The men’s soccer team (4-6-1, 0-3 Ivy) traveled to Rhodes Field in Philadelphia to play No. 18 University of Pennsylvania (9-2-1, 3-0 Ivy) on Saturday. Bruno conceded two goals early in the first half and, after failing to convert on offense, fell 2-0 to its inter-conference rival.
“The first 25 minutes is what ultimately cost us the day,” Head Coach Chase Wileman wrote in a message to The Herald. “We didn't start great and put ourselves in a hole. Against a top-25 team on the road, it’s going to be difficult to get something out of the game at that point.”
The Penn offense started the game with an offensive barrage. In the opening six minutes, the Quakers won a corner and launched three shots at goal, whereas Brown only mustered one. Penn broke the dead-lock just two-and-a-half minutes later, when their forward Stas Korzeniowksi dribbled along the right side of the penalty arc after winning a loose ball in the midfield.
With little defensive pressure and realizing that goalkeeper Max Pfaffman ’28 strayed to the right goal post,, he rocketed the ball from outside the penalty box into the left side of goal to put Penn up 1-0.
Off a line-breaking through ball that took the Bear’s defense out of the game, Korzeniowski opened his body towards goal and shot at the lower left corner in the 12th minute. Pfaffman reacted quickly and got a touch to slow the ball’s trajectory, which allowed Greyson Mitchell ’26 to sprint back and clear it off the goal line just in time.
“I’m constantly talking to the back line throughout the game,” Pfaffman wrote in a message to The Herald. “My role is to help solve problems before they arise, and my defenders try to do the same for the guys in front of them.”
Despite a well organized defense, Bruno could not subdue the unrelenting Quaker offense. At the 26th minute, after receiving a goal-kick pass, the Quaker left-back made a lofting pass down the length of the pitch. Penn’s left winger won the aerial battle for the ball and quickly found Korzeniowski in the center of the pitch, who relayed it to the right winger invading the penalty box.
As the right winger attempted to cross the ball back to the center, it ricocheted off the boot of fifth-year Bruno defender Scott Gustafson ’24.5 higher into the air, finding its way to Korzeniowski for a looping header into the back of the net to make the score 2-0.
“Having a top-tier striker in college soccer is hard to find and (Korzeniowski) is certainly one of the best in the country,” Wileman wrote. “He was the difference maker.”
By the end of the first half, Penn had registered the same number of shot attempts as Brown would the entire game.
The game’s momentum lulled to start the second half. The Bears tried to advance the ball upfield, playing out from the back line, but Penn’s defensive high press was too much to bear. The Quakers relied on the connective play between the wing backs and midfield to generate scoring opportunities.
Between the 61st and 66th minute, Brown took three consecutive corners and Penn took two, all of which resulted in one shot attempt among both sides.
Bruno’s final chance to get a goal back came in the 85th minute. As defender Gavin Tabije ’25 crossed the ball into the opponent’s penalty box, it struck the lower arm of a sliding Penn defender. The referee immediately ruled a penalty kick for Brown.
Forward Lorenzo Amaral ’27 rapidly stutter-stepped and launched the ball slightly towards the right goalpost. But the Penn goalkeeper saved the shot.
“We are not far off from teams that are further along in their cycle than our program,” Wileman wrote. “We caused them problems throughout the game and had some chances to get back in it.”
Brown has won three, lost four and drawn three games against Penn in their ten matches since October 2015. Although evenly matched in recent history, the two programs have progressed down divergent paths this season.
The Bears have now lost five of their six away games and remain the only team in the Ivy League without a conference win. In contrast, the Quakers currently lead the conference standings with an undefeated record — the only Ivy League squad to do so — and haven’t lost a home game thus far.
Brown will continue to search for its first conference win against Harvard next Saturday at Stevenson-Pincince Field.
