The Women’s Lacrosse season is underway and the team is eager to get on the field and practice as much as possible, utilizing the recent beneficial weather conditions, reaching eighty degrees last weekend. Last year, the team remembers waiting until after Spring Break to get outdoors.
“We had some crazy weather last year with snow, freezing rain, wind, and hail, but it was so much fun to play through it all and feel like we just won a big battle at the end. We had one home game with Mankato when the weather was so brutal that you couldn’t feel your hands or face, but we played through it and came out on top,” Sophomore Clara Wicklund said.
Wicklund shares her experience with team Captain Lara Youngqvist, who, overlooking the rough meteorological circumstances, found many silver linings in last year’s season.
“We had a great season last year. Although the prolonged snow and cold weather forced us to play about 8 games in less than a week, we had a successful season and made it to playoffs, where we played our toughest opponent, St. Ben’s,” Youngquist said.
The weather wasn’t the only struggle last year. Halfway through, they lost their only goalie, potentially throwing off the whole season, however, the team managed to adapt to the new situation by outfielders sacrificing themselves to play in the vulnerable goaltender position. Luckily, recruiting has been exceptionally successful this year, with the roster squad expanding accordingly.
“We always enjoy traveling to River Falls for a weekend to play a series of games each April. It’s always a highlight of the season because it is a great way for the team to connect both on and off the field. We get to spend a weekend away at a hotel, traveling together, going out for team dinners and playing some great lacrosse.”—Lara Youngquist
“We have a large, young team, full of lots of new players this year. This is so great, however it also means that we have to work extra hard to make connections with each other, learn systems and positions, and to teach the new players the game. We are very optimistic about the season. Our overall goal for the spring is to make it to playoffs again this season,” Youngquist said.
Even with the already vast squad, Youngquist is enthusiastic about new players joining the club and emphasized the fact that everyone is welcome to be a part of the team, regardless of skill or talent.
“The women’s club lacrosse team is a no-cut squad, and we accept all ability levels, including those who have never heard of the sport or picked up a lacrosse stick before. That being said, Women’s Lacrosse is unique in that it is a relatively new sport, so many high schools have not formed teams yet. Gustavus grants women an opportunity to try lacrosse even if they have never played before,“ Youngquist said.
Junior Megan Lokensgard views lacrosse as a combination of soccer and hockey. It is played on a big, square sized field and requires a tremendous amount of running and athletic ability. The turf on Hollingsworth Field is ideal and the team uses it for training as much as possible. However, because of the team’s status as a club, they have to be flexible in order to find time and space to practice.
“If you have any natural athleticism, you can pick it up pretty easily. If you’re considering playing, do it. We practice Monday through Friday, mainly on the turf. Sometimes we’ll do conditioning somewhere else on campus if the turf is occupied by another sport or find a different area within Lund to work out. We also have 6 a.m. practices on the Blue on Friday mornings,” Lokensgard said.
While the team is excited for the first game of the season, the Gusties have one particular journey that they all look forward to: the spring trip to Wisconsin.
“We always enjoy traveling to River Falls for a weekend to play a series of games each April. It’s always a highlight of the season because it is a great way for the team to connect both on and off the field. We get to spend a weekend away at a hotel, traveling together, going out for team dinners and playing some great lacrosse,” Youngquist said.
If you want to enjoy a fast-paced, technical and physically rigorous team experience, the Women’s Lacrosse team is open to new recruits throughout the whole season. Besides, because of the large amount of young members, there is opportunity to support the development of the club.
-Philip Evans