The starters on the Penn State field hockey team should be well rested, for a day at least.

After resting most of the starters during the second half of Sunday's 12-1 laugher over St. Joseph's, the No. 8 Nittany Lions now find themselves in an exhausting stretch of five games in eight days.

During that span, the Lions will start the Big Ten season against tough competition.

The six-day span, Penn State's busiest of the season, begins at 3 p.m. today as Penn State (6-1) takes on unranked Syracuse (3-4) at Bigler Field.

The Lions will soon find out how effective their off-season conditioning programs really was, as two of their next four games will be against ranked opponents, including their Big Ten opener on Saturday at No. 9 Iowa.

Penn State field hockey assistant coach Jon O'Haire said the team does not really focus on conditioning during practice, and the shape that the players are in, is largely based on their off-season training during the summer months.

"When the season starts, either you're fit or you're not fit," O'Haire said. "We don't have time to focus on fitness during practice. We need to focus more on skill work."

Co-captain Heather Conroy netted two goals in Sunday's win and helped the Lions improve their execution during penalty corners. Conroy said that the team's minor nagging injuries are more of a concern than the actual conditioning.

"We're definitely in shape," Conroy said. "But any time you play that many games, it takes its toll."

In Syracuse, the Lions face a young team that has struggled early in the 2003 campaign.

The team is reeling from the loss of All-American goalkeeper Audrey Latsko to graduation.

Latsko led the team to the Big East championship in 2001 and was also named Big East Goalkeeper of the Year last season.

The offensive side of the ball hasn't been pretty either for the Orangewomen, as the team has scored just three goals in their four losses.

Syracuse's offensive woes bode well for the Lions, who have allowed just eight goals in seven games, largely in part to stellar performances by senior goalie Annie Zinkavich.

O'Haire said that setting the tempo early will be important for the Lions and will force Syracuse to play a more defensive style of hockey.

"If we can get a goal early on, that will help our momentum and get them back on their heels," he said.

O'Haire said that Syracuse has traditionally played the Lions tough, but the Orangewomen have had trouble finding the net in their most recent games against Penn State.

Syracuse has been shutout by the Lions in the teams' last four meetings, dating back to 1999.