W. Lax hopes to run past Greyhounds

The Penn women's lacrosse team looks toward tonight's game against Loyola as a barometer on which they hope to gauge their distance traveled thus far on the winding, chaotic road that comprises this women's lacrosse season. "Loyola is one of the top teams we play," senior attacker Lori Frutkin said. "A big win would help us start to establish ourselves as one of the better teams in women's lacrosse." The Quakers (1-1) aim to ride past a perennially ranked Greyhounds squad that is capable of winning a national title, according to Penn coach Anne Sage. "They are a top-ranked team that is both talented and explosive," Sage said. "It should be a tough game because they could potentially win the national championship." Penn got to preview the Greyhounds when the two teams scrimmaged in Florida earlier this year, and the Quakers hope the previous encounter will improve their chances in today's 7 p.m. rematch at Franklin Field. "Playing them in Florida gave us an idea of their weapons, most obviously their speed," senior defender Mandy Higgins said. "We know that what we need to concentrate on is their fast break." The Quakers return six seniors, all starters, to a squad that finished 8-6 last year, 3-3 in the Ivies. For the seniors, each game in this final season is both the culmination of four years of exertion and a final chance to prove their abilities. "We have an amazing talent pool, with both good upperclass experience and eager younger players," senior midfielder Lauren Mitchell said. "Our strength lies in our experience, especially on the attack." Junior goalie Alexis Seth agrees that today's game should help the team progress, but she feels that, individually, each player needs to focus internally to help improve the team's success. "Today should be a big game and if we come together, we stand to be a strong force this year," Seth said. "It requires a certain level of intensity from each player individually. It must be demanded by us." The Red and Blue are eager to erase some of the memories of last year's 16-2 loss to Loyola. "Our transition game has improved this year, both our passing and our positioning," Higgins said. "To win we need to be more aggressive and concentrate on basics -- passing and catching." The Quakers are coming off a tough 19-4 loss Saturday at Harvard. The remaining schedule is a formidable one -- Penn faces 10 of the 15 currently ranked teams. "We hope to ride a wave of intensity to perform throughout the rest of the season," Mitchell said. Frutkin cited team togetherness as the factor that could lead the Quakers to glory. "Everyone loves to play the game and loves to play with each other," Frutkin said. "Having played together for a while, we have a lot of experience and enthusiasm and everyone is eager to surprise other teams."