It's not easy being Big Green. Especially when that involves facing the red-hot women's lacrosse team.

The No. 4 Lady Lions (8-1) play the first of a tough, three-game homestand against Ivy League power Dartmouth (3-2) at 1 p.m. tomorrow at Lady Lion Field.

Despite the loaded slate over the next week, Coach Julie Williams said she and the team are anxious to play at home.

"I look forward to coming home," she said. "There's something about the fans here --they're so great. And the kids really look forward to playing on Lady Lion (Field)."

The No. 6 Big Green is led by Lauren Holleran, last year's Ivy League Rookie of the Year. Holleran scored 10 goals in Dartmouth's season-opening win over then-No. 6 Loyola, and has scored 24 of Dartmouth's 49 goals this season.

"We have to be especially focused on her," Williams said. "We want to try to get a double team on her right away. Individually, the defense is strong enough to play them straight up one-on-one."

Last year, the Big Green put up a tough fight, taking the Lady Lions into sudden death overtime before dropping the contest, 7-6.

"Their strength is their speed and aggressiveness," Williams said. "And they're a really tight team, which makes for a really good game every time."

Williams said she expects the Big Green, who face Penn today, to play a "rough, aggressive, intense" game. The Lady Lions will need to throw "fast and aggressive play right back at them" in order to come away victorious, she said.

If the weather leaves Lady Lion Field in poor playing condition, the game will be moved to the turf beside Holuba Hall.

The homestand continues Thursday against West Chester and concludes next Saturday when the Lady Owls of Temple invade Lady Lion Field.