A team can peak too early during a season — a problem Coach Glenn Thiel hopes the No. 10 men's lacrosse team can avoid. The Lions know they must win during the regular season in order to be one of the top 12 teams and earn a berth in the NCAA tournament.

"The important thing is the kind of lacrosse we're playing in April," Thiel said. "We want to be playing our best in April."

The Lions have been playing excellent lacrosse as of late and can extend their winning streak to four this weekend with a 2 p.m. battle tomorrow at Jeffrey Field against Lafayette and a 2 p.m. Sunday tilt against Drexel, also at home.

Fresh off a 15-10 victory at Towson State last Saturday, the Lions (4-1) jumped eight spots from No. 18 in the latest coaches' poll.

"I thought we should have been higher," Thiel said. "I voted us No. 5. Sometimes they give too much respect to the teams that have been there in the past."

Penn State will be the favorite in both weekend games against its unranked opponents, and with one victory, Thiel will win his 200th career game.

Thiel's first crack at reaching that milestone will be against a young and inexperienced Lafayette team that will play its season opener.

"We're playing a very, very good Penn State team," Leopard Coach Bill Lawson said. "We hope we'll be able to be competitive."

Lafayette is led by attackmen George Goettelmann and Peter Gilligan. They are the only returning starters from a team Penn State dominated, 21-7, last season.

Drexel will be the tougher game of the two for Penn State, Thiel said. Last season, the Lions won a competitive 13-10 game under adverse weather conditions.

"It was a tough game," Thiel said. "We were never really in control."

Led by attackmen Todd Snellenburg and Brian Diener, Drexel (1- 2) defeated Widener, 23-3, but lost, 19-6, to No. 20 Delaware and 9-8 against New Hampshire to open its season.

"It's a great opportunity for us to play one of the better teams in the country," Drexel Assistant Coach Chris Bates said of the Lions, "and hopefully come away with a victory."

If the Dragons hope to upset Penn State, they must keep senior midfielder Mike Busza and senior attackman Erik Merkel in check. The duo has led a potent Lion offense that averages nearly 15 goals per game.

While the Lion offense has been dominant, the defense is what concerns Thiel.

"We have to be able to come out from the opening faceoff and play in-your-face defense" Thiel said.

"We just have to get better at handling the ball."