SEASON PREVIEW: M. Lax looking to repeat past

Young team trying toYoung team trying toreturn to 1988 glory Eight years ago, Penn was on top of the men's intercollegiate lacrosse mountain. That year, the Quakers advanced all the way to the NCAA Final Four, quite a feat for a non-scholarship program. That success, however, would not carry through to the next decade. In fact, with the 1996 Ivy League campaign looming on the horizon, no team member has ever performed for a Quakers team with a winning record. And although Penn (2-3) is hardly ready to write off the new campaign at this early stage, it is well aware of the daunting task ahead. "We've been lining up against teams with 11 or 12 seniors," said Penn coach Terry Corcoran, who has had to concentrate on teaching fundamentals to the young Quakers. "We're not doing things fundamentally right a lot of the time." The Red and Blue hope the first step in the rejuvenation of the program was taken when Corcoran, who brought to Penn an enviable record as coach of Division III Washington College in Maryland, recruited a massive class of 17 freshman. They will be thrown right into the fray, as the team plays a challenging schedule, including non-conference matches against such national powerhouses as Syracuse and Navy. That is in addition to six games in the Ivy League, arguably the strongest conference in the nation, with all members except Penn in or near the top 20. Despite the preponderance of youth on the roster, Penn will still draw heavily on its core of veteran leaders. Senior tri-captains Andy Crofton, Vern Briggs and Kevin O'Brien are expected to anchor the attack, midfield and defense, respectively. Briggs especially draws high marks from Corcoran for his spirited play. "Vern has been the heart and soul of the team to date," Corcoran said of the fifth-year senior who missed all of last season with a knee injury, adding that Briggs has been "a shining example" to the younger players. Crofton has a chance to stake a place for himself in the school record books this spring. Should the senior attacker amass 48 points (goals plus assists) or more, as he has in each of the last three years, he will take over the top spot on Penn's all-time scoring list. The record for career goals (101) is also within reach. In the early going, Crofton has had plenty of help up front. Sophomore John Ward has broken into the top 10 in the nation in goals per game. His 17 goals in the first five games translates to an impressive 3.4 per outing. The influence of youth is most apparent in the Quakers' goalie arrangement, where three freshmen share that crucial role. So far, the majority of the time in net has gone to Matt Schroeder, a high school All-American from Commack, N.Y. If the numbers are any indication, he has justified the coaching staff's faith in him to this point. Schroeder currently boasts a .654 save percentage, eighth best in Division I. A good performance from the net-minders would go a long way toward improving the standing of the Penn defense. Last year, the Quakers were victimized an average of 14 times per game, by far the worst in the Ivy League. That figure is down to 10 in 1996, but to keep it low the team will need to concentrate on possessing the ball. In a 6-4 loss to Bucknell on March 17, Penn had control of the ball in just 19 of the game's 60 minutes. "I think it's a big deal -- it's hard to play a game at this level if you don't take care of the ball," Crofton said. Doing the little things, like possessing the ball, is likely to be the route to success for the young team. "We've got to be able to believe that we control our own destiny," Corcoran said.