Each of the last three years the men's lacrosse team has been right on the brink of the NCAA tournament. Each time, the players think they have come up just a single win short.

If anything can propel No. 18 Penn State into the 12-team NCAA tournament, it should be hot goaltending from J.J. Pearl, a strong midfield and a deep team.

"My role is to play good the entire season if we are going to make the tournament," Pearl said. "We're not going to blow away anybody."

Pearl, who has started most of the last two years, has won the position outright. A three-year battle for playing time between Pearl and senior Jamie Morse ended when Morse was switched to attack.

Last season, Pearl stopped 58 percent of the shots he faced. Coach Glenn Thiel said that Pearl may be the best goalie in the country.

"We said, 'J.J. you're the goalie. Jamie you're on attack,' " Thiel said. "It made J.J. feel solid and ready for the season. He's a good stopper and a good passer. If he gets hot he can take us a long way.

"He's big time. He could be the best in the country."

Pearl has already shown he can get in a groove in the goal. In Saturday's season-opening win over Navy, the Florida native stopped 73 percent of the shots he faced --60 percent is considered good.

Pearl hopes that the 16-9 victory over the Midshipmen will be an indication of how the Lions will play this year.

"I've never seen us play better," Pearl said. "It's going to be a lot of fun if we play every game with the same attitude.

"It's a tight group of guys and that's the difference that is going to put us over the top."

Thiel believes that his midfield is his strongest unit. These are the players who will create the offensive opportunities for the Lions, who lost their top two scorers from last year -- Jim Laverty and Ted Peddy.

Pete Makover, the returning leading scorer with 20 goals and 13 assists, heads the first unit. The first group also includes junior Chris Marcus, who scored 14 goals last year, and senior Kevin McGinley. McGinley returned from a season of academic ineligibility to score four goals and assist on one more in the win over Navy.

The second midfield line of Ben Hood, Greg Guarton and Scott Bailer is experienced and also has the ability to score.

"We have two nice midfields," Thiel said. "They tend to be the creators and the guys who initiate stuff."

"There aren't the stars," Guarton said. "But this is a team game and everyone is playing together. We are not worried about what one player does."

On attack, the Lions have a five-man rotation led by junior Chris Lehman. Last year, Lehman had 17 goals and 14 assists.

The other attackers include Joel Brous, Mike Rolewicz, Morse and freshman Hank Nusbaum.

On defense, the Lions return only one starter, Mark Dardaris. But, Pearl said he feels comfortable with Will Kastroll, a transfer from Loyola (Md.) and sophomore Alex Schoonmaker, who will mark the opponents top power player.

Craig Driver, a long-stick defensive midfielder, also returns.

"This is the last year," said Guarton, a senior. "You always say, 'What if?' Thirty years from now I don't want to be saying, 'What if?"'