This is the last chance to prove 2006 was a mirage.

For the Penn State men's soccer team (6-10-2, 3-3 Big Ten), today at the Big Ten conference tournament is the final opportunity to show that the season we have watched since August has been an absolute aberration, and the team is better than it's record.

"We've still got everything to play for," said head coach Barry Gorman. "Anything can happen [this] weekend."

At 10:30 this morning in Columbus, Ohio, the Nittany Lions take the pitch as the No. 4 seed against fifth-seeded Northwestern, a team they beat in the regular season, 2-1, in Evanston, Ill.

The Lions, picked before the season to challenge perennial powerhouse Indiana for the conference title, have underachieved, to say the least.

Despite a somewhat respectable .500 conference record, and a defensive gem 1-0 win at home over the Hoosiers, this season's song has been one of injury and disappointment.

Senior forward Simon Omekanda has been without any offensive support all year, losing his counterpart and preseason All-American Jason Yeisley to a knee injury.

Since Yeisley's disappearance from the roster, the Lions have lost three more forwards to injury, forcing them to play mix and match, moving players around the field and experimenting with young players at new positions.

"We're thin on numbers; that's a fact, it's obvious," Gorman said. "But we're not using it as an excuse. We're living with our lumps, but the tournament is wide open and anyone can win it."

Northwestern's season has been a mirror image of the Lions'. After jumping out to a 7-1 start, the Wildcats have cooled a bit, finishing 4-4 in their last eight.

If any aspect of Northwestern's team outmatches Penn State's, it's the forwards. Wildcat David Ross leads the Big Ten with seven goals and has assisted on four more. He and fellow forward Brad Roth have fed off of midfielder and set-piece specialist Carl Pett's 10 helpers.

Fortunately for Penn State, it holds an edge on the rest of the field. With the Lions' bigger and faster defense, no one is expecting a shootout this morning.

Even if there is, junior goalkeeper Conrad Taylor has been nothing short of tremendous this year. Starting in his 63rd consecutive game, the experienced Taylor has recorded 21 career shutouts and hasn't missed a minute of competitive play since he started the first game of his freshman season.

Defenders David Gray, Geordie MacNeill and Markku Viitanen, with their size, have not only been a stingy defensive unit, but have the height to be an offensive spark and convert on corners and free kicks for Penn State.

If the Lions can generate the necessary offense and move on, they play Indiana, the top seed, tomorrow.

For the guys with tournament experience, they know this is it.

"We just got to make sure we pick it up," MacNeill said. "It all comes down to Big Tens."