus-Aikelin and freshman Mario Stoka have also registered goals this season, finding the back of the net in the 4-1 win over the Hawks. Ambrus-Aikelin handed Penn a 3-1 lead in the 40th minute with a clinical finish and Stoka opened his collegiate account in the 53rd minute to put the match out of reach. The freshman midfielder went on to claim Philly Soccer Six Rookie of the Week honors.

*Joaquin Niehenke leads Penn in the assist column (2) following his performance against Monmouth. The senior fullback is one of three Quakers to have played the entirety of the team's first two matches, and his assist total is tied for second among his Ivy League competitors.

*The Red and Blue have only utilized one goalkeeper so far this season with Phillip Falcon III earning the starting role. The senior made a season-high six stops at Pittsburgh and ranks third in the conference in save percentage (.800). He'll look to collect his first shutout Saturday evening against a Seton Hall team that has scored just one goal in its last three matches.

*Sophomore midfielder Phil Pak registered a career-high 58 minutes last time out and has consistently been one of head coach Brian Gill's first options off the bench. The midfield rotation of Jack-Ryan Jeremiah, George Herbert and Pak are expected to be key contributors throughout 2026.

*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.
 
*Penn returns a wealth of experience to the pitch for the 2026 season, including All-Ivy honorees Connor Dawson, Romeo Dahlen, Falcon III, and Jeremiah along with upperclassmen Malachi Neal, Owen Sullivan, Herbert, Bottene and Niehenke. Jeremiah, Dawson, Niehenke, and Sullivan were named team captains ahead of the program's season opener.
 
*Nine freshmen were added to the program during the offseason and are eager to make an early impact in Red and Blue. The newcomers are Wyatt Bonos, Leo Doyle, Ethan Kim, Landry Moncrief, Jasper Moorhead, Ian Paola, Mario Stoka, Isaac Tortola, and Hayes Weller.
 
*Two starters from the 2025 campaign began their professional careers in the offseason, after Austin FC drafted Patrick Cayelli with the 77th pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, and Oliver Pratt signed a contract with the Philadelphia Union II.
 
Scouting the Pirates
*Seton Hall enters Saturday's matchup with a 2-1-2 record, after drawing with Lehigh 0-0 at home on Tuesday. Prior to that, the Pirates notched a 1-0 victory at Rutgers on Sept. 4 and drew 0-0 with Iona (Aug. 28) to conclude August. Their first win of the season was captured in a 3-2 final at home versus Campbell (Aug. 23).
 
*Four Pirates are responsible for the visitor's five goals through their first five matches. Mikkel Lejbowicz leads the charge with two goals, having found the back of the net twice in the win over Campbell. Til Kauschke, Charlie Herley and Sammy Sansone registered the team's remaining three tallies. Kauschke and Sansone's goals against Rutgers and Campbell were match winners.
 
*In the BIG EAST preseason poll, Seton Hall was picked to finish fifth in the east division, trailing Georgetown, UConn, Providence, and St. John's.

*Ahead of the season starting, Kauschke was named the BIG EAST Preseason Midfielder of the Year and fellow teammate Lejbowicz joined him on the All-BIG EAST Team. Kauschke concluded the 2025 season with four goals and four assists, while Lejbowicz was the team's scoring leader with seven goals.
 
*The Quakers are likely to be met by graduate student Devin Armstrong in goal, having played the full 90 minutes in all five games this season. He's up to 25 saves in 2026 and holds a .862 save percentage entering Saturday's matchup. Armstrong was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Tuesday for notching his second shutout and recording six saves in the victory over Rutgers.