Less than 24 hours after David Guetta graces Penn with his presence at Franklin Field, the Penn men’s lacrosse team will look to electrify a crowd of its own when it hosts first-place No. 17 Harvard.
After losing their first two games in Ivy League play, the No. 11 Quakers (5-3, 2-2) have responded in impressive fashion. Two weeks ago, Penn eked out a one-goal victory against Yale before surviving a late comeback push from Brown last Saturday.
And as the Red and Blue turn their attention to the Crimson (7-4, 3-0), the squad will be looking to harness the momentum it has put together over the past few weeks.
Saturday’s game not only has significance for the Quakers’ record in the Ivy League and its chances at an NCAA Tournament berth, but also for the team’s seniors. The matchup with Harvard marks the last home game for Penn’s 10 seniors.
“I’m sure it’s going to be upsetting,” senior Drew Belinsky said. “I’m sure my mom will be crying, but its our last game [at home] as a team which is more important, and we just want to send out a good message to the whole team in our last game of the season.”
“We want to make sure that their last game here is a positive memory when they leave,” coach Mike Murphy added.
This particular graduating class has significance for the lacrosse program. This is the first class that Murphy has seen through from recruiting to its senior year.
“There’s a core nine of us that have been playing for a long time,” Belinsky said. “We have been playing for coach Murphy for all four years, and then it trickles down.
“We are his first class and his real first influence, because now the juniors are doing a great job. The sophomores are doing a great job and the freshman that are contributing on the field and even in the practice field are doing a great job.”
But while the game is emotionally important for Penn, Harvard likely won’t let emotion dictate the game’s pace. For the Crimson, this weekend’s test against the Quakers will directly threaten their perfect Ivy mark.
This weekend will be no walk in the park for either team. Not only are these two squads evenly matched, but the Ancient Eight has proven that any team can win on any given weekend.
For the Red and Blue, a victory would mean the Quakers still have the ability to improve on last season’s 3-3 Ivy finish.
And though Penn’s records this year and last year are quite similar, the team doesn’t quite see it that way.
“Overall I feel like we are playing a little better offense than we were last year at this point,” Murphy said. “And defensively we are probably not quite as good but close.The last two weeks we’ve been good on defense, we need to face off better.
“If we can continue to work in those areas, we will have the advantage with Harvard both in terms of possessions and what we do with them.”
Saturday’s game certainly will depend on what Penn is able to do with its own possessions. If both the Quakers’ offense and defense can capitalize on its opportunities, they have an excellent shot at putting a blemish on the Crimson’s Ivy record.
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