M. Lax out for Crimson in Ivy League opener

Penn looks to reverse his early struggles by winning its first home game against Harvard. Forget the rocky 1-3 start. A win for the men's lacrosse team in its crucial Ivy League opener Saturday against Harvard will instantly return the season outlook to the rosy one the team had at the start of the season. "It's a game we have to win," Penn attackman Peter Janney said. When Penn hosts the Crimson, ranked 19th in the latest USILA poll, at Franklin Field Saturday afternoon, it will not be hard to find reasons to get up for the first Ivy League match of the year. "The biggest motivation coming from the players themselves is our determination to show that we are a good team, capable of not only playing well against good teams but beating them," Penn coach Marc Van Arsdale said. Penn will need to beat teams like the Crimson, especially at home, if it has any hopes of qualifying for post-season play. On paper, the Crimson look like one of the aforementioned good teams. Harvard (2-0) comes in on a roll, starting off the season by trouncing lightly regarded Holy Cross 18-4 and Boston College 19-3. The perfect record has come about despite questions surrounding the Crimson's goaltender spot. Before the season began, Harvard coach Scott Anderson suggested that time will solve any goalie problems the Crimson face. Regardless of whether or not the goaltender situation is a factor, Van Arsdale expects the opposition to bring a strong offensive attack. "Harvard is very experienced and talented in the offensive end of the field," Van Arsdale said. "Last year against us, all of their 14 goals came from this year's seniors." Penn suffered a 14-11 defeat at Cambridge, Mass., last season. Looking to do similar damage this year are Crimson seniors Mike Ferrucci and Jim Bevilacqua. The attackmen combined for seven goals against Boston College. "Their attack is strong," Janney said. "They have two strong attackers who really carry the load for scoring, and they have a strong midfield. They're mostly a senior-oriented team." The Quakers' own attack was strong last Sunday against Bucknell, but only for one quarter of the game. The attackmen outscored the Bison 6-1 in the last period, but it was not enough to bring the Quakers back from the 10-2 deficit it faced entering the final 15 minutes. If the offensive outburst rolls over into Saturday's game, no real change in the game plan seems necessary. But fans in attendance at Franklin Field should check the halftime scoreboard. The Quakers are 1-0 when leading at the half and 0-3 when trailing at the midway point. The team is well aware of this statistic. "So far, we're taking a couple of quarters to wake up, finally realizing we need to put the ball in the goal," Minerly said. "If we can come with the intensity we had in the fourth quarter against Bucknell, then we should do well." To Van Arsdale, the solution is not rocket science either. "It was as simple as moving real hard with and without the ball, and we were not doing that for a long period of time," Van Arsdale said. "If we stand around, it doesn't matter what we're supposed to do or what plays are called, it's not going to happen for us. "The big question we had coming into this year at the offensive end was how much scoring punch we were going to get out of the midfield. Where we should have scoring regularly is from the attack end of the field." Midfielders who have had recent success include Joe Mauro and Jeff Zuckerman. Mauro tallied three of Penn's eight goals and added an assist last Sunday. In addition, Zuckerman has scored on six of the 13 shots he has taken this season. "We learned a lesson the hard way, and it was one I thought we had learned in a pretty positive fashion at Virginia (in a 12-7 Penn loss)," Van Arsdale said. "I was hoping it would be enough to show us that if we come out prepared and ready to play, we can run with anyone in the country." Penn hopes that the memory of its early season loses have faded. But if the Quakers' performance resembles anything like last weekend's loss to Bucknell, they may find itself on the wrong end of the weekend matchup. "This weekend starts our Ivy League season, so it's a new beginning again," Penn attackman Todd Minerly said. "It's a chance to come out, forget about spring break, and concentrate on Harvard." The answer will come late tomorrow when Penn aims to turn the corner and not repeat recent miscues.