For the No. 15 Massachusetts men’s lacrosse team, Wednesday night’s game has a simple motivation: win or go home.

The Minutemen (9-4, 4-2 Colonial Athletic Association) travel to Penn State for a rematch with the Nittany Lions in a CAA Semifinals matchup.

UMass coach Greg Cannella hopes his team does not change a thing despite the greater stakes.

“Just because the games have a little bit bigger statue, you can’t really change the way you play,” said Cannella. “It’s the same thing whether you’re playing the National Title game or you’re playing a team that you’re supposed to beat, you [have to] prepare the same way.”

The teams met back on March 19 at Garber Field with PSU (7-6, 4-2 CAA) upsetting the Minutemen, 8-7, to hand the Maroon and White their only home loss of the season. Senior Ryan Hantverk had a chance to tie in the closing seconds of regulation, but his shot struck the post as UMass fell short in its bid for a comeback. PSU freshman goalkeeper Austin Kaut helped from the net by tallying 25 saves and has quickly emerged as one of the top goalkeepers in the nation.

Despite its lack of scoring in the previous meeting, Cannella said his team won’t change its attack.

“He had a great day,” said Cannella. “He’s been very consistent all year. This is a very good goalie. I don’t think you attack [him] differently.”

The first quarter will be huge for both teams but more importantly for the Minutemen. In the last matchup, the Minutemen dug themselves into a 3-0 deficit and were left playing from behind throughout the game.

Cannella places that blame on his shoulders as well as the rest of his coaching staff.

“It’s our job as coaches to have our team ready to play and we didn’t have them ready to play that day.” said Cannella. “It’s a 60-minute game. You can’t play 50 minutes and expect to win.”

The Nittany Lions have a dangerous duo in their attack in freshman Shane Sturgis and junior Matthew Mackrides. Sturgis leads the team in points (33) and assists (16), while Mackrides leads the team with 20 goals.

UMass’ victory over Delaware on Friday helped erase the memory of its 14-5 loss to Hofstra. The Minutemen put together stout defense and efficient offense, especially in the third period when the Maroon and White posted six goals.

However Cannella knows his team can’t dwell on the past.

“You hope that the guys can use Friday’s game for some confidence but once the whistle starts, it’s out the window,” said Cannella. “It’s Penn State against UMass. They want it as much as we want it.

UMass featured top ball movement and fluidity in the offensive zone on Friday as the team picked Delaware’s zone defense apart. Freshman Connor Mooney earned his second CAA Rookie of the Week honors for his five-goal performance. Meanwhile, sophomore Will Manny dished out three assists and juniors Mike Fetterly and Art Kell each had a pair as well.

“You’re able to move the ball and to be unselfish in those situations, but whether it’s zone or man-to-man, you [want to] be able to … have a bunch of assists,” said Cannella.

The Minutemen will be prepared to see a similar defense from Penn State, as the Nittany Lions played zone in their first meeting. However Cannella feels his team needs to be ready for anything and will have to make adjustments and adapt during the game.

The opening faceoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Jeffrey Field with the winner earning a spot in the CAA Championship against either No. 7 Hofstra or Delaware on Saturday.

Stephen Sellner can be reached at [email protected].