W. Lax to play host to No. 11 Rutgers

Tonight at Franklin Field, two women's lacrosse teams will take the field fighting to save their seasons. For Penn (1-8), the 7 p.m. contest is the first of four games against nationally ranked opponents. The Quakers must win at least two of the contests in order to avoid compiling the worst winning percentage in team history. No. 11 Rutgers is having an opposite season to the Quakers. While Penn's 1-8 start represents the worst in team history, the Scarlet Knights' 8-2 record is the program's best ever. Rutgers has won five straight games, including impressive victories over No. 7 Georgetown and perennial powerhouse Syracuse. Despite their strong play, the Scarlet Knights know that each game is a must-win if they are to secure the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament bid. Thus, they must regard everyone -- even the struggling Quakers -- as a serious threat. "We're ranked 11th and they only take 11 to the NCAAs," Rutgers coach Anna Marie Vesco said. "We can't afford a loss from here on in. If Penn comes out strong and beats us, we lose all hope of going to the NCAAs. That's our motivation." The Quakers, meanwhile, will be trying to play spoiler to the Scarlet Knights' strong season. "[That's important to us] because basically we have nothing to lose by going out and playing tough," Penn freshman attacker Jennifer Hartman said. "[We'll be] going for the win like we always try to, especially because Rutgers is having such a good season and it would be nice to upset someone." For Penn to beat Rutgers, as with every other team remaining on the schedule, the recipe is simple: be supremely confident and execute every aspect of the game perfectly. "I know it would be nice [to beat Rutgers]," said Penn assistant coach Alanna Wren, who has been leading the team for over a month since the team petitioned for the removal of head coach Anne Sage. "We have played them tough in the past and any one of these four teams it would be good to play tough and come out with an upset. But we just have to give everything and play our best." Penn does have some reason for bringing confidence into tonight's game. With the exception of a lopsided loss against Temple, in which top scorer and co-captain Brooke Jenkins did not play due to injury, most of the Quakers' best efforts have come against their toughest foes, such as the opener against Yale. "Rutgers' overall team speed isn't as high [as Yale's]," Wren said. "But they have a lot of smart, aggressive players." One thing that contributes to the Scarlet Knights' game savvy and aggressiveness is their experience, another factor that distinguishes them from the young Quakers. Rutgers has 11 seniors on its roster, including attacker Amanda Mazzarella, who notched a hat trick in Saturday's win at the Carrier Dome. Because the Scarlet Knights have so many older players who will likely have a mental edge, Penn will need to turn in an excellent physical performance in order to pull off the upset. "Just doing one thing well isn't going to cut it, so every aspect of our game has to be exceptional," Wren said. "With Columbia, [it was possible to] be confident that just some good shots could win the game. With these four [teams to close the season], it's a different story." The Quakers can also help their chances by coming out with a full head of steam tonight. Penn has been outscored 64-26 in the first half of games this season but has played much closer in the second half. The Quakers trail their opponents 42-30 after the break. Penn's lone win at Columbia was one of the two games in which Penn led or was tied at intermission. The Scarlet Knights are faced with a different situation. They have trailed or been tied at the half just twice; one of those games was a 13-7 loss to No. 6 Princeton. In Rutgers' other defeat, against No. 12 Old Dominion, the Scarlet Knights led by just one when the first half ended. "We're known for playing a great first half and then slacking off," Vesco said. "We want to pretty much play our game for a full 60 minutes." For as much as the two teams that will face off tonight are different, they both have similar game plans -- playing with full intensity throughout the game and executing properly are still the biggest keys for both.