5 Things to Know: Columbia vs. Penn Saturday

Saturday, October 9

New York, NY

7:00 P.M.

Columbia University

Penn

Brian Timoney versus George Washington 2021

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics/Mike McLaughlin

10/8/2021 1:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Watch (ESPN+)Live Stats Venue Policies

Lions aim to return to winning ways

NEW YORK — Columbia men's soccer (1-6-2, 0-1-0 Ivy) will look to get back on track Saturday night when it hosts visiting Penn (4-3-1, 0-1-0 Ivy). Kickoff from Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET.

Fans who can't attend Saturday's match can watch the action on ESPN+. Live stats will be provided by GoColumbiaLions.com. Fans can also keep up with the match on Twitter by following @CULionsMSOC.

Fans attending games at the Baker Athletics Complex must adhere to Columbia Athletics and the University's venue protocols. Please find Columbia's venue policies here.

Below are five facts Columbia fans should know heading into the weekend.

#1 | TEAM STATUS
Columbia enters the match having lost four straight but was able to crack the scoreboard for the first time since September 10 on Tuesday in a 3-1 decision at Hofstra. Sophomore Will DeNight put an end to the goalless streak in the 67th minute, blasting a free kick from every bit of 30 yards perfectly into the top-left corner. The goal was the first of the Bradeis transfer's Columbia career.

#2 | BOUNCING BACK
Last Saturday, the Lions wound up on the wrong side of a one-goal game against Brown, but Columbia has a good history of bouncing back from home Ivy League losses. In fact, since 2015, the Lions are 6-0-0 in their next home Ivy match following a defeat. In those matches, Columbia has outscored its opponent by an impressive margin of 18-5, which includes a 6-1 victory in the 2019 home finale against Harvard.

#3 | TRACKING THE FIRSTS
Due in part to the 2020 season being cancelled from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lions have had a lot of firsts for the players on their roster this season. Many of them are tracked below:

First Collegiate Starts:
- #4 Matthew Leong vs. George Washington (Sept. 3)
- #5 Jake Novoshelski vs. Stony Brook (Sept. 6)
- #7 Adrien Wheaton-Schopp vs. LIU (Sept. 18)
- #9 Paolo Primavera vs. George Washington (Sept. 3)
- #11 Ryan Kipness vs. George Washington (Sept. 3)
- #13 Jack Muoio vs. George Washington (Sept. 3)
- #16 David Walley vs. St. John's (Sept. 13)
- #19 Will DeNight vs. George Washington (Sept. 3)
- #23 Hugo Hamilton vs. Stony Brook (Sept. 6)
- #24 Ryan Wallace vs. Manhattan (Sept. 10)
- #25 Bryan Cosman vs. Stony Brook (Sept. 6)

First Collegiate Goals:
- #11 Ryan Kipness vs. George Washington (Sept. 3)
- #5 Jake Novoshelski vs George Washington (Sept. 3)
- #27 Will Todd vs. Manhattan (Sept. 10)
- #25 Bryan Cosman vs. Manhattan (Sept. 10)
- #19 Will DeNight at Hofstra (Oct. 5)**

** First as a Lion (transferred from Brandeis)

First Collegiate Assists:
- #5 Jake Novoshelski vs. George Washington (Sept. 3)
- #11 Ryan Kipness vs. George Washington (Sept. 3)
- #9 Paolo Primavera vs. Manhattan (Sept. 10)

#4 | DEFENSIVE LEADERS
Columbia's defense ranks among the best in the nation. Heading into Friday, the Lions rank top-20 in both save percentage (.815) and saves per game (4.89), while allowing the second-fewest goals in the Ivy League (10). Junior goalkeeper Michael Collodi is 12th nationally in save percentage (.844), 21st in saves per game (4.75) and carries a top 50 goals against average (0.907).

#5 | THE OPPONENT
The Quakers (4-3-1, 0-1-0 Ivy) had a disappointing showing in their Ivy League opener last Saturday at home, falling to Cornell, 3-0. The Big Red scored less than three minutes into the match on a penalty and Penn managed just two shots on goal the entire way. Cornell led 2-0 at the break and tacked on its third goal when Emeka Eneli found the back of the net in the 74th minute.

Penn's leading goal scorers are Matt Leigh (3) and Joey Bhangdia (3). Nine different Quakers have scored on the campaign. Ben Stitz has assisted six of the team's 15 goals and boasts a team-best 10 points.

Senior Dane Jacomen has seen the majority of the minutes in goal, including all 90 of last Saturday's Ivy League opener. He carries a GAA of 1.60, allowing eight goals in exactly 450 minutes. Jacomen has made 20 saves on a total of 54 shots faced.

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For the latest on Columbia men's soccer, be sure to follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@CULionsMSOC), on Facebook (ColumbiaMensSoccer), or by visiting GoColumbiaLions.com.