By Ashley Acosta
Cardinal Staff
If the past few weeks are any indication of what is to come, then Saint Mary’s University men’s lacrosse fans have something to look forward to.
Splitting from the Winona State team four years ago, the SMU men’s lacrosse team, the Hilltoppers, is in its third year of competition.
A member of the Great Lakes Lacrosse League, the team’s roster is comprised of 13 players, with six of those being upperclassmen.
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“The biggest thing we need to work on is team chemistry,” said freshman captain Ben Banse. “With so many new players, we haven’t played together much, and we need to talk to one another and help each other out.”
With many first-time players, the young team has been diligently practicing for two hours, two times a week for the past three months, focusing on game strategies and fundamental skills.
After a 0-5 start to the season, the Hilltoppers have won four of their last five games.
Junior Tim Jorgensen credits their success to their teamwork.
“We work well as a team,” Jorgensen said. “If someone messes up, we don’t get mad at each other. We help each other out.”
The team’s laid-back atmosphere is also seen as a positive.
“We take things seriously, but we don’t take things too seriously, and we have fun,” Banse said.
Their relaxed atmosphere goes hand-in-hand with how the team is put together. As it is one of the few clubs without tryouts or a participation fee, players of all skill levels are encouraged to go out for the team.
“Being on the team, you get to travel to other schools and experience what it is like to be part of a team,” Jorgensen said. “It is like a varsity college sport, but with a more laid-back atmosphere.”
Early in the season, a large portion of practice time was spent on filling out forms and other administrative paperwork. Jorgensen admits that the team has not practiced as much as they should because of high demand for the RAC and the lack of an alternative facility.
With all these obstacles behind them, the team is looking forward to the Great Lakes Championship Tournament in late April.
The two-day tournament, held this year at UW-Stout, hosts all 40 teams in the Great Lakes Conference. Each team is put into a bracket, and the Hilltoppers are hoping to make it to the second day of the tournament and end their season with a .500 record.
“We just want to show others that even though we are a small private school and we have a small team, we are out here to compete,” said Jorgensen.
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