It's kind of like that movie "Groundhog Day".

You know, the one where Bill Murray finds himself living the same disappointing day over, and over, and over again.

The No. 19 Penn State field hockey team finds itself in a similar situation heading into tomorow's matchup against No. 20 Iowa (7-5, 3-1 Big Ten). The Lions (8-6, 2-1) have played quite well throughout the year, winning seven of their last nine games. But when facing other ranked opponents, the team has come up just short every time.

The Lions have lost in all six games played against ranked schools. That's not to say the team hasn't been close, as five of the losses have only been by one goal. Three of the defeats came at the very beginning of the season before the Lions started to hit their stride.

But it still comes down to producing against quality teams, which the Lions hope to change Friday. The Hawkeyes are ranked for the first time all year.

"We're really excited about playing Iowa this weekend," Penn State defender Bekah Hostetler said. "Every game is going to be a battle in the Big Ten, but we're very capable."

The Lions are coming off of a tough 1-0 loss to No. 3 Michigan State (13-1, 3-0) last Saturday. But unlike earlier defeats, Penn State coach Char Morett seemed optimistic following the game.

"I felt that we did play well against one of the best teams in the Big Ten," Morett said. "We had a great effort from our defense and midfield. But the forwards, other than Natalie [Berrena], struggled."

The lack of scoring has indeed been the team's downfall thus far. The Lions are last in the Big Ten with 1.86 goals per game.

However, the return of midfielder Amanda Eckert should be a boost for the offense. The senior co-captain missed most of the Michigan State game with a broken right thumb, but said she should be ready for Iowa.

With the offense's woes, the defense has stepped up with authority. The Lions have the best defense in the Big Ten, allowing only 0.93 goals per game.

The Hawkeyes had a big win Sunday against No. 10 Michigan (10-4, 2-1). Junior midfielder Debbie Birrell was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and National Division I Player of the Week by womensfieldhockey.com after a seven-point weekend (3 goals, 1 assist).

Iowa is a tough bunch as well. Birrell scored the winning goal against Pacific last Thursday after receiving a gash above her left eye earlier in the game from an errant ball, requiring six stitches afterward.

Against Ohio State (7-6, 0-3), defender Kelly Slattery was also hit by a wayward ball, possibly breaking her nose for the second-straight year. She put on a protective mask and went right back in the game to help preserve a 2-0 shutout.

Hopefully the Lions aren't a superstitious group. The Hawkeyes are 5-1 on even-numbered days and 2-2 on odd-numbered days. In statistics that actually matter, Iowa leads the all-time series with a record of 19-14-1. But the Lions were successful in their most recent meeting, a 3-1 victory in last year's Big Ten Tournament.