PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania men's lacrosse team will be in action twice this weekend as part of the inaugural Philly 4 Lacrosse Classic. The event, which will feature a pair of doubleheaders involving all four Division 1 lacrosse programs in the city, will take place on Friday at Villanova and Sunday at Drexel.
 
Friday, March 8 (at Villanova)
  Saint Joseph's vs. Drexel, 5 p.m.
  Penn vs. #11 Villanova, 7:30 p.m. – Video (LSN) | Live Stats
Sunday, March 10 (at Drexel)
  Villanova vs. Drexel, noon
  Penn vs. Saint Joseph's, 2:30 p.m. – Video (LSN) | Live Stats
 
The Penn-Villanova Series
The Quakers hold a 17-11 lead but have lost the last three meetings including an 8-6 decision at Franklin Field last year. Penn's last win came 12-11 during the 2014 season. These programs have met every year since 1998 with the exception of 2017; in those 20 games—of which Penn has won nine and Villanova 11—nine have been decided by a goal, two by two goals, and two more by three goals.
 
Head Coach Mike Murphy vs. Ranked Opponents
Last Saturday's one-goal loss to Penn State dropped Mike Murphy to 17-45 all-time against USILA Top-20 opponents. That said, Murphy boasts more wins (3) against teams ranked 11th in the USILA poll than any other spot. Overall, he is 3-5 against teams ranked 11th in the USILA poll.
 
The Penn-SJU Series
The Quakers hold a 13-2 lead in the series, but the Hawks have taken two of the last three meetings including a 12-11 decision late last year at Franklin Field. Penn won a 10-5 game two years ago on Hawk Hill, but the two games in the series before that both needed overtime with SJU taking a 9-8 decision in extra time in 2016 and Penn winning 11-10 in 2015.
 
Trio Of All-Ivy Players Return
The Quakers return three All-Ivy selections from 2018, led by 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 44 career starts in goal, while Mathias has 44 career starts on attack. Overall, 20 players who played in at least half of Penn's 15 games last season return for 2019.
 
Simon Says…
Few have been more reliable over a playing career than Simon Mathias. In 46 career games played, Mathias has 89 goals and 54 assists for 143 points – an average of 3.1 points per game. He ranks second among active Division I players with a 46-game point-scoring streak and ranks third among active players with a 23-game goal scoring streak. His 89 career goals are tied for sixth all-time at Penn with Chris Conforti (1988-91); W. Kelso Morrill (98 goals from 1982-85) is next in his sights. Mathias' 143 career points are 10th all-time by a Quaker and five away from tying Todd Minerley (1998-2000) for the No. 9 spot on Penn's all-time list.
 
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 three games, Gallagher is 46-for-83, ranking No. 3 in the Ivy League and No. 29 in the country in faceoff winning percentage (.554). Gallagher's 9.3 ground balls per game is also No. 2 in the Ivy League and sixth nationally.
 
Good As Goldner
Junior Adam Goldner had a massive game at Penn State last Saturday, scoring five times to match a career high set his freshman year. Through three games Goldner has scored 10 goals and added an assist for a team-high 11 points. He is tied for third among Ivy players and tied for 14th nationally in goals per game, at 3.33.
 
Singing Sweet Lulley
Sophomore Sean Lulley had five points last Saturday at Penn State, scoring twice and assisting on three other goals. He is now third on the team with seven points.
 
Getting A Handley On Things
Freshman Sam Handley has quickly established himself as a presence in the Penn rotation. He scored three unassisted goals last Saturday at Penn State, doubling his point total from the first two games. Handley is tied for third on the team in goals (4) and fourth in points (6) entering the weekend.

Relying On Reed
Senior Reed Junkin has played in 46 career games in goal, manning the cage for over 2,713 minutes. A 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 his senior season with a .507 save percentage. Through three games, Junkin has made 35 saves.
 
Gold Medal Quartet
Penn's roster boasts four players who played significant roles when the United States won the FIL Under-19 World Championship gold medal in 2015. They are Mathias, midfielder Tyler Dunn (4g/1a in 2019), midfielder Alex Roesner, and defenseman Noah Lejman who has returned to the lineup after missing the last two full seasons due to injury.
 
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 turnover and 19 ground balls last season.
 
All Clear
The Quakers are 45-for-52 on clearing attempts this season. Penn's .865 clearing percentage is tops among Ivy League teams and No. 18 in the country.