One of Penn's winningest teams, No. 6 women's lacrosse, will finally play its first game in front of a home crowd, as the squad suits up at Franklin Field tonight against its intrastate rival, No. 19 Penn State.
The Quakers (4-1, 1-0 Ivy) will have their work cut out for them against the Nittany Lions (2-3), whose losing record is misleading. On Saturday, they gave No. 4 Princeton all it could handle Saturday before ultimately losing 7-6.
Of the 13 meetings between the two teams, Penn has come out on top just five times, including last April's convincing 16-5 victory, in which the Quakers thoroughly thrashed the Nittany Lions.
"It's a great rivalry," coach Karin Brower said. "It's going to be a battle."
While Brower wouldn't reveal the specifics of her attack plan, she did say that in the last few days of practice, the Quakers' backfield has been trying to devise a way to smother Penn State's hard-charging offense.
Through five games, the Nittany Lions have 56 goals. Penn, by contrast, has 44.
"They're good challengers and good feeders," Brower said. "We need to play solid defense tomorrow."
Key to that gameplan is Penn goalie Sarah Waxman, who has been doubling as a brick wall this season with an average of just 6.6 goals allowed per game.
Waxman's 10 saves and second-half shutout of Yale earned her a spot on the Ivy League's weekly honor roll.
On offense, the Quakers won't be able to rely on the last-minute savior of their game against North Carolina, attacker Becca Edwards. Edwards sustained an injury during Penn's loss to No. 14 Stanford, and she won't be able to take a shot at the Lions.
Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week Rachel Manson will have to duplicate the award-winning performances she turned in against California and Yale last week to pick up the slack left by Edward's absence.
Manson was distinguished with the honor after scoring seven combined goals in wins over Cal and Yale, including the game-winner over the Bulldogs.
The Quakers' home opener, scheduled for 6 p.m., will mark the Nittany Lions' second trip to Philadelphia this season.
Their season opener was a forgettable one, as unranked Temple edged them out in an 8-7 victory.
And the road-weary Red and Blue hope to keep Penn State unhappy in the City of Brotherly Love.
"We are excited to be home," Brower said, "and hope to come out with a win."
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.