M. Lax aiming to crush Orangemen

In arguably its biggest matchup of the season, the Penn men's lacrosse team, who is ranked 15th in the nation, faces off against No. 4 Syracuse at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow at Franklin Field.

Syracuse (9-2) dropped from the No. 1 spot in both the coaches and the media polls last week after losing to No. 9 Cornell on April 9. They currently stand at their lowest ranking of the 2002 season.

The Quakers (8-3) face a formidable threat as they look to hand the Orangemen their third loss of the year.

"To beat Syracuse, we're going to need all 43 guys on this team to contribute for all four quarters," Penn junior goalkeeper Ryan Kelly said.

The Quakers have exhibited sporadic performances in their last two games with offensive explosions in the fourth quarter.

In the final 15 minutes of the recent Lehigh and Brown match-ups, the Red and Blue rallied to win 12 of 13 face-offs and score on 9 of 27 shots.

"I think we are always trying to put on as much pressure as we can throughout the whole game," Penn freshman attacker Greg Voigt said. "Its just that sometimes it may work out better at one point than another. We just have to keep on trying."

Consistency, for the Quakers, can be found on the defensive end of the field, as the Penn defense is currently ranked seventh in the NCAA.

Boasting an average of 7.55 goals per game and thwarting 32 of 37 man-down situations have given the Quakers the confidence they will need to beat Syracuse.

Penn goalkeeper Kelly, ranked eighth in the NCAA with a 7.68 goals against average, knows they will be tested tomorrow.

"This is definitely a team who can score," he said. "They have proven that they can put the ball in the net -- and it poses as a challenge for us.

"But our defense has been playing well, and we know that we have to force them to take less shots. We have to deny them the opportunity to score.

"As a team, we plan to use our confidence and discipline to play the whole game and to win."

The Quakers' defense will need such confidence as they match-up against some of the best players in the country.

Sophomore Mike Powell was voted 2001 Attackman of the Year and has earned a spot on the U.S. Men's Lacrosse Team. Powell led the Orangemen in points last year with 70 (30 goals and 40 assists).

Also bolstering the offense is senior Josh Coffman. An All-American last year, Coffman will join Powell on the U.S. team this year. Extremely versatile, he is capable of switching from attack to midfielder in order to utilize his defensive abilities.

Senior Spencer Wright is a returning starter from the first midfield line. Not afraid to take the pressure shot, he is a key part of offense, especially the man-up unit.

Defensively, senior John Glatzel leads the Orangemen. Captain for the second consecutive season and a 2001 All-American, Glatzel is considered by many to be the top defensemen in the college game.

The Quakers are up against a powerhouse tomorrow. And as this is the Orangemen's final road game of the regular season, the matchup promises to be intense.

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