With the start of the 2012 season rapidly approaching, the LSU men’s lacrosse team has high expectations to improve on last year’s losing record.
The team was scheduled to kick off last Friday against Texas A&M, but the match was cancelled due to inclement weather. It was slated to be the first 2012 match for the entire Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association.
Last year’s 15-11 season-ending loss to the Aggies dropped the Tigers to 4-8 for the season.
Sophomore attackman Jordan Ramirez said new young talents will give the team the edge needed to compete at a higher level.
“We just have so much more depth at every position,” Ramirez said. “This is the best freshman class to come into LSU lacrosse.”
The Tigers returned nine of 10 starters from 2011, including senior Jacob Most, who scored a team-high 28 goals with 18 assists last season.
Ramirez, returning from a successful freshman season, also racked up 28 goals along with sophomore Michael Goodrich, who posted 18 goals.
Ramirez said overall team participation in practice and conditioning has also been a high point for the season.
“Everyone ended winter break a week early this season,” he said. “There’s been more commitment to the team than I’ve ever seen before.”
Preseason workouts consisted of grueling two-a-day practices at the UREC and Student Adventure Complex, Ramirez said.
Freshman goalie Rick Battista said the rapid pace and intensity of the preseason practices has given the team the ability to compete with the difficult teams on its schedule.
Battista said one of the keys to maintaining a winning record this season doesn’t lie in the Tigers’ talents, but rather in their aggressiveness and stamina.
“We need to outplay, outhustle and outwork other teams,” he said. “Conditioning is the strongest part of our team.”
While club sports don’t share the prestige held by the larger varsity sports, Ramirez said the team takes their role in LSU athletics very seriously.
“Participation is not an issue for our team,” Ramirez said. “Everyone loves getting a chance to play with LSU on their jersey.”
Battista said the main focus for the team as of late has been on maintaining a group mentality rather than on working towards individual ambitions.
“We want to become a team rather than just a bunch of kids playing the game,” Battista said. “We want to go in and come out as a unit.”
The Tigers travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Friday to square off with the University of Alabama in the first game of the 2012 campaign.
 
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Contact Morgan Wampold at [email protected]