M. Lacrosse hosts Ivy foe

For the Penn men's lacrosse team, every game this season is an important game. And when you only play six Ivy league games all season -- Columbia doesn't field a team -- each Ivy contest is even more of a must win. So despite being early in the season, the Quakers' first Ivy game is arguably their most important. When Penn takes on Harvard tomorrow (3:00 p.m., Franklin Field), the Quakers will have a perfect opportunity to jump out to a quick start in the Ivies. An early win against an athletic Crimson squad could provide Penn with the momentum needed to carry it through the rest of its Ivy season. "We talked this week about it being our first Ivy game and a chance to go 1-0 in the Ivies," coach G.W. Mix said. "That's a real important step for us." The Quakers know the Harvard match will not be a cakewalk. Sophomore attacker Mike Eckert posted impressive numbers for the Crimson last weekend at Army. He tallied two goals and seven assists in Harvard's 11-7 victory. "Mike Eckert is a very good player and someone we recruited a year ago," Mix said. "He's a very good feeder. I think the key to stopping him is putting an athletic defenseman on him and trying to stay in his glove." Sophomore Chris Wojcik and junior Steve Gaffney lead the midfield and help pace the Crimson's attack. Senior captain Mike Porter is also an offensive threat. "Their whole entire offensive unit from last year is back and that causes some problems," Mix said. "They know each other and they can score goals." "They're a good athletic team who always has six guys on the field who can score goals," Penn junior midfielder Alex Goldman said. The keys for the Quakers rest mainly with their defense. Sophomore goalie Steve Bassford must be steady between the pipes and senior co-captain Mike Porter must keep Penn's defense in sync. Ball control and clean passing on offense will be essential for a Quaker victory. "We need to control possession and not allow them to do the things they want to do," Mix said. "But [Harvard] does not have a lot of weaknesses." One area Penn will try to exploit is the Crimson's defense. If sophomore attacker Andy Crofton and freshman middie Andy Rodriguez continue their hot scoring streaks, Harvard could be in for a long afternoon. "Their defense is somewhat inexperienced," Mix said. "They're starting a freshman in goal. He's very talented, but still he's young and hasn't played a lot of games at this level." Tomorrow's game is a matchup of two tough Ivy foes who play steady lacrosse on both ends of the field. The little things like patience, turnovers and finishing opportunities when they present themselves should be the deciding factors in the contest. The Quakers, however, will be playing on their home turf. "Franklin Field's a great place to play," Mix said. "I think it's an intimidating place for a visiting team. It's our home site and it's a big advantage." Penn will use all of the advantages it can find in its first Ivy game of the season. The season may just have begun, but the Quakers know the Harvard match is an opportunity that can't be overlooked. "Coach said to us that it's a huge game for our program," Goodman said. "The biggest key is that we need to play good solid team defense. We won't give anything to Harvard. They'll have to come and take it."

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