On the sideline at practice, men's lacrosse co-captain Max Mauro seems pretty relaxed. But bring up Princeton and his demeanor changes completely.
His eyes focus as his voice steadies, half-confident, half-desperate and all intensity.
"Nobody on this team has beaten Princeton," Mauro said. "It's something I need to do. I need to beat them in this game."
It's been 18 years since the Quakers last tasted victory over the Tigers. Penn (5-3, 3-1 Ivy) has a chance to break that streak today when it heads up to Princeton, N.J., to face the No. 17 Tigers (4-4, 1-0).
While Princeton's record is more the result of a tough schedule, the team has missed opportunities against peer squads like Albany and Hofstra. This may be the year for the Quakers to finally notch a win.
One thing is for sure: The game should be a grinder. Thanks to its tight passing and a draw-control specialist in Alex Berg, Princeton is known for controlling the ball in the midfield set and slowing down the pace of games.
Its defense is among the best in the country, and according to Penn coach Brian Voelker, Alex Hewit "may be the best goalie in the nation." The senior is currently second in the NCAA in save percentage, and has garnered a pair of All-America selections.
The Quakers have ample offense (co-captain Craig Andrzejewski is 14th in the nation in scoring and Penn is 23rd as a team), but Mauro believes that in order to penetrate the Tigers' defense and solve Hewit, Penn's own defense will have to make stops and get the ball upfield.
"We'll have to work for goals. Our offense is capable," he said. "Defensively we need to do a better job, bear down, give our attack a chance."
If today's contest proves to be a tight one, the Quakers certainly won't be out of their element. They're coming off an overtime win at Dartmouth and have played in six games decided by two goals or fewer this season.
Penn goalie Chris Casey thinks that could be an advantage if today's game goes down to the wire.
"I'd rather not be in those situations," he said, "but the more close games we play, the more comfortable we get."
At 3-1 in the Ivy League and having already played Cornell, the Quakers are at a crucible in their season. No. 14 Brown, No. 7 Maryland and Towson all await.
Even if Penn can't win the Ivy League, a few wins in this stretch may push the team into the postseason.
But first, the Quakers will need to steel themselves and try to take care of some long-awaited business.
Mauro is ready.
"This is one of those rivalry games," he said.
"A win puts us in good position. There's bad blood between us and Princeton especially."
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