Tourney hopes still on line for M. Lax against Loyola

When the Penn men's lacrosse team began arguably its most demanding schedule in recent history this past February, expectations were high.

With 10 of their 13 games against opponents ranked in the preseason top 25, the young Quakers' mission was clear: rise to the occasion or stay average.

An appropriate challenge, it seemed. The infusion of young talent that Penn coach Brian Voelker brought in his two years at the helm gelled this spring with a solid senior cast to give the Red and Blue a legitimate chance to win every time out, no matter who tried to stop them.

As the team enters its final two games of the season, it seeks to improve upon a 6-5 overall record as the Quakers take on two of the top teams in the nation.

Taking on first Loyola (Md.) and finally No. 3 Maryland, the Quakers hope consecutive wins will propel them to an NCAA Tournament bid, something the program hasn't accomplished since 1989. Wins at either venue will also mark something that this team hasn't been able to accomplish all season: a win on the road.

"I can't really explain why we're 6-0 at home and 0-5 on the road," senior co-captain Will Phillips said. "I think it's something as a team we're trying not to really look at too much. It seems like there must be something there, but if anything it's what we make of it. If we worry about it, if we make it intosomething that we have to overcome, I think that's kind ofcounterproductive."

Despite Penn's repeated ineffectiveness on the road, with a win against Loyola tomorrow, the Quakers can clinch only their second winning record since 1990.

According to Phillips, the key to the game for Penn lies in preventing Loyola from getting into its traditional up-tempo style of play.

Topping the Greyhounds would also position the Quakers arguably one win away from a trip to the NCAAs.

"There are so many important factors about the game," Phillips said. "If we win this game we're pretty much one more win from getting into the playoffs, which is something that is a new prospect for us and it's cool to be playing for that much."

However, the high-powered Terrapins would still stand in the way of Penn's playoff aspirations. Furthermore, Maryland's Byrd Stadium features something that the Quakers have not experienced in a game this season -- grass.

All of Penn's 11 contests have come on artificial turf, but the Quakers have recently practiced on grass, in part due to the Penn Relays taking up their normal practice facility, Franklin Field.

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