Penn Handles Harvard, 3-1
PHILADELPHIA – Good things come to those who wait. Good things, as evident on Saturday night, wear No. 7 for Penn men’s soccer.
In his final game as a Quaker, senior captain Travis Cantrell scored one goal and assisted on two more as Penn finally checked two markers off its list of season goals in a 3-1 win over Harvard in 2012’s final match.
The win was the first at home all season for the Quakers and the first inside the Ivy League, moving Penn ahead of the Crimson in the Ancient Eight table to round out the season.
Fans should have expected a fast-paced match with two teams playing to end the season on a positive note. The focus on scoring was evident with two goals 51 seconds apart in the third minute of action. Harvard scored first, 2:02 into the match on a crossing play between Brian Rogers and Hiroki Kobayashi. Their passing sequence found the foot of Zack Wolfenzon who scored left post to give Harvard and early one-goal lead.
Penn, rather than wilt on another bad break in a season rife with them, mounted a comeback brief in nature but effective in result. 51 seconds after conceding the lead, Penn answered on the first career goal for Kamar Saint-Louis. He chipped on a ball from 23 yards out, lofting it over the head of Harvard keeper Evan Mendez who has taken the slightest of steps out of position. Mendez was drawn out of position once the ball found the feet of Travis Cantrell, who feigned a shot and slipped a pass to Saint—Louis for the goal.
In the second half, Cantrell again initiated a strike for the Red and Blue, serving a corner kick over the scrum and to a waiting Jonny Dolezal outside the far post. Dolezal one-touched a pass back to a wide-open Sam Engs who knocked in his second goal of the season in the 54’ to give Penn the lead.
11 minutes later, Cantrell scored his final goal as a Quaker, finishing a pretty passing combo between Engs and Duke Lacroix in the 65th minute. Lacroix started the play, attacking a defender head on at the 25-yard area. Lacroix dished to his left to Engs, who quickly sent the ball back across the field to an onrushing Cantrell who stepped into his shot for the no-doubt insurance marker.
Tyler Kinn picked up the win for the Quakers with a six-save outing in goal. He made four of those stops in the final 45, including a point-blank stop on Kobayashi on a breakaway in the 84’ to preserve the two-goal lead.
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