The Penn State wrestling team gets no time to lick the wounds it received during last weekend's thrashings at the hands of Ohio State and Illinois.

The Nittany Lions are back in action tonight at Rec Hall against No. 25 Pennsylvania at 6 and then against No. 14 Lock Haven at 8.

Penn State had just one day of practice between the Illinois loss and today's meets. The Lions have a lot to take care of after a weekend in which coach Troy Sunderland was extremely displeased with his team's intensity.

"I'd really like to have more time to prepare," coach Sunderland said. "We had a good practice last night (Monday), and today they took the day off.

"We're going to see what they're made of. Everyone's upset with losing, every one wants to win. It's just a matter of refocusing. Our kids need to come out and work as hard as they can and come out with a positive attitude."

The Nittany Lions will certainly have to be up for the two in-state rivalries. According to Sunderland, both schools are solid all the way through their lineups. Lock Haven was well represented in last week's Intermat rankings, with junior 125 pounder Trip McCormack ranked No. 13 in the poll, freshman Mike Maney ranked at No. 15 and junior Jamarr Billman at No. 19 at 149 pounds.

Billman left Penn State after winning 35 matches as a Nittany Lion in 1998, which tied him for 12th on the school's all-time list for single season victories.

Penn is also solid, and boasts the No. 2 wrestler at 157 pounds in Yoshi Nakamura, and the No. 13 ranked 197 pounder in Mike Fickell.

"Both teams have a lot of tough hard nosed kids," Sunderland said. "There are a lot of real important matchups we're going to need to win. It's tough to single out one matchup in either meet that is going to be crucial, because they all will."

Sunderland did say that the Lions would probably need wins in the lower weight classes. Penn State will be somewhat shorthanded there with redshirt freshman Josh Moore still out with a shoulder injury. Coach Sunderland said he has been told Moore will be out just a week, and he is using redshirt sophomore Justin Kast.

The Nittany Lions' schedule has been brutal recently. Lock Haven will be the tenth straight team they've played with a national ranking, and though that streak will end against Northwestern on Friday, a new streak will begin when the Lions take on No. 3 Iowa on Sunday, and will continue the rest of the season.

There's not going to be an easy win for this team, but according to assistant coach Dave Hart, there going to need that competition to be ready for nationals.

"It's been tough, but the guys know we have to schedule the toughest competition in the country," Hart said. "With a young team like we have, when things are going against you, its tough to turn the tide, but they know its part of our program. We wrestle the best. They expected that when they came here."

The Lions will have to get up for these meets, not only because of the competition quality, but because of the intensity of the rivalries.

"This is another competition our guys are really going to have to be ready for," Sunderland said. "We have big rivalries with both of these teams, and they'll both be fired up to, in their eyes, beat us while we're down. Hopefully our kids will respond and rise to the occasion.

"You can toss the records and the rankings out the window for both of these matches, because both will come down to who wants it more. The season's starting to wind down a bit, and a lot of guys are banged up, and it just comes down to who still wants it. Winners find a way, losers find an excuse."