PHILADELPHIA – First place is on the line on Saturday as No. 13/13 Penn (4-3, 2-0 Ivy) hosts No. 2/2 Yale (6-1, 2-0) at Franklin Field. Opening faceoff between the Quakers and the defending national champions is set for 2:30 p.m.
 
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Nationally Ranked
One of the hottest teams in the country, Penn has won four games in a row while skyrocketing to No. 13 this week in both the USILA Coaches Poll and the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. This is the highest the Quakers have been ranked since slotting in at No. 8 the week of March 4, 2017.
 
All-Time Series
This weekend marks the 84th all-time meeting between Penn and Yale. The Bulldogs hold a 56-27 advantage all-time in the series, and have won the last seven meetings dating back to 2014. In each of the last three seasons, Yale has ended Penn's season with a win in the Ivy League Tournament. Penn's last win over Yale at Franklin Field was a 10-9 win in 3 OTs in 2011.
 
X Marks The Spot
All eyes will be on the faceoff X on Saturday as two of the country's top FO specialists do battle. Penn's Kyle Gallagher is No. 2 in the Ivy League and No. 4 in the country in FO% (.613). Yale counters with TD Ierlan, who ranks No. 1 in the country (.781). Ierlan was an All-American at Albany last season, setting the NCAA records for FO% (.791), faceoff wins (359) and ground balls (254).
 
Mike Murphy vs. Ranked Opponents
Mike Murphy is 19-45 all-time against USILA Top-20 opponents following Penn's 16-15 win at No. 8 Cornell last weekend. The Red and Blue have played five teams ranked in the USILA Coaches Poll this season – each ranked inside the Top-11. The Quakers are 2-3 against Top-20 opponents this season, with wins over the Big Red and No. 11 Villanova. Yale will be the fourth Top-5 opponent for the Red and Blue this season, joining No. 3 Maryland, No. 5 Duke and No. 5 Penn State. Murphy is 0-2 against teams ranked No. 2 in the USILA poll, losing to Cornell (2013) and Duke (2014).
 
Simon Says…
Few have been more reliable over a playing career than Simon Mathias. In 50 career games played, Mathias has 97 goals and 58 assists for 155 points – an average of 3.1 points-per-game. He ranks second among active Division I players with a 50-game point streak and is tied for No. 1 among active players with a 27-game goal scoring streak. His 97 career goals are No. 6 all-time at Penn – one away from tying for No. 5. His 155 career points are tide No. 8 all-time by a Quaker – eight away from tying for the No. 8 spot on Penn's all-time list.
 
The Gold Standard
Adam Goldner leads Penn with 25 goals this season, three away from his career high of 28 last season. He has scored multiple goals in all six games this season, and his 3.6 goals per game are No. 2 in the Ivy League and No. 4 among all Division I players. In his two Ivy League games this season, Goldner has nine goals and 10 total points. Last weekend, he had four goals and an assist – netting the game-winner with 17.9 seconds remaining – to earn a spot on the USILA National Team Of The Week.
 
Gallagher's Greatest Hits
A 21-for-27 debut showed signs of what Kyle Gallagher can bring to the X for the Quakers in his first year with the team following his transfer from Hofstra. Through seven games, Gallagher is 117-for-191, ranking No. 2 in the Ivy League and No. 15 in the country in faceoff winning percentage (.613). Gallagher has won 20 faceoffs in each of the last two games and won 20+ three times this season. Gallagher's 10.7 groundballs per game is also No. 2 in the Ivy League and is No. 4 in the country.
 
Relying On Reed
Senior Reed Junkin has played in 50 career games in goal, manning the cage for over 3,050 minutes. The 2016 second-team All-Ivy selection and Ivy League Co-Rookie of the Year alongside teammate Simon Mathias, Junkin has earned three career Ivy League Player of the Week honors. He enters this weekend with a .497 save percentage, with 85 saves made to 86 goals allowed. He has 10+ saves in six of seven games this season and ranks No. 2 in the Ivy League and No. 23 in the country in saves per game with 12.1.
 
On The Mark
Junior defender Mark Evanchick has developed into one of the Ivy League's premier defenders. After appearing in just three games as a freshman, Evanchick started all 15 games at close defense last season and often drew the assignment of the opposing team's top offensive threat. He finished with eight caused turnovers and 19 ground balls last season. He has three caused turnovers and eight ground balls this season. Two weeks ago, he held Princeton's Michael Sowers to a goal and two assists. Last week, his caused turnover with just over 1:00 to play in a tie game sent Penn in transition downfield towards its eventual game-winning goal.
 
All Clear
The Quakers are 126-for-148 on clearing attempts this season. Penn's .851 clearing percentage is No. 2 in the Ivy League.
 
Man-Up Momentum
Penn is 10-for-20 on the man-up this season, tied for tops in the Ivy League and No. 4 in the country in man-up percentage. The Quakers had 12 man-up goals all of last season.
 
Players Of The Week
Two Quakers were recognized for their work in Penn's 16-15 win at No. 8 Cornell with Ivy League Weekly Awards. Tyler Dunn was named Player of the Week following a five-goal, five-ground ball game. Sam Handley was chosen as Rookie of the Week for his three goals and two assists.
 
Tewaaraton Watch
Simon Mathias was named to the Watch List for the 2019 Tewaaraton Award presented to the nation's top player. This marks the second season in a row he has been named to the Watch List.
 
Fresh Faces Gain Recognition
A pair of Penn rookies earned spots on Inside Lacrosse's Top-25 Freshmen List. Sam Handley has 13 goals and 14 assists, landing as the No. 4 freshman in the country according to IL. Classmate BJ Farrare has seven caused turnovers, 13 ground balls, three goals and two assists as a long-stick midfielder to slot in at No. 21.
 
Best In The City!
The Quakers took care of business inside the City of Brotherly Love to start March, dispatching No. 11 Villanova (13-11) and Saint Joseph's (13-6) to sweep through the first Philly 4 Classic. Adam Goldner had six goals over the two games, while Sam Handley had four goals and seven assists.
 
Trio Of All-Ivy Players Return
The Quakers return three All-Ivy selections from 2018, led first-team All-Ivy defender Mark Evanchick. He is joined by senior attackman Simon Mathias (second-team All-Ivy) and senior midfielder Tyler Dunn (honorable mention All-Ivy) as returning all-league selections.
 
Back For More
Seven of Penn's starters from last season return, including six who started 10+ games. Senior goalkeeper Reed Junkin has made 50 career starts in goal, while Mathias has 50 career starts on attack. Overall, 20 players who played in at least half of Penn's 15 games last season return for 2019.
 
About The Bulldogs …
The defending national champions are 6-1 this season, with wins in six straight games following an 11-10 (OT) loss to Villanova in the season opener … Yale's six-game winning streak is tied for second-longest in the country … Yale has won eight consecutive road games dating back to last season, the longest road winning streak in the nation … The Bulldogs rank No. 7 in the country in Scoring Offense, averaging 13.9 goals-per-game … Jackson Morrill leads Yale in scoring with 13g, 20a, 33pts … His 2.9 assists-per-game rank No. 8 in the country … Junior Matt Gaudet leads Yale with 20 goals … Gaudet was Most Outstanding Player at the 2018 NCAA Final Four … Rookie Matt Brandau has 16 goals, 25 points, and 21 ground balls … Jack Starr has started all seven games in goal … He has a 10.39 GAA and .482 save percentage.