This Saturday may bring the Penn State men's track team its biggest test so far this season.

After cruising to a first-place finish in its opening meet and then taking home another victory and encouraging performances in the following two weeks, the men will compete in a meet that is consistently very competitive.

The Nittany Lions will host a tri-meet with Princeton and Connecticut. It is the first tri-meet of the season for the team and it comes after last weekend's National Open.

The three teams in Saturday's team scored meet are all very strong. These teams have competed against each other for the past few years, and each time the meet is run it goes down to the wire.

"Princeton-UConn is a cliffhanger every time we run it," men's track coach Harry Groves said.

The Nittany Lions are expecting a dogfight because of the past experiences with the two teams. They have made a point of being mentally prepared for the meet.

"The guys are going in knowing this is a tough meet," senior distance runner Steve Walsh said. "Coach has been stressing that this meet has always been close."

Even though it knows it will be hard to walk away with a win, the team is still confident it can come out on top.

"I think the majority of the team realizes that if we can do what we have been doing, or even improve, we can come out on top," sophomore sprinter Greg Miller said.

The men will be home for the second consecutive weekend, enabling them to compete in their well-respected Multi-Sport Complex. Miller sees this as an edge for the team.

"I think it is a big advantage for us," Miller said. "Any time you are at home it takes away the travel factor. It is much easier to go through the daily routine when you are at home."

If that routine includes a victory, it will also be more enjoyable.