Soccer Team Downs Penn, 2-0; Makes Bid for Ivy League Title

They play soccer at Penn on a narrow, choppy field out behind the university steam plant, among various factories and under the main railroad artery to Philadelphia. There, in the worst playing condition imaginable, the varsity soccer squad staked its claim to the Ivy League title by defeating Penn, 2 to 0, last Saturday.

The Crimson's lightweight line, whose precision attack was supposed to flounder on wet, muddy grounds, was never better, as it rose to the occasion against a rugged Quaker eleven. Moreover, the varsity adapted easily to the narrow Penn field.

Goalie Tom Bagnoli led the Crimson to victory. As a sophomore in 1957, Bagnoli replaced injured regular goalie Jim Perkins for the Penn contest, and allowed four goals on the muddy Quaker field before being replaced late in the first period. Saturday, in identical conditions, he was magnificent. He stopped everything that came his way and contributed the play of the game midway in the third quarter.

With Quaker wing Dean Brown closing in on a rolling ball about ten yards away from the goal, Bagnoli charged, and seemingly grabbed the ball off Brown's foot. When Bagnoli sank to the ground after punting out of danger, Crimson hopes plummeted. It turned out that he was merely stunned--from taking the brunt of Brown's kick on his head.

Coach Bruce Munro's renovated offense had erstwhile inside John Hedreen at center forward, and Hedreen played an essential role in both varsity goals. He scored the first himself at 9:10 of the second period, heading Larry Ekpebu's direct kick over the hands of goalie Bobby Caldwell.

Six and one-half minutes later, Hedreen picked up a loose ball on the left side of the nets, with Caldwell far out of position. Instead of trying to blast the ball through the defenders massed in front of him, he passed across to wing Dick McIntosh, all alone on the right, and McIntosh tallied easily.

As the game wore on, the varsity continued to dominate the action, with the exception of the middle of the third quarter, when Penn launched its only serious offensive threat.

Near the end of the third period, inside Tadgh Sweeney, who played a bruising game in the sloppy weather, removed Caldwell from the fray with a crashing charge on the Penn goal.

Munro's new lineup worked out perfectly. Hedreen, of course, was instrumental in the triumph with his scoring and play-making at center. Sweeney gave the varsity the hard-charging inside it needed to team with scrappy John Mudd, and Ekpebu, at his old haunt, left wing, dazzled the Quakers with his dribbling and speed afoot.

On the other hand, Penn's experimenting produced less fortunate results. John Jerbasi, center half, captain, and backbone of the Quaker squad, was injured in practice Friday and did not play. To compensate for Jerbasi's absence, Penn coach Charles Scott moved left fullback Charley Kalme to center halfback, where he did an adequate job. Regular left half Bob Trigg filled in for Kalme at fullback, and right inside Davey Buten switched to left halfback. Fred Mansouri was elevated to first-string inside.

With nearly half the team playing in unfamiliar surroundings, the Penn attack lost much of its vaunted swiftness, and the defense was often tentative and unsure.

This victory, the Crimson's seventh against three ties, was the team's most impressive win to date. Going with a nearly untried lineup in impossible conditions, the varsity really came through. Chances seem good that the Ivy crown will once again go to the Crimson.