On Saturday, the men’s soccer team (5-3-2, 1-1-1 Ivy) endured 90 grueling minutes of stalemate against Penn (5-2-4, 1-0-2) during the Alumni Day game. Despite early control and a strong push in the second half, the Bears were unable to find the back of the net, settling for a 0-0 draw.
This match followed a 1-0 loss to Princeton (9-1, 3-0) last week and brings the team’s Ivy League record to an even one win, one loss and one tie. Following the draw, the team stands at fourth in the league, trailing third-place Penn by just one point.
“I think we canceled each other out a little bit,” Head Coach Chase Wileman told Brown Athletics, “but I am proud of the guys for fighting and not giving in.”
The game got scrappy early, and a foul was called on Brown with just 39 seconds on the clock. But the Bears were able to gain control of the ball off of a free kick by Penn, launching what would be one of their strongest attacks of the day.
The Bears’ first shot came in the fourth minute of the game, when Greyson Mitchell ’26 sent the ball sailing over the top of the goal. Just two minutes later, Lorenzo Amaral ’27 tallied a shot-on-goal from the right side, just outside the box. The ball zipped past the feet of four Penn defenders, but was ultimately stopped by the hands of the Penn goalkeeper.
Brown kept up the attack with another shot in the eighth minute of the game. Jamin Gogo Peters ’26 raced the ball down the left flank and delivered a quick pass to Mitchell. In a show of tricky footwork, Mitchell rolled the ball under his foot and slipped a rapid behind-the-back pass back to Gogo Peters, who launched it on a path towards the bottom center of the goal. But the Quakers’ goalkeeper was there to meet the attack, thwarting the Bears’ third shot in just 5 minutes.
Men's soccer players warming up before their match against Penn on Saturday.
Over the next 30 minutes, the Bears seemingly lost their momentum and were outshot 5-0 by Penn. Despite the Quakers’ onslaught, Brown’s defense stepped up to the challenge. Goalie Max Pfaffman ’28 dove to save a low shot from the left by Penn in the 23rd minute, and a smart defensive setup blocked a free kick by the Quakers 11 minutes later.
As the last 5 minutes of the half began to tick, both teams launched a last offensive push. Iyke Dafe ’27 and Mads Stistrup Petersen ’26.5 each delivered a shot on goal that was saved by the Penn goalkeeper. When Penn received a free kick with less than 2 minutes left in the half, Pfaffman leapt to the right to make a high diving save and keep the 0-0 stalemate going into the break.
“We had a lot of chances in that first half (and) almost scored,” Pfaffman said. “We did well defensively, but we need to find a way to score early on and put teams away while we can.”
The Quakers controlled the game out of halftime, recording the only 3 shots in the first 29 minutes of the second half.
Despite the still scoreless game, the crowd’s energy hit a peak at the 70-minute mark, when the Brown football team arrived in droves to support their fellow Bears. Packing the student section, the football team brought a riotous energy to try to revive the tied game.
Pfaffman said crowd support always helps rejuvenate the team.
“It gives us energy, helps us stay motivated and keep going till the end of the game,” Pfaffman told Brown Athletics. “We really appreciate that.”
Greyson Mitchell ’26 took the Bears’ first shot came in the 3rd minute of the game.
With just 4 minutes left in the game, the Bears made their final attempt to pull ahead. Centered on the goal and just outside the box, Carter Smith ’27 sent a low, fast shot that was blocked by a well-placed Quaker defender.
Despite back-and-forth play in the closing minutes, neither side was able to find a breakthrough opportunity, leaving the tense game with a 0-0 score when the final buzzer sounded.
The game marked Pfaffman’s second shutout of the season.
“Talking to my teammates helps me stay focused,” Pfaffman said, reflecting on the pressure of a “big Ivy game at home.”
“I think it was a good college soccer game, two teams that are good and have a lot to play for,” Wileman said to Brown Athletics. “We just have to keep working and improve for Tuesday.”
The Bears will next face off against No. 3 Bryant (11-0-1, 3-0 America East) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at home, followed by an away game at Harvard (3-4-4, 0-2-1) on Saturday.
