A three hour trip to play in an isolated atmosphere. The game sandwiched between two intense rivals -- Villanova and Towson State.

The opponent, Lafayette, a team the men's lacrosse team has never lost to in 19 matches, including a 19-7 victory last year.

More than anything, tomorrow's game is a mental test for the lacrosse team (3-2).

"We're really more worried about ourselves," Coach Glenn Thiel said. "Last time we didn't play well on the road, it's a game when you have to travel three hours and get off the bus and play. Probably the third drawback at Lafayette is that it's the world's worst place to play a lacrosse game."

Lafayette's athletic complex is miles from campus. Few people make the trip to see the games, Thiel said, calling it "no environment for college athletics at all."

Penn State rebounded from a 17-6 demolition by Hofstra on March 10 with a 13-6 victory over Villanova in the semifinals of the Penn State Indoor Invitational last weekend. In the championship, the Lions faced Virginia Military Academy, a team on a similar level to Lafayette. In the 22-7 victory, Penn State proved it is capable of playing consistently regardless of the opponent.

"It's harder to be up for those teams, but they're the teams you really have to be up for," goalie J.J. Pearl said about lower-echelon Division I teams like Lafayette. "The bigger teams you want it more relaxed and for the smaller teams you really want to get up for."

Lafayette is led by two of the better players in the nation -- defenseman Chris Shields and Jamie Murray on attack. Shields stands about 6'4", with good speed and the ability to guard anyone, Thiel said. Murray, who Thiel called a "big-time feeder," is a smooth player with a good shot.

"I expect quite a bit of shots from them, a lot of outside stuff maybe," Pearl said. "I just expect a team that's going to be fired up out of their mind to beat us because I think we're one of the bigger teams that they play. If we can control them from the beginning we should be able to win pretty easily."

Penn State will play its usual fastpaced, man-to-man style for most of the game. It will mix in a bit of zone coverage, as it did against VMI, so that against the premier teams, like Rutgers, it can change the pace of the game.

Sophomores Jamie Morse and Pearl continue to share the goalie position. Thiel has not named a starter for the Lafayette game. So far this season, Morse has saved 57 percent of shots and Pearl has stopped 68 percent.

Penn State's lineup will remain the same, Thiel said. On offense, Penn State is led by Ted Peddy (16 goals), Jim Laverty (5 goals, 8 assists) and Greg Guarton (6 goals). Freshman Chris Lehman (5 goals, 5 assists) solidified his starting attack position at the tournament.

"(Lehman's) a feeder, he's the kind of guy that makes other people produce around him," Thiel said. "He sees the field, he moves the ball well, he's got dodging abilities."