On Saturday PENN headed to the Lehigh Valley to take on the Lafayette University Pards.  In the last match-up of these teams, in February of 2002, PENN shut-out the Pards 5-0.  The games featured two teams of fast skaters and solid puck handlers.  Lafayette struck first scoring early in the game.  Five minutes into period one a weak clearing attempt in the defensive zone resulted in the Pards' early 1-0 lead.  Wide open at the point, the Lafayette defender fired a shot on senior goalie Pat Baude.  Baude made the save but the rebound was put home as the Lafayette offense crashed the net.  The remainder of period one saw scoring chances at both ends of the ice but both Baude and Lafayette goalie Steven Keen turned them all away.  After the first period PENN trailed 1-0 despite out-shooting the Pards 11-8.  Period two continued in the same hard fought fashion as the first.  Keen continued to come up big for the Pards keeping the Quakers out of the net, while at the other end Baude turned away a flurry of scoring opportunities as the Quakers were out-shot 15-11.  Still trailing by one going into the third PENN came out looking to score.  Early in the period the Quakers looked poised to even it up.  A 1-1 tie seemed guaranteed as Remick flew down the ice six minutes into the third period with no one to beat but the goalie, however Keen turned him away.  Late in the third, with five minutes remaining PENN found itself on the bad end of a four-minute roughing call to Skillen.  Down a man the Quakers were forced to back off of the offensive attack.  Lafayette added the insurance goal on the power-play and was able to hold on to the 2-0 lead.  The shut-out marked the first time the PENN offense had been completely shut-down in nearly two years.  Baude stopped 30 of 32 shots in the game.  The Quakers out-shot the Pards 36-32.

This weekend the Quakers face their toughest challenge of year as they look to remain atop the MACHA standings.  On Friday PENN takes on rival Rider University.  Rider and PENN are the only remaining undefeated teams in the MACHA this season.  Rider and PENN met last in the 2002 MACHA Championship Game where the Quakers defeated the Broncs 9-5.  On Saturday the Quakers head south to Maryland to do battle with UMBC.  The Retrievers are currently tied for second place in the MACHA with Rider.  When these two teams last met on November 2 they skated to 5-5 tie.