By Arielle Gordon
Despite losing several valued players, and one coach over the summer, Colorado College men’s lacrosse rallied to win their final scrimmage against the University of Colorado at Boulder. The two teams meet annually, and it’s usually a tough battle, but CC prevailed 21–8 this year.
“The general vibe was positive, especially after the Boulder game where we added a little bit of swagger to the team,” Andrew Harwood ’20 said.
In addition to the scrimmages, the fall season officially ended with the alumni game dur- ing homecoming weekend. Twenty-six alumni, ranging from the classes of ’94 to ’19, suited up against the current Tigers and played on Washburn Field.
The construction on Stewart Field impacted the team in that they were only able to practice three times per week this fall. In past years, the Tigers were able to practice together about five times each week. However, players have made up for the lost practice time by organizing informal group meetings to work on different skills. Washburn Field will remain their primary practice and game space moving forward.
“People are generally a fan of the new turf,” Brennan Troy ’22 said. “It’s made of coconut instead of rubber. It’s a bit more slippery, but other than that, there haven’t been any issues.”
As the winter weather moves in, the Tigers will spend the majority of their time in the weight room, having team lifts roughly four times per week. A new strength and condi- tioning staff is in place and they are implementing a new workout regimen. The next two blocks will be spent working out, but next semester will be here before they know it, and the regular season schedule has already been released.
Harwood is especially looking forward to their games against Sewanee: The University of the South and Christopher Newport University as opportunities, to avenge last season’s losses. Williams College will once again be visiting for spring break, and Har- wood wants to defeat them as well, since the Tigers have lost to them each of the past two seasons. The road game against defending national champions Cabrini University is expected to be a tough matchup as well, but a challenge the team is looking forward to.
“We can be a pretty good team this year,” Harwood said. “The freshmen have stepped up and will play a big role this season. Some of the juniors have also stepped up as leaders, which takes a weight off the seniors and helps the team.”
February’s games aren’t the only things the seniors have on their minds. The majority of the class of ’20 is already on the post-grad job search. Head Coach Sean Woods has been understanding when players have not been able to attend a workout or practice because of an interview, making it easier for players to manage sports and other pur- suits.
“Everyone is putting in time, even when there isn’t a scheduled practice,” Troy said. “It’s a change from last year, but it’s pushing guys to sign up and get their work in.”
The Tigers will open their 2020 season on the road, but will host their home opener at the beginning of Block 6.