M. Lax looking to upset national power Princeton

Tigers are ranked amongTigers are ranked amongthe top three teams in theTigers are ranked amongthe top three teams in thenation in most polls Having lost its last 11 Ivy League contests, the Penn men's lacrosse team will be firmly in the underdog's role against Princeton -- the reigning Ivy League champions and one of the nation's top teams. The Quakers (3-5, 0-2 Ivy), who have not won an Ivy League game since the 1994 season, will have to play their best game in years if they hope to find a way to upset the mighty Tigers today at Princeton's Palmer Stadium at 4 p.m. "We're not going to concede a loss to anyone," Penn freshman midfielder Jeff Zuckerman said. "This is an important game for us. They have a lot of strength in their attack. We need to win face-offs and keep control of the ball." According to most national polls, Princeton (4-1, 1-0 Ivy) is ranked among the top three teams in the country. The Tigers are also currently situated in their usual sport atop the Ivy League standings, looking to repeat as champions of one of the strongest conferences in the nation. Princeton's only loss so far this year came at the hands of a Virginia squad, the No. 2 team in the nation. The Princeton team is led by coach Bill Tierney, who has compiled a career record of 120-46, and 1995 Ivy League Rookie of the Year Jesse Hubbard, who is one of the top attackmen in the country. Last year, Princeton massacred the Quakers, 19-2, at Franklin Field. The Tigers scored 17 unanswered goals on the Red and the Blue and left the Quakers defenders shaking their heads in awe. Nonetheless, the Quakers -- who are coming off tough losses to Harvard and Cornell -- believe they have a fighting chance of holding their own with Princeton. "We're excited about Princeton," Penn goalie Matt Schroeder said. "We think we can be pretty competitive with them." In order to keep the potent Tiger offense in check, Penn will have to establish itself early in the game. "We've got to come out hard from the beginning," Quakers freshman midfielder Bart Hacking said. "We're got to be ready to play." And as far as Penn's Ivy League losing streak is concerned?? "Each day, no matter what happens, we've got to keep coming at them and keep working hard," Hacking said.