SEASON PREVIEW: M. Lax has high goals this season

While last season was clearly a learning experience for the young Penn men's lacrosse team, this is supposed to be the year when that experience translates into success. And if the first two games of the season are any indication of what's to come, the Quakers are going to be a team to be reckoned with. Penn opened up the 1994 campaign with a 17-4 thrashing of Ohio State and followed that with an even more impressive showing against No. 7 Navy. While the Quakers eventually succumbed 13-12 to the Midshipmen in overtime, Penn showed the ability to compete with a nationally-ranked team. The Quakers fell behind Navy 9-4 heading into halftime, but showed maturity and intensity by rallying to tie the game at 11. Although Penn was unable to convert on chances late in the contest, the Quakers showed the resiliency of an experienced group of players. "That's a very strong statement as to how far we've come in the past year," Penn coach G.W. Mix said. "We were in a very difficult predicament with Navy. Not only did we continue to play hard, but we had a great second half. We put ourselves in position to win the game." Coming back to get in a position to win was something that was not characteristic of last year's squad. The 1993 Quakers finished with a 5-9 record, posting a 2-4 Ivy mark. Still, last season gave the Penn players a chance to get familiar with each other's movements on the field. Seven of the nine leading scorers from last season are returning and should have an opportunity to gel on attack. To go along with these scorers, the Quakers have several key returnees on the defensive side of the field. Additionally, the team has added top recruits who have already made their presence felt. With quality players spread throughout the lineup, Penn is excited by the season's potential. "Balance is the thing that makes the difference this year," Penn junior co-captain Vern Briggs said. "It's not a specialized team anymore. Enthusiasm and intensity are the two things you'll see a difference in the team this year." This intensity has fueled Penn's offensive fire power in the first two games. Scoring 29 goals in only two contests, the Quaker attack has come out on a mission. Joining Briggs as returning scoring threats are sophomore attacker Andy Crofton and junior midfielders Andrew Greenberg and Alex Goodman. Crofton led the team in scoring with 38 points a year ago and has already exploded for 10 points in two games. In addition to scoring four goals, the sophomore tallied three assists in each contest, getting the other attackers involved. "I think we've proven that we can score a lot already," Briggs said. "That's where our strength comes this season." Penn has also received strength early on from a couple of unexpected sources. Senior midfielder Paul Duncan, who netted a single goal in limited action last year, notched hat tricks in both early games. The senior co-captain also serves as a sparkplug for the rest of the team. "We believe that we can accomplish good things," Duncan said. "We showed that against Navy. We have to take the attitude that we can beat anybody." In addition to Duncan, the Quakers have also received a remarkable lift from freshman midfielder Andy Rodriguez. In only two games in a Penn uniform, the frosh has poured in seven goals to go along with two assists. Rodriguez was one of the most highly recruited midfielders in the country last season, being named MVP of his New York State champion high school team. "He is probably one of the most talented freshmen in the country," Mix said. "He's our second leading scorer in only two games. That's a nice accomplishment for a young player." While the offense should prove to be high-scoring, the real backbone of the Quakers is their stingy defense. Minding the pipes for the second consecutive year is sophomore Steve Bassford. Bassford played in 13 contests last season and recorded a steady 10.45 GAA. The goalie has started off this season picking up right where he left off, shutting down Ohio State and making several huge saves to keep Penn in the Navy game. "He should be one of the finest goaltenders in the country," Mix said. "He had an outrageous second half against Navy." Keeping opposing attackers away from Bassford will be the responsibility of a group of very athletic defenders. The unit is anchored by two experienced senior co-captains, Steve Marks and Mike Tobin. The two have helped to bring up the ability of the entire defense. Tobin received honorable mention all-Ivy recognition last year and has gotten off to another great start. Junior Jim Pulaski and freshman MIke Polak should also receive considerable time probing the area in front of the net. "We're far more athletic than in the past," Mix said of the defense. "We're playing with a great deal of confidence in our own abilities. They're doing a tremendous job." If the Quakers are going to improve dramatically on last year's record, they are going to have to do it against tough competition. The Ivy League is extremely competitive as Princeton is the frontrunner and expected to challenge for the national title. Yale and Brown also possess skilled teams and Penn must do battle with perennial power Syracuse. "This year's team is much better than last year's," MIx said. "The competition is better than a year ago, but we're better. We have the ability to play with and beat those teams." In order to do that, Penn will have to prevent the mistakes that plagued last season's team from recurring. The Quakers feel they will be able to learn from these mistakes and avoid committing them again. The team knows each other better and knows it must continue to improve. "We are realizing now that we can play with anybody, but nobody expects us to beat those teams," Briggs said. "Our job is to make believers of the rest of the lacrosse world." Taking Navy to overtime was the first step.