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PHILADELPHIA – Coming off the back of a thrilling 3-3 draw against Delaware at Rhodes Field on Tuesday, the University of Pennsylvania men’s soccer team returns to the pitch at 6 p.m. on Saturday for a matchup with FDU.
 
Penn (2-1-1, 0-0 Ivy League) at FDU (5-1-1, 0-0 Northeast Conference)

Saturday, Sept. 19 | 6 p.m.

Teaneck, N.J. | Macron Stadium

Watch on NEC Front Row | Live Stats
 
The Penn vs. FDU Series
*Across four meetings with the Knights, the Quakers boast a perfect 4-0 record and have outscored the hosts 13-5 in those meetings. Penn’s most recent triumph dates back to the 2022 campaign when it put six goals past FDU in a comfortable 6-1 win at Rhodes Field. The latest meeting at Macron Stadium came the year prior and was a much tighter contest. However, a penalty for the Red and Blue in the 70th minute pushed them over the line after 90 minutes.
 
*Penn and FDU met for the first time during the 2004 season and the Quakers walked away with a 1-0 win in University City thanks to Erik Violante’s goal in the 22nd minute.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Junior forward Marco Bottene has been on a tear to begin the 2026 season. The Hermosa Beach, Calif. native has registered five goals in his first four matches which paces the Ivy League. His 1.25 goals per game and 2.50 points per game ratios rank second in the nation despite placing outside of the top 50 in shots per game. Bottene began the campaign with a brace in a 4-1 victory over Monmouth (9/1) before netting another two goals in the 2-1 comeback victory versus Seton Hall (9/12). The forward made his way onto the scoresheet again last time out in the 3-3 draw against Delaware (9/15) and is the Ivy League’s reigning Offensive Player of the Week.

*Upperclassmen Jack-Ryan Jeremiah and Michael Howard both found the back of the net for the first time this season against the Blue Hens. Howard gave the Red and Blue an early lead with a clinical strike from outside the box in the 22nd minute and Jeremiah restored their lead from the penalty spot in the 80th minute.

*Senior defender Joaquin Niehenke currently paces the Quakers in assists this season after registering two during their season opener against Monmouth. The Morristown, N.J. native is one of five Penn players to have eclipsed 300 or more minutes played through the first four matches, joining Connor Dawson, Phillip Falcon III, Malachi Neal, and Kalani Kunimura.

*Penn’s upperclassmen are responsible for 77.8 percent (7 of 9) of the team’s goals this season. The remaining goals were scored by sophomore Adam Ambrus-Aikelin and freshman Mario Stoka during the 4-1 victory against Monmouth.

*Four freshmen—Wyatt Bonos, Landry Moncrief, Isaac Tortola, and Stoka—saw an uptick in minutes last time out. All four Quakers played a critical role off the bench and finished with career highs in minutes.

*Falcon III has solidified himself as the Red and Blue’s primary goalkeeper, playing all 347 available minutes so far in 2026. In four starts, the senior has made 13 saves and boasts a .684 save percentage, which ranks sixth in the conference. Falcon III and Penn’s defensive unit are still seeking its first shutout of the campaign.

*Sophomore midfielder Phil Pak earned the first start of his career on Tuesday and took his opportunity well, collecting his first point in Red and Blue with an assist to Howard. The midfield rotation of George Herbert, Jeremiah and Pak are expected to be key contributors throughout 2026.

*The hosts earned the third-place spot in the Ivy League men’s soccer preseason poll, securing 94 points. Reigning Ivy League Tournament champions Princeton were picked to finish first with 123 points and 14 first-place votes, followed by Cornell with 111 points and two first-place votes. Harvard rounded out the top four spots with 79 points.

 

*Penn returns a wealth of experience to the pitch for the 2026 season, including All-Ivy honorees Romeo Dahlen, Dawson, Falcon III, and Jeremiah along with upperclassmen Owen Sullivan, Herbert, Neal, Bottene, and Niehenke. Jeremiah, Dawson, Niehenke, and Sullivan were named team captains ahead of the program’s season opener.

 

Scouting the Knights

*FDU holds a 5-1-1 record ahead of Saturday’s contest but is coming off its first loss of the season after falling to Sacred Heart (9/15), 2-1, at home. Prior to that, the Knights were on a five-match win streak, collecting victories over La Salle (8/24), Rider (8/31), Siena (9/3), Villanova (9/7), and NJIT (9/12). The hosts battled Saint Peter’s (8/21) to a scoreless draw in their first match of the campaign.

 

*Jeremie Pelade has been the Knight’s largest attacking threat so far in 2026 with three goals and two assists in seven starts. Luke Ayaz has also provided a bulk of their scoring after finding the back of the net against Rider, Siena and NJIT. Four players—Ryan Calheira, Ryan Kopay, Dominic Valenzuela, and Pelade—sit on two assists and 11 Knights have tallied a point or more.

*Matheus Franca, Julian Ramirez, Yugo Yamamoto-Hodges, and Pelade are the only Knights to start all seven matches played. 

 

*In the NEC preseason poll, the reigning conference champions were the unanimous choice to claim another title in 2026, receiving all 11 possible votes.

*FDU has outscored its opponents 12-6 through its first seven matches and are averaging 1.71 goals per game and 12.1 shots per game which rank first and second in the NEC.   

 

*Franca is likely to start between the pipes on Saturday and has been a steady piece of the hosts’ backline. The senior goalkeeper has recorded 26 saves while his .86 goals-against average and .813 save percentage place second and third in the conference, respectively.

 

#FightOnPenn