After finishing dead last in the Southeastern Lacrosse Conference Division I last season, the Alabama men’s lacrosse club team has no where to go but up, and the players said they believe their chances are bright this year.
“It was not a great season,” senior defensemen and vice president Brandon Pugh said. “We only had one coach, so it was hard for everyone to come together. It was a difficult season.”
The lacrosse club finished with a 1-4 division record and a 4-8 overall record last season.
This year, with a new coach, fresh talent and a new mindset, the team is hoping to end the season on a high note.
While the club relies on its coaching staff to help it gain necessary skills and prepare for games, the club is mostly student-run. The four members of the executive board are in charge of everything but coaching duties.
“We set guidelines for away trips, we set guidelines for being here, we set up our practice schedule, we organize travel, and we set rules based on how many practices there are,” Pugh said.
The team captains stress that each team member is accountable for his own success on the team.
“When we do go to our games and stuff like that, it’s based on how committed you are and how many practices you do make it to, so we try and stress that a lot so kids know that to be able to play and do all this stuff we have planned and scheduled, that they’ve got to come out and practice,” senior midfielder and captain Shane Ryan said.
During the fall, the team held practices three times a week and participated in a tournament in Nashville, Tenn. They also held their annual alumni game, which they won.
“We don’t keep score,” Pugh said. “It’s more of a fun game that we have a lot of alumni fly back in town. It’s a lot of fun. Most of us, we all know each other so it’s a lot of fun.”
To prepare for the spring season, the team has been working on the basics and focusing on team chemistry, Ryan said.
Pugh said most of the club’s members have previous experience which will help the team out with in-game experience.
The Alabama men’s lacrosse team will host their home opener this Saturday against Kennesaw State at 5 p.m. on the recreation fields.
“I wouldn’t call it a big game,” Pugh said. “But it’s critical for us because it’s going to show us where we’re at.”
