PHILADELPHIA – Senior Day for the 2011 edition of the Penn men’s soccer team started off more like “Groundhog Day” as the Red and Blue allowed an early goal to Princeton on a chilly night at Rhodes Field. However, before a full replica of the mind-boggling loses that had derailed Penn’s season could be etched, two members of the senior class tied the game late in second half and then two sophomores hoping to echo their teammates storied careers scored the game winner in a 2-1 win over the Tigers.

Jake Levin netted the equalizer for the Quakers in the 36^th minute, finishing off a restart with an emphatic strike inside the right post. The goal was his second of the season and fourth of his career. The play started with a free kick for the Quakers following a Princeton foul, and of course the kick was taken by another senior, Christian Barreiro. As he has done so often in his career, Barreiro’s restart resulted in a Penn goal. This time, Barreiro’s offering was knocked down, but the bounce came to Levin who scored. For Barreiro, the helper was his fifth this season and 16^th of his career.

That goal nullified a Princeton lead that came early on via a Julian Griggs goal in the 6^th minute. Griggs finished off a play started by Antoine Hoppenot, as the 2010 Ivy Player of the Year lobbed a pass down the middle that Griggs was first to, depositing the ball by Tyler Kinn.

The Quakers had suffered many heartbreaking defeats during the course of Ivy play in 2011, including two at home against Dartmouth and Yale. Instead of allowing history to repeat itself, the Red and Blue made history of their own with a Stephen Baker goal in the 75^th minute. The sophomore, playing for the first time since suffering an injury at Columbia on Oct., took a pass from fellow sophomore Johnny Dolezal and stormed down the right side in front of Penn’s supporters. Closing in on goal, but at a wide angle, Baker unloaded on Seth MacMillan with a rocket to the far left post and gave Penn a lead it would not relinquish.

Baker almost made it a two-goal lead just seconds later, forcing his way down field in almost the exact spot, but his offering was tipped away by MacMillan. The Tigers went on to pressure Penn over the final minutes of play, but Tyler Kinn was there every time.

Starting just his second career game, and making his first start at home, Kinn made four total saves after allowing the early goal, and his two biggest came in the game’s closing moments.

With 3:40 to play, he came out and dove to deny Myles McGinley, followed by a lunging stop of a Matt Sanner shot with 13 seconds left that was then cleared away by Barreiro to run out the clock. As goalies often are, Kinn’s heroics were aided by his defensive line, with Louis Schott and Thomas Brandt making big stops in the run of play down the stretch on Hoppenot and the rest of Princeton’s attack.

The Quakers improve to 7-7-2 overall and are now 2-4-0 in the Ivy League. Princeton is 5-9-2 and 1-4-1 in the Ivy League. Penn finishes up its 2011 season at Harvard next Saturday at 7 p.m.

Notes: The win was just the second for Rudy Fuller over the Tigers in his 14 seasons at the helm of the Quakers … The last win came in 2006 (1-0 in OT at Princeton on 11/4) … The win was the first at Rhodes Field for Fuller and his first in regular time … The two goals scored were the most by a Fuller team against Princeton and the first time Penn has scored twice against Princeton since Nov. 5, 1994 (3-2 loss at Princeton) … Penn has not scored twice at home against the Tigers since Nov. 6, 1993 (5-2 loss) … Levin’s goal was his first in Ivy League play … All four of his goals have come at home … Christian Barreiro did not record a shot, he had recorded at least one shot in every game this season … The last time Barreiro did not take a shot was in Penn’s loss to Maryland in the NCAA Tournament last Nov. 21 … Over his two seasons, Penn is 10-0 when Stephen Baker scores a goal … Of Baker’s 12 career goals, eight have been game-winners.

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