No one doubts that Saturday's 11 a.m. game against the University of Michigan is huge for the Penn State field hockey team. Michigan, which is ranked No. 2 and boasts some of the top recruits in the nation, has the added advantage of playing on its home turf.

As of Oct. 8, Big Ten conference statistics showed Michigan as the team with the most shots, assists, goals per game, and assists per game. The Wolverines came in second for overall goals, points, and shutouts. Needless to say, Michigan in a force to be reckoned with.

Now take all that talent, and add home field advantage, and what you get is an equation that spells trouble for the Nittany Lions. But assistant coach Jon O'Haire doesn't seem to think that playing on the road will bother the Lions.

"I don't think it makes a big difference for us," he said. "We've played fairly well this year on the road."

He added that physically, the Lions match up well with Michigan. He said that the Lions are a fitter team than they were last year.

Rewind to last year. The Lions lost to Michigan in a game that left Penn State with a pit in its stomach. It was a battle for first place in the Big Ten Conference, and Penn State, which was clinging to an 11-game winning streak, had managed to hold the Wolverines scoreless throughout the first half. But, as luck would have it, Michigan's top player, April Fronzoni, scored off of a penalty corner to make the game a one-goal victory.

O'Haire said that there isn't any bitterness for Michigan, however.

"No, I don't think that there is any resentment. But, they're a team that's at the top of the Big Ten and that's a position that we held for a long time, so there is a definite motivation to get back to that," he said.

Goalie Annie Zinkavich felt differently.

"The girl who scored on me last year was actually from my hometown," she said. "She went to a rival high school."

Zinkavich said that her local paper covered the story of Fronzoni scoring on Zinkavich as big news.

"It's kind of like, OK, it's our turn now," she said.

Zinkavich, who earned the conference title of Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season, added that even though she is up against Fronzoni again, she is prepared for the game.

"It's a lot of pressure just because I'm the last line of defense for the team," she said. "It's going to be a nervous situation, but I think I can handle it. I think this year has been a good year. I've really developed. It's going to be a nervous situation, but I don't think it will be too bad.

Head Coach Char Morett said that although Penn State is going to have to deal with the fact that Michigan has a number of quick forwards, she feels also that "they are going to have to deal with us. I think people don't take us a seriously as they need to."

O'Haire added, "I think we have a lot of confidence. It's not like if we give up one goal now, that we feel we are out of the game. They (Michigan) always have good players year in and year out and I think that if we come out to play, we should have nothing to be afraid of."

A win over Michigan could almost guarantee Penn State a 20th consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. When asked whether or not she thought the Nittany Lions would get the 20th bid, she said,

"Yeah, I do. I think we have played a very strong schedule, but, you know, we still have four games to play and the most important one is Saturday."