With playoff hopes now as bright as a distant dying star, the Penn State women's lacrosse team will be playing with its pride on the line when it takes on Delaware this weekend.

The Nittany Lions' heartbreaking 10-9 loss to Ohio State last weekend likely dropped Penn State (8-8, 5-1 American Lacrosse Conference) out of playoff contention. With the loss, the Lions fell to .500 for the eighth time this season, keeping their season long win-loss streak intact.

A win against Delaware will give the Lions their ninth win of the season, the most wins Penn State has had since 1999, when the team finished 15-5 en route to the NCAA Tournament Semifinals.

Despite the hits the team suffered -- most notably a 13-9 loss to Pennsylvania and a 19-9 pounding at the hands of Georgetown -- Penn State women's lacrosse coach Suzanne Isidor deemed the season a success.

"It's tough as a young team playing every top team in the country and being on every day," Isidor said, referring to the team's four one-goal losses to top-20 teams, "That's the place we want to get and that's the place we're going to get. We're working toward that."

Penn State seniors Colleen O'Hara, Kristin Wood and Katie Pace will be honored before the game.

O'Hara is leading the Lions in goals and points for the second straight year, having scored 31 goals and 54 points so far.

-- By Thomas Bassinger