Next up for M. Lax: No. 3 Orangemen

Tomorrow afternoon at the Carrier Dome, the stage will be set for the Penn men's lacrosse team to prove that it is on its way to becoming one of the elite teams in the nation. Currently on a three-game winning streak, including a 19-goal shellacking of St. Joseph's Tuesday night, the No. 19 Quakers will hope to ride their momentum to take on No. 2 Syracuse in what will be one of their most challenging games of the season. "We have nothing to lose going into the game," Penn senior midfielder Adam Solow said. "We have a lot of confidence right now and we've improved throughout the season. We're playing the best we have all season." The Red and Blue will need that confidence on Saturday, as the Orangemen have been ranked as one of the top three teams in the nation for the majority of the season. After bottoming out at No. 6, Syracuse handed No. 1 Princeton its first and only loss of the season, temporarily dropping the Tigers to the No. 2 spot. The Orangemen haven't looked back since. "You hope that things are going to come together, especially this weekend," Penn coach Marc van Arsdale said. "We had a certain confidence when we stepped on the field to play St. Joe's. You just can't be scared when you step onto a field like the Carrier Dome to face a team like Syracuse. We need to have the same confidence Saturday that we had Tuesday night." Syracuse will be a strong challenge on both ends of the field. Junior Josh Coffman and freshman Mike Powell, brother of former National Players of the Year Casey and Ryan Powell, will lead the Orangemen's offensive attack. In order for the Quakers to earn a victory, they will have to find a way to shut down those two players in particular. But Syracuse is far from a two-man team. "They're a very athletic team and get up and down the field very well," van Arsdale said. "They have two great attackmen in addition to numerous other threats on offense." The Penn head man also noted Syracuse's stellar defensive play. "On defense, they have a potential player of the year in John Glatzel and a potential goalie of the year in Rob Mulligan," van Arsdale said. "There are some real superstars that we need to be able to contain." Penn will counter with its balanced offense, exemplified by the fact that six Quakers currently have 10 points or more. "Guys are not looking to one guy to score. There are a lot of options as to who can score not just on attack, but our middies as well," Penn senior tri-captain Todd Minerley said. "It's nice to get everyone the ball. I've been here for four years and this is the closest the team has ever been. Everyone has one goal in mind -- to win." The defensive effort, lead by junior Scott Marimow, sophomore Steve Brown and sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Kelly, will look to continue its solid play, which has been consistent throughout the season. "We need to get a lot of saves because no matter what you do, [Syracuse] will always get a lot of shots off," van Arsdale said. "I think our guys are up for the challenge." And despite the fact that the Quakers may be perceived as the underdogs on paper, they are heading to the Carrier Dome to earn a victory. "We're not just going for the experience," van Arsdale said. "We're going in there to try and get a win." And should the Red and Blue return home with their fourth-straight victory, the result could eventually be a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 12 years. "It would show the lacrosse world that we've arrived," Solow said. "But for now, all we have to do is focus on Syracuse."

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