The Penn State men's lacrosse team got an early start to its season yesterday, competing at a high level in the 29th Annual Fall Tournament at the Multisports Field.

"I was really pleased, and I thought we played with good energy," Penn State coach Glenn Thiel said.

In front of a modest number of committed fans lined on the hill overlooking the field on a cold and windy afternoon, Penn State faced off against squads from Michigan, Le Moyne, and Bucknell in a four-team round robin.

The Nittany Lions were impressive in victories over Michigan, 14-1, and Bucknell, 11-2.

Though the team won't begin regular season play until February, Penn State looked good more often than not. The lone loss came in a close 8-7 finish against Le Moyne, the Division II champs last year.

Throughout the day the Lions midfielders and attackers displayed an ability to move the ball into the opponent's zone, and to then control possession for long periods of time.

Penn State also displayed an ability to play physical defense. The Lions were able to limit the opposition's opportunities on goal by forcing turnovers.

Several times when a shot was put on goal, the goaltenders, especially sophomore Chris Courteau, were often there to stop it.

But being early in the team's season, there are still improvements that can be made.

"We could do a little bit of a better job shooting, make some plays, and take some of the pressure off of Nate [Whitaker]," Thiel said.

Whitaker, a junior attacker, shined as he has during his freshman and sophomore seasons as he has compiled a 27-game point streak.

"I'm on the field a lot, so as an attacker I probably should get at least one point per game," Whitaker said. "It would be nice to continue the streak, but seriously it's overrated."

Beside Whitaker, attackers John Eremus, a junior, and Brian Boyle, a sophomore, contributed to the totals compiled by the Lions. Boyle's abilities as a feeder and Eremus's knack for finishing were key to the Penn State's performance.

"This year more than in other years we are embracing more offense," Whitaker said.

Many new faces got involved in the more aggressive attack.

One in particular was freshman attacker Max Van Arsdale, the son of new assistant coach Guy Van Arsdale. On one of his many goals, Max Van Arsdale was checked and threw the ball past the goaltender while diving toward the ground.

"He's one of our top freshmen, and if he plays, it won't be because he's the coach's son," Whitaker said.

Guy, an assistant for Notre Dame last year, pointed out that all of Penn State's younger players, not just his son, played well.

"It was important for them to get adjusted to the speed of the college game," he said.

"They all did very nicely today."

Van Arsdale also mentioned that the team has made great strides since starting up in September. He sees great potential for the future.

"They'll be great payoff if they continue to work hard," he said.