Two out of three ain't bad - but according to Penn State boxing coach Alex Komlev, the victories at Lock Haven University this past Saturday don't necessarily mean that the Penn State boxing team is where it needs to be.

"As a team, I can't really tell how good we truly are until I see the team at full strength," Komlev said. "I see many positive signs in each fighter individually but as a team we still have much to improve on and much to prove."

On Valentine's Day, a day in which they were the only ones this side of Boston Red Sox fans fighting, the Lions traveled to Lock Haven looking to build on their opening success at Shippensburg University the previous week. However, on account of injuries and a cancellation, Penn State ended up competing in only three matches on the day. They did manage to win two out of the three with Chuck Pagana giving the most impressive performance, winning his second straight bout.

With senior Bret King's opponent backing out of their fight and another contest called off because of heavyweight Jason Winwood's shoulder injury, Komlev made sure to get newcomers Fred Snyder and Shane Seargent their ring debuts. Each fared decently, with Snyder picking up the decision in his first time out.

"They were both nervous but still performed pretty well for their first times," Komlev said. "The two of them and the rest of the team still need to work on the basics, and put different combinations of punches together instead of relying on the same attack over and over."

As regional championships approach in nearly a month, the Lions must find a way to establish a team identity quickly. Next Saturday's fights at Mansfield University might very well determine who in fact will be the team's best and most reliable boxers. In anticipation of tougher contests to come, Komlev has continually preached in practice the importance of aggressiveness and conditioning, two factors that could give the inexperienced squad an advantage in coming weeks.

Each member of the team knows that they must stay hungry as trips to Mansfield and VMI approach. The routine of tough practice followed by a weekend road trip could eventually take its toll on the fighters, causing them to either wear down or become complacent. At Mansfield they will look to record a third straight winning weekend.

Two out of three ain't bad but three in a row is pretty impressive.