After winning its sixth-straight regular season conference title, you would think that the Penn State women's soccer team has established itself as the sole untouchable squad in the Big Ten.

The only thing though, is that the No. 7 Nittany Lions (16-2-2, 9-1) were hastily dismissed from the Big Ten tournament last year by an Illinois team they had earlier trounced -- 4-0 -- and there is no sure way to say that history won't repeat itself.

The Lions will look to use last season's first-round debacle as a source of motivation this time around, as they are set to take on some strong conference opponents in the Big Ten Tournament in Madison, Wis.

"Hopefully, last year will be a reminder for the team that in about the 60th minute they need to play hard," Penn State women's soccer coach Paula Wilkins said.

The Lions will need to look for continuing offensive force from sophomore Tiffany Weimer who leads the conference with 19 goals and from senior captain Joanna Lohman, who had 15 on the season.

"[Weimer] has the composure to finish," Wilkins said. "Many people say that's not developed, that's just born. She's been in the right spot at the right times, and when she's gotten her opportunities, she's finished."

Also hindering the path to a championship, is an injury that has a Lions starter out for an undisclosed amount of time.

Wilkins declined to name the player, saying that Zac Shaw, who is the current Wisconsin women's soccer assistant coach and former assistant at Penn State, knows her team too intimately and his knowledge of a specific injury would put the Lions at a disadvantage.

If Penn State plans to make it to the championship match on Sunday, it will first have to go through the 8th-seeded Badgers on their home turf and then past the winner of the first-round contest between Michigan and Ohio State.

"I don't know if I'd prefer [to play] one or the other," Wilkins said of the Wolverines and Buckeyes, "just because Ohio State was a very close game when we played them and Michigan is on the upswing having just beaten Notre Dame."

Outside of other controllable factors, icy weather in the Northwest might play a role in some of the games this weekend.

The Lions will have to deal with temperatures in the low 30s, compared with those in the 70s in which they have been practicing.

However, Wilkins seemed unfazed by the chilly prospect.

"I don't think the weather will play to much into it," Wilkins said with a smile. "Our women are pretty hardcore mentally."