Normally a team will schedule a couple of easier or "gimme" games to start a season, to boost the record and build confidence.

But the No. 14 Penn State men's lacrosse team went the other direction with high-quality opponents in the beginning, middle and end of the 2006 season.

The Nittany Lions begin the season with No. 12 Notre Dame after ending a preseason slate that compromised of national powerhouse Johns Hopkins whom the Lions tied.

"We have no breaks," Penn State men's lacrosse coach Glenn Thiel said. "Every week we have a battle."

Thiel's team does have a strong list of soldiers fully equipped and ready to go into battle when needed.

The captains hope to lead the way for the 2006 squad and they are three seniors: Keith Benjamin, Greg Gurenlian, and Nate Whitaker.

Whitaker, the Lions' leading scorer from last year, is coming off a preseason full of injuries but did manage to play in the preseason finale against Lehigh, where he netted a goal.

"It's going to be a while until I get up to speed," Whitaker said. "I'm going to adjust, and I'm going to play around it."

The Lions will be competing this season without star attacker Max VanArsdale after he underwent surgery for his ankle earlier this year.

With the "injury bug" seemingly going around the team, Thiel will have to showcase a couple of new faces early on.

"We are just trying to fight through some things injury wise," Thiel said. "We're just trying to get some continuity in practice."

A couple of players looking to step in right away are freshman midfielder Rob Forster and goalie Drew Adams.

In the Lions' preseason game against Lehigh, Forster contributed three goals and three assists in the 15-6 win.

Adams will be stepping in right away after the departure of goalie Chris Courteau.

"We have a freshman goalie who people are really going to like," Thiel said. "If Drew stays healthy, he's going to be a very good goalie."

The Lions will need Adams to step up right away due to the team playing in one of the most competitive conferences in the league.

The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) is filled with top teams such as No. 7 Georgetown and No. 10 UMass.

After winning co-championship honors of the ECAC, the Lions face a tough year ahead in the conference, and Thiel does not know who will come out on top.

"You never know, this is the toughest league in lacrosse," Thiel said. "There aren't any breathers."

With three Inside Lacrosse/Face-off Pre Season All-Americans in Whitaker, Gurenlian and junior Pat Heim, the Lions can breathe easier against some of the tougher teams.

Thiel is looking toward his attack unit to lead the way this season and will need juniors John Eremus and Brian Boyle, along with Whitaker and Forster, to keep the goals coming.

With no "gimme" games in sight, the Lions will need everything to click to venture through the tough schedule.

Thiel hopes that the tough games will aid the team come tournament time.

"We don't want to just go to the tournament," Thiel said. "We want to win the whole thing."