Laxers do scheduling makeover

Last year's 8-4 season record of the Penn State men's lacrosse team was just not good enough.

The Nittany Lions battled with top-ranked opponents for those four losses. Despite a highly respectable record, the Lions' season ended without a NCAA Tournament bid.

No impressions were made upon the 1997 voting committee. The victories, not the defeats, proved to be Penn State's Achilles' heel. Last year the Lions confronted unranked teams such as Drexel and Stony Brook. This year, things will be different for Penn State. A difference the Lions hope will earn them that elusive bid.

"I think when the people consider different kinds of teams for the tournament," said midfield Todd Korte, "they look at strength of schedule. In the past we just didn't have a real strong schedule so it kinda hurt us."

The Lions hope to avoid that pain this season by erasing those weak teams from their schedule and adding tougher competition.

This spring, Penn State confronts seven top 20 opponents, three of whom it has already faced. The difficult losses to No. 13 Notre Dame and No. 2 Maryland apparently only built the strength of the team. Four days after a crushing Terrapin defeat, the Lions defeated No. 8 Georgetown.

The constant appearance of top-ranked schools on the Lions' schedule allows no breaks for the team. But goalie Kevin Keenan said the difficult schedule will only help the squad.

"It is always easy to come to practice and practice hard knowing you are going to play the No. 4-ranked team," Keenan said. "When you have to play No. 4 and No. 5, every practice will be more intense and exciting."

The Lions will need to transfer this energy from the practice field to the playing field for every game. Not one of the teams that Penn State faces will be an easy battle. Thiel said his team will probably not be the favorite in many matches.

Tough competition like 1997 NCAA champion Princeton will be a difficult challenge for the young Lions. With six All-American Tigers on the squad, this Ivy League powerhouse will most likely be the Lions' most formidable opponent.

Penn State also has a disappointing history with many of this season's opponents. Out of 30 games with No. 20 Army, Penn State has only one victory. The Lions also have yet to earn a win against No. 4 Princeton and No. 5 Duke. The team holds a winning record against only four out of 12 opponents on its schedule this season.

"I don't think there are many teams on our schedule who we can overlook," Korte said. "If we are not on top of our game, it could be a pretty long season."

If the long season is cut short by the lack of a tournament bid, the Lions' motivation behind strengthening their schedule would have failed. But Penn State hopes a successful season will impress the tournament committee and carry the Lions to postseason play.