M. Lax starts off its season with a few tough foes

Two of the Penn men's lacrosse team's three opponents are ranked. The Penn men's lacrosse team is ready to play ball. Need proof? Ask anyone who knows that the Quakers are returning seven starters and are ranked No. 25 in the latest Face-Off poll. Or ask anyone that saw the team play even with No. 12 Hobart for three-quarters of their preseason scrimmage -- they'll tell you that the team definitely wants to get this season up and underway. While their classmates begin their break in the Jamaican sun, the Quakers (4-9, 1-5 Ivy League in '98) usher in their "free" week in the cold West Philadelphia air, starting their season at noon tomorrow on Franklin Field against Bucknell (6-8 in '98). "I think that this weekend we're going to be very ready to play," Quakers coach Marc Van Arsdale said. "Everybody is very excited that we have a large group of seniors for the first time in my tenure here and I feel like they have a certain resolve to put their best stuff out on the field. I'm sure they're looking forward to [Bucknell] with a lot of anticipation." The Quakers are led into battle by senior co-captains Matt Schroeder and Ziggy Majumdar. Both are three-year starters -- Majumdar as the team's top defenseman and Schroeder as the goalkeeper who finished 15th nationally in save percentage (.598) a year ago. "I think we've played pretty well in terms of the team defensive side of things," Van Arsdale said of the Quakers scrimmages with Towson and Hobart. "As a group, we're covering up for each other pretty well back there. I would expect our goaltending to be very good this year -- Matt Schroeder is practically a four-year starter in net." The Quakers 'D' will face a test right off of the bat as the Bison are led by second-team All-Patriot League selection Ed Joffe, who notched 20 goals and 12 assists last season. The Bison return eight starters from the team that defeated Penn 11-8 a year ago -- a loss the Red and Blue have not forgotten. "Last year's loss was a low point where we were a little tired from our road games and we kind of overlooked them," Schroeder said. "But it's not something that is going to happen again. Guys are definitely going to be a little more up for this than Bucknell games in the past." A key to keeping up with Joffe and the Bison tomorrow may lie in the Quakers' offensive half of the field. After losing all-time leading goal-scorer John Ward to graduation, the Red and Blue's scoring punch is now spread more evenly among several players. "I think the big difference this year is that we're able to move the ball a lot better," junior Pete Janney said. "It's more of a balanced, team offense than I've ever seen it here -- we're able to get everyone involved more." Janney, a second-team All-Ivy attacker last year and Ivy Rookie of the Year two seasons ago, brings back a hot stick that netted 29 goals and 16 assists in '98. Sophomore Todd Minerley packs a punch on the attack as well, tallying 21 goals and 23 assists in his freshman campaign. Senior Jeff Zuckerman, an honorable mention All-Ivy selection, added 22 scores from his midfield position last season. "Yes, [Janney, Zuckerman and Minerley] are the ones that need to be the lead characters for us," Van Arsdale said. "But it's also important for us to develop some other threats, so that they just don't get concentrated on. A couple of seniors, Bart Hacking and Mark Kleinknecht, are starting to assert themselves in the midfield, and they are two guys that we're going to count on for a lot." Three days after their home opener, the Quakers travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., to face the No. 9 Tar Heels on Tuesday. North Carolina (2-0 in '99, 7-7 in '98) has played well so far this year. Senior midfielder Brett Kohart notched three goals and three assists in UNC's 12-11 win over No. 17 Butler. The Quakers did not face North Carolina last season, but may have added incentive in this one as well -- the Tar Heels schedule refers to the Red and Blue as "Penn State." Following their short soiree in warmer climates, the Quakers return home for their third game of the break on Saturday, March 13 at 1 p.m., hosting No. 14 Navy. Much like with Bucknell, the Quakers dropped a close one to the Midshipmen (0-1 in '99, 7-6 in '98) a year ago, 12-11. This season's Quakers contingent, though, sees the distinct possibility of their being able to pull out these types of close matches. "It isn't really revenge, it's more about if we go out and play our game and do what we need to do," Janney said of the rematches of a year ago. "It's always great to open up at home? and to get a win at home [tomorrow] would be great to set the tone for the rest of the year."

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