Division III Buffalo State (8-10-4) comes to town to face No. 3 Penn State (19-7) this weekend for two games, one at 9 p.m. today and the second at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Ice Pavilion.

Key stats: Penn State looks for continued scoring punch from forward Rob Keegan, who leads the team with 53 points. The Bengals need continued stellar play from leading scorer John Mathisen to be successful.

Injuries: Icer Ed Waryas is out for the season with a broken ankle.

Preview: Penn State comes into this weekend riding a seven-game winning streak. The Icers hope to keep this run alive against a difficult opponent. Buffalo State is competing in its first season as a varsity team, and all of its losses have come at the hands of varsity teams. Against club teams, the Bengals are a perfect 4-0, including wins over Kent State and Duquesne. These two teams met three times last season, with the Icers winning all three games.

Assistant Coach Bill Masullo says: "Buffalo State is a much-improved team this year. They're very physical and we'll need to play a disciplined game to come out on top. These games will help keep us focused on playing well and taking another step forward toward nationals."

At 7:30 p.m. tomorrow in Rec Hall, No. 11 Penn State (5-5) takes on Big Ten rival Ohio State (4-3).

Key stats: The Lady Lions are coming off their best meet of the year, one in which they scored a season-high 192.275 despite losing to No. 3 Alabama.

In that meet, both all-arounders scored personal season-bests: senior co-captain April Polito with a 38.625 and junior Kerry Slattery, with a 37.875. Two freshmen also set season highs: Bea Selz with a team-leading 9.725 on beam and Leigh Cappello with a 9.625 on floor.

Ohio State is a strong squad and is coming off a decisive 187.925-182.975 win against William & Mary.

Injuries: No major injuries to report. Senior co-captain Coby Silver has a lingering achilles tendon problem, but will compete as usual.

Preview: The team is feeling confident coming off the good showing at Alabama. Wins and losses are not really important to the Lady Lions because in college gymnastics, the 12 teams selected for the season-ending national championship tournament are selected solely on their placement at their regional tournament.

Coach Steve Shephard says: "A big crowd is very, very important. We would really like to see everybody come out."

While some members of the fencing team will receive a weekend off, others will be fencing at the Junior Olympics individual tournament starting at 8 a.m. today in Little Rock, Ark. More than 1,000 entrees are expected to compete.

Key stats: The fencers are coming off a weekend in which the team's visit to the University of Pennsylvania was cancelled due to inclement weather. The individuals fencing this weekend used last weekend's cancellation to fence a little and rest.

Injuries: There are no major injuries to report.

Preview: As one of three qualifying tournaments for the Junior World Championship team, the Junior Olympics has the biggest turnout and is arguably the toughest competition in which to earn points.

Penn State will send 10 fencers. Kimo Quaintance and Greg Gregor will compete in men's epe, while Wes Waldron, Dean Jaccobberger and Jeff Feinblatt will fence in men's foil. On the women's side, Sibyl Goldstein and Colleen Bruen plan to fence foil, while Mary Kmetz, Gena Henderson and Whitney Jackson will fence epe.

Coach Emmanuil Kaidanov says: "(Junior Olympics) is the first experience for the team. Kimo has a very good chance to make the Junior World Championship team, and Greg has a good shot." Kaidanov also said he thinks that Waldron, Jacobberger, Feinblatt and Goldstein have a good shot at possible top 10 finishes.

For only the second time this season, the Lady Lions will be on home turf against Kent State, East Stroudsburg and Shippensburg tomorrow. The meet is slated to begin at 10 a.m. in the Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex.

Key stats: Penn State is ranked 12th in the United States Track Coaches' Association Poll.

Preview: Home meets are a rare occurance for the Lady Lions and this will be the only opportunity to prove their ability to the home crowd. Once again the distance medley relay team will be hoping to improve upon its provisional qualifying time for nationals. Individuals in the 3,000 and 5,000 meter races will also be racing for qualifying times. And with Big Tens only one week away (Feb. 26-27 at Purdue), performances may be at their peak.

Later tomorrow, the men's indoor team will also compete in the same venue, promising for an action-packed day.

Coach Teri Jordan says: "We are looking for some good performances on our own track. This will be a good tuner for the Big Tens. (The distance medley, 3000 and 5000 meter runners) have been closing in on qualifying times and this would be a good time to see these times cut here -- at home."

Penn State will make its second and final indoor appearance this season in a meet against Division I powerhouse Kent State and Division II competitors East Stroudsburg and Shippensburg, 1 p.m. tomorrow at the Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex.

Key stats: Penn State will find its strength in Bob Hamer in the mile, R.B. Caldwell in the 800-meter and Antonio Davis, who will once again be a factor in the jumps. Tom Bisko will add to the Lions' depth in the long and triple jumps, as well as the 200-meter and the dash. However, he and Justin Williams, who won the 55-meter last weekend, will be up against a top runner in Shippensburg's Dave Osanitsch. Kent State has some top athletes in vaulter Jamie Clymer and long jumper Matt Young.

Injuries: Davis, who suffered a separated shoulder last weekend, will be competing this weekend.

Preview: Penn State is coming off a great weekend at Cornell, but will find no respite at home. Kent State's strength lies in the throws and jumps, but it will cause some problems in the pole vault, where the Lions have been deficient. Shippensburg and ESU may not be a threat to win the meet, but they will be effective in displacing Penn State and Kent State finishers in some of the events.

Coach Harry Groves says: "Kent is a good dual team. They can go two, three, four in an event and still be pretty competitive. That part of it is going to make it close."

The men's lacrosse team will be facing off at 1 p.m. tomorrow at Cornell and hosts Bucknell at 4 p.m. on Sunday in Holuba Hall.

Key stats: Although the team is still competing in scrimmages, the Lions scored 20 points in the six-quarter scrimmage against Ithaca last Saturday.

Injuries: Since they have been practicing in Holuba Hall because of the weather, the team members have been dealing with some aches and pains, but the team is generally healthy.

Preview: After coming off a good scrimmage against Ithaca, the team is looking to solidify the lineup before it travels to Notre Dame for its season opener. Sunday, the Lions will return to Holuba Hall to face off against Bucknell so they can fine tune the attack, midfield and defensive units.

Coach Glenn Thiel says: "This weekend will tell the tale."

Penn State has a pair of doubleheader scrimmages slated for this weekend. The Lady Lions will take on Akron at 6 p.m. today and Bloomsburg at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, both at Holuba Hall.

Key stats: With two twinbills scheduled only one day apart, Coach Sue Rankin is faced with the challenge of juggling her pitching staff. There are only three healthy pitchers -- Leigh Bakun, Misty Hackett, and Beth Reeves -- on the roster to pitch a total of 24 innings.

Injuries: Centerfielder Cathy Boyd strained her lower back; pitcher Heidi Hanna has shin splints; and pitcher Gypsy Gooding is suffering from a bad ankle. All three are out for this weekend's action.

Preview: Rankin is impressed with today's opponent Akron and especially their new head coach, Linda Kalcifatis, who coaches at Rankin's summer softball camps. Judging from that experience, Rankin expects Kalcifatis will have her team well prepared.

Sunday's opponent, Bloomsburg, is perennially one of the toughest teams in Division II. In addition, an intrastate rivalry has developed between Penn State and Bloomsburg, which routinely battle for recruits.

These are the last two scrimmages before the team begins its regular season next week with a tournament at East Carolina University.

Rankin says: "I'm looking for some positive things -- like being more aggressive on offense -- but it's so hard to judge in the preseason. We haven't been outside yet, and it's so difficult to assess until you get out on the field."