When the 64-team field for the NCAA Basketball tournament was announced, an unfamiliar face made the cut. It was the first time any University of Delaware men's team has made the NCAA tournament at any level, for any sport.

Now the women's lacrosse team is looking to be Delaware's second entry in a Division I postseason tourney. But they will need a little luck and a lot of victories.

A Fighting Blue Hen victory won't come easy today as they will host a Penn State (4-2) team anxious to stomp the fight out of the Hens. Game time is 3 p.m. in Newark, Del.

The Blue Hens are currently 2-3. The teams share common victories over James Madison and Richmond. No. 11 Delaware's losses are at the hands of No. 2 Maryland, No. 9 Cornell and No. 13 Lafayette on Tuesday.

No. 6 Penn State, on the other hand, is coming off Sunday's 9-6 loss to Virginia which was witness to a slow start, first half jitters and an unprecedented comeback in the second half.

"I've never seen a team come back the way we came back Sunday," Coach Julie Williams said. "To get the ball back so many times when (Virginia) is stalling. It's a great little trick to have up our sleeve."

"I know I am still a little bothered by it," junior midfielder Christy Sansone said. "We did really great when we were pressuring the ball. Now we know. We have to be risky (on defense) and pressure them everywhere."

The focus of this week's practice has been building an early lead. With this goal in mind, it is important to deny the other team scoring opportunities. Being able to rally from a deficit is necessary and oftentimes thrilling part of a team's offense, but there are countless advantages to building an early lead.

"We are going to start out with a pressure double-team defense," Williams said. "We need to get our goals against average down. Defensively, we must pressure all over the field. If they get the ball right away, we are going to crush them. They won't have time to be nervous."

The Lady Lions outfought the Blue Hens 14-8 last year. But, Williams said the eight goals allowed was too many.

The Blue Hens don't put all their eggs in one basket, and they employ a balanced offensive attack. No Delaware players rank in the top echelon of current scoring statistics, but don't let that fool you.

"Their kids can come through with a goal in a tight situation," Williams said. "I've seen these kids go one-on-one through three or four people and score, which drives me nuts. They surprise you."

Currently, Penn State's leading scorer is senior attacker Deanna Blood, who has 15 points, including nine goals.

Penn State holds an 11-2 lifetime edge over Delaware.