Even before the men's soccer team began the 1993 campaign, a tag had already been slapped on the impending season. A dreaded label, one that doomed the Lions to a mediocre record, a constant struggle for identity.
It was to be a rebuilding year.
Graduation had taken its toll. The team was young, and experience was slim. With the formidable Big Ten and a competitive regional schedule staring them in the face, it seemed unlikely that the Lions could contend on a national level.
That, however, was in August. It's November now, and the No. 11 Lions are Big Ten champs and the No. 4 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament. And when the Lions (16-3-2) host unranked Robert Morris (14-6-1) at 2 p.m. on Sunday at Jeffrey Field, rebuilding will be the furthest thing from their minds.
They're thinking of a different kind of construction.
"Maybe it's time we built a dynasty here," Coach Barry Gorman said. There was no trace of humor in his voice.
It seems the Lions are looking at the NCAAs as a chance to make a statement, to show the nation just how good Penn State soccer is and could become. It's a starting point which Gorman would love to use as a springboard into national prominence.
Of course, he's got to get by Robert Morris first.
The Colonials are primed to play spoiler to the Lions' national championship dreams. Led by senior midfielder Troy Fabiano, whose 43 points place him among the top 15 scorers in the nation, Coach John Kowalski's team is fresh off its first-ever Northeast Conference Championship. That success hasn't fattened Kowalski's head, however. He knows what he's up against.
"For us to win, we're going to have to bite like crocodiles and kick like donkeys," Kowalski said. "We just hope to come in there and give Penn State a game. They're a very good team."
Kowalski, who sees his team's chances of victory as "very, very slim," doesn't have the odds on his side, either. Against the three opponents which the Lions and Colonials had in common this season, Robertnference Championship. That success hasn't fattened Kowalski's head, however. He knows what he's up against.
"For us to win, we're going to have to bite like crocodiles and kick like donkeys," Kowalski said. "We just hope to come in there and give Penn State a game. They're a very good team."
Kowalski, who sees his team's chances of victory as "very, very slim," doesn't have the odds on his side, either. Against the three opponents which the Lions and Colonials had in common this season, Robert these Lions. Everyone is contributing. "We're peaking" is a common phrase among the entire team.
"Penn State is really starting to establish itself again in soccer," freshman forward Richard Wilmot said. "The balance is good. Barry's found a good lineup. I think everyone now feels we're as good as anyone."
The ever-positive Gorman summed things up.
"This group's a group of winners," Gorman said. "The bigger the game, the more ready they are. They have that taste of victory, and they want to maintain it."
