As the Penn men's lacrosse team prepared for its upcoming game against the No. 1 team in the nation, several players compared the matchup to an old biblical story. At least Penn can look to the Bible version to see the possibility of an upset. "Hopkins versus Penn might be compared to David versus Goliath," sophomore goalie Loren Flaum said. "They are definitely our toughest opponent of the year." The Bluejays (2-0) are undefeated after recently winning at Princeton and are currently No. 1 in both the Inside Lacrosse Power Poll and the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Coaches Poll. Boasting four returning All-Americans, Johns Hopkins is the winner of 17 of its last 20 games and is 16-1 in its last 17 regular season contests. "Johns Hopkins is playing some of its best lacrosse right now," Penn coach Brian Voelker said. Johns Hopkins is led by senior attackman Bobby Benson, who tied his career high with five goals in a 16-7 demolition of Albany last Tuesday. He is accompanied by senior midfielder Adam Doneger, a 2003 National Player of the Year candidate. But the most impressive feat this year's Hopkins team has accomplished was avenging last season's loss to Ivy League powerhouse Princeton in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. Behind Benson's three goals and two assists, the Bluejays defeated the then-No.2 Tigers, 10-8, making a huge statement as to how well the team stacks up against the nation's best. "The win against Princeton shows that Johns Hopkins is poised to make another run at the NCAA title," Voelker said. Coming off their first win of the season against Lafayette last Tuesday, the Quakers hope to ride their momentum from the win into Baltimore and make a respectable showing. "We wanted to get a win under our belt before heading into Hopkins, and we did just that," Penn senior co-captain Alex Kopicki said. "Now we have a clear definition of our capabilities as a team." Over the last two games, the Quakers have demonstrated an offensive explosion in the first half, only to turn ice-cold for the remainder of the game. Penn has scored only three goals in the second half of play, compared to 11 goals in the first half. "To be honest, the second half against Lafayette wasn't great on either end," Voelker said. "We will need to have a more balanced offensive attack against Hopkins [tomorrow]." While tomorrow's game will mark the first time that any of Penn's current players visit Johns Hopkins for a game, it will be a reunion with players and coaches for Voelker. The Penn coach spent a total of nine seasons as a player and coach at Johns Hopkins, including his recent role as defensive coordinator from 1997 to 2001. "I've had a lot of good memories on that field," Voelker said. "Seeing all the coaches and all the players who I recruited on the opposite sideline will be a bit different, but I'm ready for the challenge."
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