M. Lax aims for first Ivy League victory

The Penn men's lacrosse team's season-encompassing motto is "Win the next one." And should the Quakers (2-2 , 0-1 Ivy League) do just that when they travel to Harvard tomorrow to face off against the Crimson, they will, in addition to winning their first Ivy League game, bring their record to above .500 for the first time this season. But records are not Penn's focus heading into the weekend; the team will be looking to play consistently, using the momentum gained from their solid 15-9 victory over Lafayette on Tuesday. "As long as we play smart and patiently, I feel that we have a strong team," Penn junior defenseman Read Mortimer said. "Against Lafayette, we weren't playing our game in the first half; we weren't being patient. But in the second half -- especially in the third quarter -- we played like we should and won." The unranked Crimson will be heading into their first Ivy match with a 3-0 record. However, those victories came against less competitive teams who are also unranked. However, the Red and Blue --ranked 17th in the nation this week -- refuse to take Harvard lightly, knowing that the Crimson is a stronger team than its ranking indicates. "They are a team that is a little unknown right now," Penn coach Marc van Arsdale said. "They haven't played any really challenging teams yet. That being said, I expect the game to be very evenly matched. They have a strong experienced attack, a good midfield and they're a little new on defense, but they definitely have some big solid guys out there." The Quakers will have the upper hand in terms of game experience. Unlike Harvard, Penn has played quality opponents, like No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 16 Bucknell. "I would hope that [experience] would help us because we've had some quality matches with a lot of close battles," van Arsdale said. "Hopefully that's going to help us win this one." With the emergence of a well-balanced offense supported by a solid defensive effort, the Quakers are hoping that combination will continue to be effective as they look for their third win on the season. "Our major strength on offense is the balance of scoring," van Arsdale said. "It doesn't allow for the other team to concentrate on just one or two people to take us out of our game." In terms of defense, Mortimer explained that the Crimson "have a very good attack and like to dodge, so we're trying to emphasize playing a sound defense, and just staying smart and patient." But in the end, perhaps the most significant aspect of the game may be how the Quakers match up against a solid Crimson squad. "In terms of how we're developing, yes, we're on track," van Arsdale said. "I think this Saturday will be a real measure of where we stand coming into midseason play."

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