PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania men's soccer team begins its Ivy League slate Saturday when it ventures to New Haven, Conn. for a 5 p.m. kickoff with Yale. The Quakers bounced back into the win column with a 3-1 victory last time out at FDU (9/19) and boast a 3-1-1 mark through the first five matches of the season.
 
Penn (3-1-1, 0-0 Ivy League) at Yale (2-5, 0-0 Ivy League)
Saturday, Sept. 26 | 5 p.m.
New Haven, Conn. | Reese Stadium
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
The Penn vs. Yale Series
*Saturday's matchup between both programs marks the 108th all-time meeting. Penn currently holds the edge in the series with a 50-40-13 record and has not lost against the Bulldogs since the 2012 season. The Red and Blue enter the contest on a 12-match unbeaten streak and have outscored Yale 21-8 over that stretch.
 
*Yale won the first meeting between both Ancient Eight programs, taking down the Quakers 5-2 on March 25, 1910, at a neutral site.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Marco Bottene enters the contest as Penn and the Ivy League's leading scorer with six goals in five matches. The junior was on target during both fixtures last week, netting a goal against Delaware (9/15) and at FDU (9/19). He currently ranks second in the nation in goals per game (1.20), third in points per game (2.40) and t-15th in match-winning goals (2).

*Underclassmen Adam Ambrus-Aikelin and Becket Empson-Speiden both found the back of the net in the 3-1 victory over FDU. The pair of sophomores logged goals in the 42nd and 67th minutes and Empson-Speiden's tally was the first of his collegiate career. Ambrus-Aikelin assisted Empson-Speiden to restore a two-goal lead and also picked up an assist against the Blue Hens.

*Three Quakers—Joaquin Niehenke, Owen Sullivan and Ambrus-Aikelin—have all notched two assists so far in 2026. All three players have eclipsed 200 minutes or more played this campaign and are three of 12 players to do so.

*Penn's upperclassmen are responsible for 66.7 percent (8 of 12) of the team's goals this season. The remaining goals were scored by Mario Stoka, Empson-Speiden and Ambrus Aikelin.

*Four freshmen—Wyatt Bonos, Landry Moncrief, Isaac Tortola, and Stoka—continued to make an impact off the bench against the Knights. Stoka registered the first start of his career and played 45 minutes. Fellow classmate Ethan Kim also came on late in the contest to make his collegiate debut.

*Junior defender Patrick Weir earned his first start and appearance of the season last time out at FDU. The Ramsey, N.J. native played the full 90 minutes at center back for the Red and Blue and was a key member that helped keep the Knights' offense quiet for the majority of the match.

*Phillip Falcon III has solidified himself as the Red and Blue's primary goalkeeper, playing all 437 available minutes so far in 2026. In five starts, the senior has made 17 saves and boasts a .708 save percentage, which ranks sixth in the conference. Falcon III and Penn's defensive unit are still seeking its first clean sheet of the campaign.

*Sophomore midfielder Phil Pak logged his second consecutive start at FDU and continued to make the most of his opportunities, playing a career-high 65 minutes. The midfield rotation of George Herbert, Jack-Ryan Jeremiah 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.
 
Scouting the Bulldogs
*Yale boasts a 2-5 record ahead of Saturday's contest but is coming off its second win of the season after defeating New Haven (9/22), 2-0, at home. Prior to that, the Bulldogs were on a four-match losing streak, dropping meetings against Penn State (9/4), Omaha (9/10), then No. 12 Creighton (9/13), and UMass (9/19). The hosts opened the 2026 season with a nail-biting loss at Quinnipiac before taking down Army (8/31) to earn their first triumph of the year.
 
*Junior defender Sven Meacham paces the Bulldogs with four points and four assists this season. The Bethesda, Md. native is one of three Bulldogs to start all seven matches in 2026 and his assist total ranks first in the Ivy League and tied for 20th in the nation.

*Eight Bulldogs—Dijon Fosu, David Leidl, Teague McCammon, Ryder Mills, Andrew Myerson, Jorik Dammann, Danny Grumann, and Meacham—have competed in all seven contests.
 
*In the Ivy League preseason poll, the hosts were picked to finish seventh among the Ancient Eight's members, receiving 39 votes. Yale has failed to earn a trip to the conference's postseason tournament since finishing second in 2023 behind eventual champion Penn.

*The Bulldogs have been outscored by their opponents 16-9 through their first seven matches and are averaging 1.29 goals per game and 11.9 shots per game which rank sixth in the Ivy League.
 
*Yale has used three goalkeepers through its first seven matches and Josh Linebaugh leads the way with six starts and 529 minutes played. Felix Wessels earned the start in the Bulldogs' season opener against Quinnipiac while Constantin Jung appeared for 10 minutes versus Omaha. Linebaugh has 23 saves under his belt and a .719 save percentage which both rank fifth in the conference.