On Saturday, Penn State kicks off the inaugural season of Big Ten lacrosse and its journey to what will hopefully be a fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

The 2015 Nittany Lions enter this season with high expectations. For the past three seasons, Penn State has boasted winning records, with last year’s season ending at a respectable 7-6.

The season was filled with exciting games and crucial wins, with the Lions winning 8-7 against national championship contender Notre Dame, and almost toppling No. 3 Loyola in an overtime thriller. They crushed Michigan 22-7. They ended the season strong in an 8-7 win over No. 12 Hofstra. Penn State’s Shane Sturgis ranked 20th in goals per game with 2.54. In faceoffs, Penn State ranked sixth in the NCAA.

In the 2015 preseason poll, a panel of Big Ten coaches selected No. 14 Penn State to finish third in conference play. However, the Lions face a challenging schedule, featuring tough-to-beat teams like Loyola, Harvard, Penn, Maryland, and Johns Hopkins.

With superstar goalie Austin Kaut gone, Connor Darcey will start in goal, having spent two seasons developing on the bench. He was redshirted his freshman year and played only two games last season. Kaut proved irreplaceable for the Lions, so Darcey’s goaltending will be crucial for a successful season.

Saturday’s game against Vermont is at 12 p.m. in Holuba Hall. Doors open at 11 a.m.