Two Penn programs were recently recognized as one of the top 25 teams in the nation.
The 9-1-2 men’s soccer team (3-0 in Ivy League play) placed 16th in the most recent United Soccer Coaches poll, the first time the Quakers have been ranked in a dozen years.
Following a 1-1-1 start, the Red & Blue are currently on a nine-game unbeaten streak, including a 3-2 defeat of 15th-ranked Cornell on Oct. 15 and a 1-1 tie with Drexel on Oct. 18.
Fourth-year midfielder Ben Stitz leads the Ivy League in points (22), goals (nine), shots (38), shots on goal (22), and game-winning goals (three). Second-year forward Stas Korzeniowski is right behind him with seven goals, 36 shots, and 20 points, and his six assists are second-highest in the conference. Fourth-year goalkeeper Nick Christoffersen leads the Ivy League with a .753 goals against average.
The Quakers last appeared in the Coaches poll during the 2010 season, when they reached as high as 13th. Their 9-1-2 start is the program’s best since 2010, when they finished 10-2 and won the Ivy League Championship.
On deck for the men’s soccer team is Brown on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Penn Park.
Despite their 4-8 record (2-2 in conference), the field hockey team was ranked 24th in the latest National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll, on the strength of their brutal schedule. The Red & Blue have played the hardest schedule in the country: seven nationally ranked teams in their first 12 games, four of which were top 10 teams, including a 4-3 loss to No. 1-ranked Northwestern.
After starting the season 0-7, the Red & Blue have won three straight and four out of five. Second-year midfielder Courtney Kenah and fourth-year midfielder Meghan Ward lead the Quakers with nine points, four goals, and one assist each. Fourth-year defender Gracyn Banks is tied for third in the Ivy League with three defensive saves.
On Saturday, the field hockey team takes on Yale (7-7, 1-3 in Ivy League) at noon in Connecticut.
