"To be the man, you have to beat the man."

This age-old cliché is routinely tossed around by coaches and players alike in virtually every sport. But as the Penn State men's soccer team will tell you, it certainly rings true in their situation.

As the No. 8 Nittany Lions (5-1) enter tonight's 7 p.m. matchup against No. 6 Indiana in Bloomington, the Hoosiers can certainly be considered "the man."

Their credentials speak for themselves; Indiana owns eight Big Ten Conference crowns and have won five NCAA titles, second most in college soccer history.

What's more, over the last few years, the Hoosiers have apparently had Penn State's number. They are 19-5-2 all-time against the Nittany Lions and have beaten Penn State 9 straight times.

"They're one of the top soccer programs in the country, year in and year out," said Lions senior midfielder Derek Potteiger. "They've found a way to win again and again. That's what we need to do."

The Lions hope to soon enter the upper echelon of elite college soccer teams, where only Indiana and a few other schools currently reside.

With three potential All-Americans in Potteiger, junior Brent Jacquette and senior Ricardo Villar in Penn State's lineup, the team has a good chance of taking that next step.

The Lions began the season unranked but have slowly clawed their way to the eighth spot. They have won four straight, most recently a 3-2 victory over last seaosn's College Cup finalist, Creighton.

Now, the Lions are ready to test their mettle against the powerhouse Hoosiers.

"This is where we send a message to the rest of the country," Potteiger said. "This is our most important game so far. We feel this is our year."

Indiana head coach Jerry Yeagley is an unlikely Penn State supporter in 2001.

"I picked Penn State to be the team to beat in the Big Ten this year, with Villar and all their starters returning," said Yeagley, now in his 29th season as Indiana's coach.

The Hoosiers are also far from lacking in talent. They boast not one, but two candidates for National Player of the Year on their roster, junior forward Pat Noonan and senior midfielder Ryan Mack, who is currently injured.

Noonan is also a preseason All-American and, like Penn State's Villar, is competing for the Hermann Award, college soccer's version of the Heisman Trophy.

"He's (Noonan) the kind of player who can change a game by himself," Yeagley said. "He's a key individual and a great leader. He brings excitement to the game."

Tonight's match promises that same excitement, and Yeagley, like everyone involved, is looking forward to it.

"I wish we could play Penn State every game."