This weekend could have been a showdown with first place on the line, but things do not always work out as planned.

Two teams heading in opposite directions will meet tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Jeffrey Field when the No. 18 Penn State men's lacrosse team hosts No. 11 Massachusetts.

The Lions (3-3, 0-2 ECAC) are coming off three straight losses, all close games. Penn State lost twice by just one goal and the other loss was by two. This has put the team in a must-win situation against last season's conference co-champions and this season's conference-leading Minutemen (5-1, 1-0 ECAC).

"We hope to turn the season around tomorrow," Lions head coach Glenn Thiel said.

It is a task that will be easier said than done against a Minutemen squad that comes in as the most explosive offense in the conference, averaging a league-best 13.1 goals per game.

They have notched a remarkable 92 goals this season and have posted three straight 15-plus goal games. This spells trouble for the Lions' defense, which has had problems this season.

"We play a high-paced game," Thiel said. "If we do not put the shots away we have got to get back on defense."

It's an area the Lions have had trouble in, allowing 31 goals in their last three contests.

The Lions run-and-gun style places a lot of pressure on the offense to score. A big problem has been that Will Driscoll is the only Lions player with a double-digit goal total for the season, with 16.

"I have some (lineup) changes," Thiel said. "It will not be anything magical, just some different combinations to keep the team on their toes."

While Driscoll's scoring has been the majority of the Lions offense, the Minutemen come in with six players in double figures in points, and the league's top two scorers in Marc Morley (26) and Dan Paccione (25).

No matter what the Minutemen come in with, Thiel is not the least bit worried.

"Why should we be intimidated?" he said.

"It was a one-goal game (10-9) last year and they are just like us, only more experienced."

The experience factor has paid dividends this season for UMass while the Lions continue to find their place as a young team with the potential for great things to happen.

"We have to find difference-makers," Thiel said. "We have to find guys who are going to make the plays."

Whoever those players are for the Lions, they are going to have to step up tomorrow.

If not, Penn State will start the season with three straight conference losses, which will spell disaster for the Lions' postseason hopes.