There's always that one game in a season that people circle before any games are played.

For the No. 3 Penn State men's soccer team, this is that game.

"This is like the Penn State/Notre Dame football game, or like the Steelers/Eagles," Nittany Lions' coach Barry Gorman said.

Penn State will play host to Big Ten rival Indiana at 7:30 tonight at Jeffrey Field.

The Lions are riding the nation's longest unbeaten streak at 12 games, while the Hoosiers haven't lost a regular season Big Ten match-up since 1995.

Still, the defending national champions are already coming into today's game with a pair of losses on the season -- both of which came in double overtime.

Last year, the Lions fell to Indiana 3-2 despite collecting a 2-0 advantage at one point. Eight days later in the Big Ten Championships, Penn State fell to the Hoosiers yet again -- this time in triple overtime.

"Things went wrong last year, and we didn't know how to handle it," said team captain Gabe Bernstein, who's doubtful for today's game. "[This year] we're able to deal with adversity."

Beside maturity and experience, though, the Lions may have one more thing going for them this time around against Indiana.

Homefield advantage.

"There's about three or four stadiums that are tough to play in," Hoosier goalkeeper Jay Nolly said. "Penn State's one of them because they get a lot of fans. And the fans aren't shy about telling you how they feel."

The Lions will also have to keep their eyes on sophomore Jacob Peterson. Peterson had a coming-out party on Sunday by recording the first hat trick of his career in Indiana's 3-1 victory over Michigan State.

"He has a good engine, and he's willing to take people on," Hoosiers' coach Mike Freitag said. "He's dangerous, and we're glad he's on our side."

Tonight's contest will undoubtedly be a hard-fought battle between the No. 3 and No. 6 teams in the nation. In the last four games involving the two powerhouses, three games have required at least double overtime.