Penn State men's lacrosse coach Glenn Thiel knows what it takes to be tough and fight through pain.

As a former wrestler, Thiel would have to overcome injuries and compete through whatever bothered him just to pin a man to the mat.

Thiel hopes the No. 13 Nittany Lions (6-3, 4-1 ECAC) learn from his past and continue to fight for their fifth win in a row against Bucknell at 7:30 tonight at Jeffrey Field.

With the team almost fully healed from recent injuries, Thiel has taught his team the lessons he learned from the time he used to wrestle.

"You just have to fight through it," Thiel said. "It's like being a wrestler. I wasn't that good, but I still wrestled."

Thiel found his calling as a lacrosse player and became an integral member of the Lions team from 1964-66.

After winning the Pittenger Award as the most valuable senior for Penn State, Thiel took up coaching. In 1972, he coached Virginia to an NCAA Championship, something he has been working toward as a coach at Penn State since.

Thiel believes the keys to this year are two things.

"I've said all year that you win the close games with the faceoff and goaltending," Thiel said. "We have to battle each and every game."

The Lions have had their share of close games this year, but, in the last two games against Hobart and St. John's, gutting a game out has not been necessary.

With solid play from freshman goaltender Drew Adams and dominating performances by faceoff specialist senior Greg Gurenlian, the Lions won two games in a row away.

Returning home should benefit the streaking Lions as they play under the lights at Jeffrey Field.

With only their third game of the season so far at home, the Lions are excited to continue the current winning streak in front of the home fans.

But, more importantly, the Lions have been excited to win for Thiel and assistant coach Guy Van Arsdale.

"They're always positive in practice and during the games," Drew Adams said. "They're a great two people to play for."

Adams has had a mini-streak of his own in that he allows one less goal a game starting four games ago, when he allowed six goals against Fairfield, and ending with Saturday's game against St. John's with three goals.

The team would love Adams to allow only two goals tonight and keep the four-game winning streak alive.

When Thiel sees his team on the field competing at such a high level, he has no regrets giving up wrestling, a sport he admits not being great at.

But a quick look on the field of a typical faceoff in lacrosse can almost be confused with the start of a wrestling match, two things Thiel knows a lot about.

With the injuries lessening, Thiel can't wait to see his team wrestle the incoming Bison.

"When I wrestled, and we got to nationals, everyone was hurt," Thiel said. "It was just a matter of if you could wrestle with it."