Although the Penn State men's lacrosse team says its conference games are always a challenge, tonight's non-conference game may be the toughest one yet.

When the Nittany Lions (4-5, 3-2 ECAC) travel to No. 13 Bucknell (10-2, 4-1 Patriot League) at 7:30 tonight, they will face their highest ranked opponent all season.

"They're the No. [13] team in the country for a reason," Penn State head coach Glenn Thiel said. "They're very talented. They're very athletic, very well coached, so we'll have our hands full."

In addition to a challenging matchup for the Lions, the Bison are becoming a fierce non-conference rival. Bucknell, located in Lewisburg, is about a one-hour drive from State College and enrolls about 3,400 undergraduate students. The two local schools that have a history of close games.

Last year, Penn State lost to the Bison by one goal. And in 2005, Penn State won by one. The Bucknell-Penn State game has all the markings of a small-school big-school local rivalry.

"They get super-psyched up, maybe even more so than for some of their league games," Thiel said. "We have to fight for our life in this kind of game. The kids will be ready. They know we need a win against a top-20 team."

For Penn State, which is currently receiving votes in the April 9 Inside Lacrosse poll, a win over a ranked opponent will not only help the Lion's quest for a postseason berth, but it would also continue to boost team confidence. The Lions have won four of their last five games. However, Penn State has only beaten one ranked opponent so far this season.

Bucknell ranks fifth in the nation as of last week in scoring defense, allowing only 5.9 goals per game. The Bison rely on their youth. A freshman leads their team in points, and a sophomore leads in goals. Austin Winter leads the team with 42 points, 14 goals and 28 assists, and Joe Mele has a team-leading 24 goals.

"They were really young last year when they beat us," senior midfielder Gil Pearsall said. "A couple freshman, they're back and their defense is just pretty solid. They're an offense-oriented team, and they're gonna push the ball so were going to have to be ready."

Bucknell has won 10 games this season for the first time since 2001 and has already earned a berth in its conference tournament. Riding two straight wins, the Lions are undaunted by the success of their local rival.

"The big thing is we need to match their intensity," Penn State defensive coach Kevin Conry said.

"We got to focus on our clearing game and match their intensity. I think we'll be OK."