W. Lax headed north by Northwestern

This is it. Two undefeated women's lacrosse powerhouses are about to face off, and one will have to walk away with a tarnished record.

However, when No. 3 Penn (13-0) travels to No. 1 Northwestern (16-0) tomorrow at 8 p.m. there will be more at stake than just a perfect record.

The Wildcats have dominated the world of collegiate women's lacrosse since 2005, winning the last four NCAA championships. But last season they dropped a game for the first time in 36 contests when they fell to the Quakers by an 11-7 margin. Despite that loss, Northwestern defeated Penn, 10-6, in the NCAA tournament championship game a month later.

"Last year we came into [the first matchup] with nothing to lose, and I think that's what helped us," junior midfield Ali DeLuca said. "And then [we] went to the finals and . maybe had more pressure on us."

Because they faced Northwestern twice last season - just like they did in 2007 - the Quakers know exactly what to expect. The Wildcats are notorious for their high-pressure defense. They put pressure on opposing teams out at the 25-meter mark in order to break the composure of the attack and force turnovers.

"We [need to] make sure that we are not pushing constantly to go to goal," Penn coach Karin Brower said, "that we tire them out a little bit, work the ball and look for those opportunities."

Because Northwestern does not allow its opponents to run motions or set plays, the Quakers have emulated that style of defense in practice this week in order to recreate their attack in a "free form" mindset, according to sophomore midfield Giulia Giordano.

"Because of the way they play defense, we can't use our typical offensive strategy, so we have to create one specifically for them," senior attack Becca Edwards said. "That's always tough because it means you have a week to create a whole new attack."

Possession will be the name of the game. Northwestern averages 17.19 draw controls per game, compared to Penn's 11.15. But comparing the percent of draws won for each team, Northwestern's .652 is only slightly higher than Penn's .594.

Regardless, according to Brower, the victory last year was caused by the team's ability to possess the ball for almost the entire second half.

In fact, in the win last season Penn used a 5-2 draw advantage in the second half to shut out the Wildcats in that frame.

"It is important to keep possession and not throw the ball away, because that is what they feed off of - to rattle you, have you turn the ball over and go down and score," DeLuca said.

The Wildcats' scoring corps is certainly a formidable one. Northwestern has dominated opponents with right-handed cuts through the arc and back-door passes behind the backs of opposing defenders.

Senior midfield Hannah Nielsen is ranked No. 1 in the nation in points this season and has netted 48 goals as well. Her fellow midfield, Danielle Spencer, constantly challenges defenses and is quite capable of breaking through double teams. Spencer tops Nielsen by one goal with 49.

"We are creating appropriate matchups," Edwards said. "We're going to be prepared for specific plays that they have that they have been successful on."

Luckily for the Quakers, there's one matchup they don't have to worry about. Northwestern senior Hilary Bowen - who is ranked second in the nation with four goals per game - suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament against California April 4. She's missed the last four games due to the injury, and probably will sit out again tomorrow. However, the team has yet to pronounce her done for the season.

But even without Bowen, this is bound to be a game for the ages.

"You know what, we are undefeated too," DeLuca said. "I think they also are a little intimidated by who we are."

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