No easy non-conference games here.

When the Penn State women's lacrosse team starts its regular season tomorrow, the Nittany Lions will not exactly be easing their way into competition. The Lions face an early season test when they host American Lacrosse Conference (ALC) rival and defending conference champion Vanderbilt at noon in Holuba Hall.

In several preseason polls, the two teams are predicted to be evenly matched. In a poll conducted by ALC coaches, the Lions and Commodores tied for an expected third-place finish in the league. The Commodores are ranked No. 15, the Lions No. 17, in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association's (IWLCA) preseason poll. Lacrosse Magazine ranked Vanderbilt at No. 14 and Penn State at No. 19 in its poll.

In their season opener last year, the Lions fell to Vanderbilt, 16-12. The Commodores (12-6, 5-1 ALC last season) went on to win the conference and reach the final four of the NCAA Tournament before losing to runner-up Princeton. The Lions (6-11, 3-3) finished fourth in the conference and missed the NCAA Tournament.

"We have every reason to be focused and fired up. It's a rivalry. It's a good team and it's a team we need to beat right off the bat," Penn State coach Suzanne Isidor said. "We'll be able to tell right away where we are."

In addition to being able to gauge the team's position with other national powers, tomorrow's game may also mark a bit of Penn State history. Senior goalie Lee Tortorelli stands just eight saves away from breaking the all-time Penn State career record held by Megan Ames, who finished her career in 2001 with 614 saves.

Last season, en route to her selection as the C. Markland Kelly Award winner, Tortorelli did not record less than eight saves in any game. The Kelly Award is handed out annually to the best goalie in all three collegiate divisions.

Senior attack Kristen Burke and junior midfield Lori Havrilla join Tortorelli on both the All-ALC and Inside Lacrosse All-America preseason teams.

The Lions are going to rely on the experience of those three nationally recognized players along with seven other returning starting to turn the outcome of close games, of which the Lions have been on the losing side in recent seasons. The Lions lost seven games by two goals or less last season, including two in double overtime.

"We want to always come out on fire, get an early lead and continue to play every minute like it's 0-0," Burke said.

For now, the team is content with playing against someone other than itself.

"Preseason is long and it gets kind of hard going against the same people every day," Burke said. "I'm definitely looking forward to seeing an unfamiliar jersey."