After a successful showing last weekend at the Big Cat Invitational, the Penn State men's swimming and diving team will head to West Lafayette, Ind., to compete in a two-day, five-team event. The meet will begin at 6 p.m. today and resume tomorrow at noon and feature swimmers from Utah, Louisville, Georgia, and fellow Big Ten opponent Purdue, who will serve as host.

This event will have big implications on the rest of the season, as the Nittany Lions look to capture their first win of the year. Head coach Bill Dorenkott knows that this race will have an impact on the upcoming meets, but he doesn't seem too worried about the intensity and effort that his players will bring to the table.

"It's not just about the individual aspect," he said. "The team aspect is the fun part. I think that it defines college sports, and being a successful individual as part of the team is really what I hope for."

That team success that Dorenkott looks to achieve may be more important than ever this weekend, as the Lions will face some of their toughest competition this season. All four schools competing against Penn State had successful finishes last year at the NCAA Championships.

Louisville finished in fifth place, while Georgia also finished ninth. Purdue was 16th and Utah finished 26th. The Lions were a respectable 49th last year, and look to place higher this season.

Dorenkott is aware of the high level of competition staring the Lions in the face, yet he is optimistic at the chance to knock off some of the top programs.

"A lot of positives can come out of it," he said. "We have a chance to do something great, and if we take it event by event, I believe in our players to get the job done."

One of the surprises this season so far for the Lions is the performance of the freshmen on the squad. Freshman Andrew Criner is coming off of an impressive showing at the Big Cat Invitational, where he placed third in the 100 freestyle, and second in the 100 and 200 backstroke. Freshman Max Ettore also swam well, capturing a first place finish in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:43:83.

"I'm very pleased with the play of our freshmen," Dorenkott said. "Academically they are doing very well, and athletically they will improve over their four years. They've got a lot left in the tank, and we are excited to see what they mature into over the next couple of seasons."

The freshmen will play a big role this weekend and for the rest of the season, as the team aims to get on the winning track and head toward the Big Ten Championships that are looming.

After this weekend the Lions will have the next weekend off before heading to the Bell Grand Prix in Toronto, Canada on Nov. 23-25.