When you play a stretch of three games in a week, the most important thing is to win at least two and that's what the men's lacrosse team accomplished.

Spring break began on a high note for the No. 16 Nittany Lions (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten), who pummeled Fairfield 14-6 on March 2.

The Lions scored goals on their first three shots of the game, and it was a rout from there on. A 3-0 lead turned into a 13-1 blowout in the fourth quarter.

Senior co-captain Will Driscoll, Tim Emmick and mid-fielder Charlie Perry all notched hat tricks in the victory. Head coach Glenn Thiel said these three players have all been playing well.

"Will (Driscoll) is our top guy," he said. "Most of our horses are our mid-fielders. Jones, Perry and (Marc) Young are all playing hard."

The whole team looked good in the 14-6 victory over the Stags which saw seven Lions record goals, while goalkeeper Chris Garrity only allowed six goals while turning away nine shots.

Spring break afforded no time for the Lions to rest however, as they returned home last Monday for their home opener against an overmatched Air Force squad. Just as they did against the Stags, the Lions jumped out early scoring two goals in the opening minute of the game.

From there they would never look back.

"We totally dominated both Air Force and Fairfield," Thiel said.

The domination included collecting 16 groundballs and a perfect four-for-four on clears. The win gave the Lions their first 3-0 start since 1992. This young but talented Lions squad now has the confidence they must have if they are going to compete with the upper echelon teams.

"This is a whole new team," Thiel said. "They are all young, but they are all running and playing hard."

The blowout gave Thiel a chance to get some other players into the game and see what kind of talent he has sitting on the bench.

The Lions' toughness was tested once again this past Saturday, as they opened league play against Georgetown.

The first half saw the Lions being given every opportunity, but they could not seem to capitalize on them.

"We dominated early, but we did not finish the plays," Thiel said.

The Lions outshot the Hoyas 3-1 early, but hitting five posts did not help their cause. The contest was knotted 4-4 at the break, but the game was slipping away.

All of the chances the Lions were getting early were now going to the Hoyas, who were taking advantage of a young Lions defense.

"Our defense played solidly," Thiel said. "They were exploited today but we can iron it out and we will be fine."

In a tight game the entire way, the Lions fell 11-10, falling to 0-1 in league play. This early promise bodes well for a successful season.