Three up, Three down: Penn men's lacrosse vs. No. 6 Denver

For the second time in three games, Penn men’s lacrosse is preparing for a heavyweight fight against a highly ranked opponent. With No. 6 Denver (3-1) set to visit Franklin Field this weekend, the No. 20 Quakers will be forced to contain a high octane offense with plenty of talent. As the Red and Blue (1-1) get ready for Saturday’s game, we take a look at who’s up and who’s down heading into Penn’s matchup with the Pioneers.

Three Up -

Penn’s defense: It’s hard to imagine any other team in the nation playing defense as well as the Quakers right now. In both games this season, Penn has shut down its opponents for extended periods, allowing its offense to go to work during those stretches. In their last game, the Red and Blue shut down St. Joseph’s for over 37 minutes at one point, emphatically stifling the Hawks’attack. More of the same will spell doom for the Pioneers on Saturday.

Double the Feeney, Double the Fun: The Feeney twins have been lights out for Penn this season. Brian Feeney has been almost impenetrable in goal, having only allowed 13 goals in two games, including a mere four scores against St. Joes. In the midfield, Brian’s brother Danny scored six seconds into the game against the Hawks, helping spark Penn’s route of its cross-town rival.

Jamie Faus: It’s been an eventful week for the Pioneers’ senior goalkeeper. Denver’s captain not only captured the MVP award in last weekend’s Frontier Airlines Face Off Classic, but was also named Big East Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against Marist and Canisius in the tournament.

Three Down -

Slow Starts: Other than Danny Feeney’s goal just six seconds into Penn’s matchup with St. Joes, the Quakers have had difficulty in the early phases of their two games this season. Against Duke, the Red and Blue gave up four first quarter goal s and couldn’t pull even after a sluggish beginning. Even Brian Feeney has struggled at the onset of both contests, allowing seven goals combined in the first period this year.

Denver’s Defense: Though the Pioneers have played well in all four of their games this year, the team’s defense has some work to do as the season progresses. Denver has been outshot by 17 in 2014, with most of those shots coming against Faus and company in the second half. They haven’t fared much better early in games, having allowed 20 goals before halftime.

Beating Duke: The Blue Devils have been the proverbial thorn in both Penn and Denver’s paws this season. The Pioneers and Quakers each dropped contests to the top-ranked team in the nation, albeit both in relatively close matchups. If the two teams could push the defending national champion to the brink, there’s no limit to the body blows the squads could trade this weekend.