Midway through the conference slate, Dartmouth is in a familiar spot. The Big Green sport a 1-7 record that puts them at the bottom of the barrel, a place they have seen more than their fair share of in recent years. But when Penn goes into Leede Arena tonight, it's well-aware that this isn't the same Dartmouth the Quakers have beaten 22 times in a row.

When Penn hosted Harvard earlier this season, Brian Grandieri rescued his team from defeat by scoring a clutch four points in the final minutes. But the lasting memory from Penn's 73-69 victory was not Grandieri's heroics. Instead, it was the first half tussle between Penn's Justin Reilly and Harvard's Evan Harris that led to Reilly's exit with a gash in his head.

How's this for a wacky end to a regular season? After a 1 p.m. home match against Lehigh on Sunday, the No. 25 Penn Wrestling team will turn around and prepare for a 6 p.m. tilt against Princeton - in New Jersey. "It is what it is," coach Zeke Jones said.

The Quakers won't have to wait long to get a shot at impressing the NCAA tournament committee. They can do that tomorrow in their season opener at home against Drexel. While the ACC and Ivy League -- conferences traditionally strong in lacrosse - comprise the majority of the top-10 national rankings, other schools not known for their athletic programs fill the spots from 10 to 20.

As the women's lacrosse season starts up, the Quakers will have one thing on their minds. But before they can return to the Final Four and vie for the national title, they'll have to take some baby steps. It starts this Sunday, when the team will venture a few blocks north to take on Drexel in its season-opener.

Coming off their first win in 16 games, the Quakers finally have some confidence heading into a weekend series. "There are positive thoughts," coach Pat Knapp said. "That's where it all starts." They hope to build on that and reverse their fortunes from earlier this season when they host Dartmouth (8-14, 5-3 Ivy) and Harvard (13-9, 6-2).

Bum shoulders shouldn't slash the Quakers' trophy hopes this Sunday as the team heads to Columbia for the Intercollegiate Fencing Association championship tournament. Penn's men will have to overcome shoulder problems by Sunday if they hope to improve upon last year's third place team finish.

When the Penn women's tennis team faces off against the Terrapins, the Quakers will play a young team that is out to prove itself. Of the eight women on the Terps' roster, seven are underclassmen. That doesn't mean Maryland (1-4) doesn't have what it takes to win.

It's already been a milestone season for the women's squash team. The Quakers were the first Penn squad ever to visit South Africa, where they experienced 10 days full of cultural experiences and excellent squash. They followed that up with an undefeated regular season and their second Ivy League title in program history, en route to a No.

There's far more to Harvard forward Cem Dinc than the 18 straight games he sat out to the start the season, or his one-minute debut against Penn on Feb. 1. For the 6-foot-11 Dinc, it's not about the destination; it's about the journey. Harvard is the third college he has attended.

As Penn wrestling coach Zeke Jones likes to say, "Once a Penn wrestler, always a Penn wrestler." Though most athletic programs would probably claim the same, the Penn wrestling team has a special alumni club that specifically fulfills this goal: the Grapplers' Club.

On paper, the process might not have seemed so foreign. Play over the summer to stay sharp. Arrive in August to meet with the team. Start practice on the first day of September. But former Penn women's basketball standout Joey Rhoads was a long way from the Palestra.

The opponents may be better at Cornell and Columbia, but pure inconvenience makes Harvard-Dartmouth the toughest Ivy League road trip. Like every team, Penn will be doing its best to keep bodies fresh and spirits high for the long stretches of travel. Senior captain Brian Grandieri, who has been on seven roadtrips in his three years of playing, said that each roadtrip presents its own challenges.

Say goodbye to the "Hey Song." The song, officially titled "Rock and Roll Part 2," has been a staple at Penn men's basketball games. The Penn Band plays it when it appears that the Quakers will win, and fans replace "Hey!" with "Hey, you suck!" directed at the opposing bench.

Many people still remember Barb Seaman as a two-year-old running around Franklin Field. Seaman's father Tony coached Penn's men's lacrosse team from 1983-1990, winning the Division I Coach of the Year award and four Ivy League titles. The Quakers had made just two NCAA tournament appearances before his tenure, and they didn't reach another one after his departure for 15 years.

The women's basketball team has struggled with injuries all season. Only six Quakers have played in all 22 games this season, and only one, Anca Popovici, has been a constant in the starting lineup. While the Red and Blue aren't making excuses for their poor record, they have lost more than just playing time due to injuries - it has been difficult for Penn to establish an offensive rhythm.

For the women's lacrosse team, the bar has never been set higher, the goal never so lofty. Coming off their best season in program history, the Quakers will try to top their Final Four appearance, No. 2 ranking and Ivy League Championship with their ultimate goal: ending the season No.