In the first quarter of the No. 20 Penn State men's lacrosse team's regular-season opener against No. 13 Notre Dame, the injury bug snagged junior attacker Brian Boyle.

His sprained ankle would be no big deal during the game, as he would play all four quarters with three assists, but it eventually became enough of a problem that Boyle didn't suit up during practice for the next three weeks.

"I just played through the whole game, it was too big of a game to come out," Boyle said. "Then the next day it just ballooned."

After that 8-4 loss, Boyle has visited the trainer's office daily, trying to help the black and blue marks disappear. But at the same time he has not been missing the company of many of his Nittany Lion teammates.

One of the recurring jokes that Penn State men's lacrosse coach Glenn Thiel has used is that half of the team is in the training room. While Boyle doesn't find that too amusing, he admitted that the number is huge.

Especially at the midfield, where senior Chris Gannett (hamstring) and junior Gil Pearsall (knee) have yet to play, the numbers are thin. On the attack, both Boyle and senior Nate Whitaker have managed to stay on the field despite injuries. Whitaker, who has bone spurs in his foot, leads the team in goals, while Boyle is the overall point leader for Penn State.

The practice field has been cut in half as Boyle and Co. have sat on the side, just watching. Thiel has run half-field scrimmages because the few remaining players would be tired for games with the increased repetitions at practice.

"We're not where we want to be," Thiel said. "We didn't really practice all of spring break because we had so many people hurt."

It has been a guilt trip for Boyle, who has seen his teammates put in effort all week, and some don't play, while he finds himself inserted into the starting line-up on gameday. But shame should be gone soon, as Boyle rates his ankle at 85 percent and hoped to practice today in preparation for Stony Brook on Saturday.

"You just feel bad because everyone is working really hard and I'm just sitting there," Boyle said. "I feel really bad."

Senior midfielder Greg Gurenlian, who is a face-off specialist, has had to fill two roles in Gannett and Pearsall's absence. It has been more than one play at a time this year this year for Gurenlian, as he has seen much more time at the midfield offensively. He is currently tied for fourth on the Lions roster in points, with six.

An abundance of freshmen has also loomed large for Penn State. The most obvious is freshman goaltender Drew Adams, who was the ECAC Rookie of the Week this week for his two straight wins in the cage. But Boyle also pointed out the performances of midfielder Ryan McAleenan and defenseman John Stuckey.

Like many of the seven first-year players that have seen action already, the experience will only strengthen the Lions' future. Even if McAleenan and Stuckey haven't scored a point, they have made their presence known.

"It's not even all numbers," Boyle said. "They're not being hesitant in stepping in, getting into the game and just playing."

And this experience will only help Penn State when the other veterans are back. Once the ice bags are packed away near the end of the season, and the number of players on the training table dwindles, the Lions hope that they are heating up.

"We have the capability, when healthy, to beat anyone in the country," Boyle said. "As it gets late in the season, we'll be a very dangerous team."