Penn Seeks Fourth Consecutive Mid-Atlantic Title This Weekend

2009 Mid-Atlantic Division Schedule

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The University of Pennsylvania will look to capture the program's fourth consecutive (2006-08) title this weekend at the Mid-Atlantic Division Championship hosted by Penn State University.

The Quakers, who have taken four titles in the past five years (2004, 2006-08) will look to hold off challenges from nine other institutions and continue their unprecedented run of success.

No. 15-nationally ranked Penn, which finished with an unblemished 8-0 division record this year, has been the dominant force in the division over the past few seasons downing Duke University (2008), University of Pittsburgh (2006, 2007) and University of Virginia (2004) for the division championship and automatic bid to the National Collegiate Club Championship in five previous trips to the division title game. 

Overall, Penn is enjoying a 41-game winning streak in the division dating back to a 9-8 loss in overtime to West Chester University in the second round of the 2005 Mid-Atlantic Division Championship Tournament on April 9, 2005. 

An upset like the WCU-Penn game, in which the No. 4 seed Rams rallied to tie and then down the Quakers, could occur again as the No. 2 seed Wahoos of the University of Virginia have a chance to earn some vengeance from their regular season meeting against Penn.

Virginia, which finished 7-1 during the regular season and earned the No. 2 seed over No. 3 Penn State (7-1) due to goal differential, played the closest game of the year in the division against the Quakers, falling 5-2 on March 22.

In the history of the division championship, the Wahoos and Quakers have a rare connection as Virginia is the only team to defeat Penn in a title game (10-6 W on April 13, 2003), and Penn is the sole team to defeat Virginia (9-8 W OT on April 4, 2004) in a championship game.

However, do not discount an upset bid from the No. 3 seed Nittany Lions as Penn State is the only other team competing in this year's championship that has won a division championship.  In 2001, the Lions downed the University of Maryland (now a varsity program) for the champinoship, fell to the Terrapins in the 2002 title tilt, and returned to claim the 2005 title over West Chester University.

In addition, the University of Pittsburgh (4-4), Duke (4-4), Virginia Polytechnic State University (4-4), University of Richmond (2-6), West Chester (2-6), James Madison University (2-6) and University of North Carolina (0-8) will also compete as the No. 4 through 10 seeds bid for their first division title.