M. Lax eyes third Ivy victory

Momentum is pouring through the Penn men's lacrosse team's veins as the squad returns to Franklin Field this Sunday to face Ivy League rival Brown.

Against Lehigh on Wednesday, the Quakers stormed back from a 5-3 deficit during the opening moments of the fourth quarter to grab a convincing 7-6 win.

"It was a little too thrilling for our taste, but you only have to win a game by one," Penn junior captain Alex Kopicki said. "If you win a game by one or five goals all that matters is that you get the 'W.'"

The win pushed the Quakers to a 7-3 record and assured the team of its first winning record since the 1989 season.

"[The seniors] had an opportunity to break themselves of the last 12 teams that have played here," Penn coach Mike Hogan said. "Our seniors really stepped up to play. They've been there all year and they've been the basis for our success."

The seniors' play against Lehigh was a microcosm of their play for the entire season -- without them, the team would likely be in a far different position.

Against the Engineers, senior captain Scott Marinow received a perfect outlet pass from goalie Ryan Kelly, and drove the length of the field to score the first goal of his career.

"It was tunnel vision straight to the goal," Marinow said.

Penn now focuses its vision on its final three games, which include Ivy rival Brown and No.1-ranked Syracuse.

"I really believe that we're improving every week," Penn junior captain Alex Kopicki said. "So I think we're in a pretty good position going into the last few games."

Brown also finds itself steamrolling into Sunday's game, after beating Harvard, 9-8, on Wednesday. The Bears are 2-0 in the Ivy League, with their other victory coming against Yale -- Brown also took No. 1 Syracuse into overtime on March 30, before losing 14-13.

"I think we have a lot of momentum going into Brown," Kopicki said. "They're a good team, but we're a good team, too. If we play our game we'll come out on top."

Brown attacker John Thompson enters Sunday's game as the Ivy League's scoring leader with 30 points, and will be the Bears' go-to-guy during the game -- the junior has 20 goals and 10 assists.

With both teams coming off emotional, one-goal games, the team that captures an early lead will hold a considerable advantage.

"If you don't come out ready to play, anybody can knock you back," Hogan said after the Lehigh game. "It's a lesson to be learned -- forget rankings, forget who should win, just go out and play."

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