Ending a season with a loss is always tough. Ending a season with a 7-6 loss in triple overtime to the University of North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Championships could have been crushing to a weaker team, but not to the No. 11 Penn State women's lacrosse team.

This loss capped off the Nittany Lions' best season since 1999 and now, as the 2006 season rolls around, they are ready to expand on their success from last year. They had a 12-5 record in the regular season and were second in the American Lacrosse Conference.

Penn State women's lacrosse coach Suzanne Isidor is back for her sixth season as head coach of the Lions and is confident in the ability of this year's team.

"I think that they have that confidence and that fire that we didn't have two years ago. They have an extra spring in their step," Isidor said.

This season, the team is a mixture of experience and youth. Returning on offense are seniors Lori Havrilla and co-captain Shari Maslin. Havrilla was the Lions leading scorer in 2005, racking up 34 goals out of 96 shots. She was also selected to the All-American Lacrosse Conference Preseason team. Maslin returns with leadership and offensive experience after scoring 29 goals and assisting 16 times last year. Senior Meg Boyd and juniors Lindsay Dutch and Karen Long will also contribute to the offense this season.

"I think offensively is where we have a little more experience and more weapons. On any given day, any one can be our leading scorer," Isidor said.

The midfield is the hardest position to play because the players must be able to run constantly up and down the field. The Lions, however, boast some of the best midfielders, including sophomore Jessi Lieb. Last year, she totaled 26 points and was also named to the preseason team.

"Our strongest point is definitely our midfield. We are really fast, so that will be one way we will kill teams this year,"senior co-captain Lauren Bryan said.

Bryan returns to the midfield with experience on the defensive side. Newcomer freshman Kerry Shea looks to be one of the few starting freshmen on the team and should contribute early on.

"Kerri Shea will definitely be a starter. She has never for one moment looked like a freshman," Isidor said.

The Lions defense that lost three starters last year still has experience in senior Liz Frandé and junior Renee Cipro. Cipro was the third Lion to be named to the preseason team. Both players bring experience to a young squad that has two young goalies.

Junior Cammie Jurkowsky and sophomore Jessica Boccio are charged this year with the challenge of filling the shoes left by goalie Lee Tortorelli. Tortorelli was a four-year starter in goal and a two-time All-American. Jurkowshy will be the starter this weekend when the Lions open up against No. 15 Vanderbilt on Saturday.

"They are both doing a great job, and I think the defense feels confident with both of them in there," Isidor said.

Every game is crucial to the Lions this season as they are playing with an "any given Sunday" mentality. The Lions will face eight teams in the top 20 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll. Key matchups include No. 1 Northwestern, No. 4 Princeton, No. 5 Virginia, No. 7 Johns Hopkins, No. 9 Maryland, No. 14 Loyola and a rematch from last year's first round of NCAA Championship against No. 6 North Carolina.

"Every game is tough. You have your rivalries but every game you prepare for and every game is tough and on any day, any team can be beaten," Maslin said.