The lacrosse team will face an action-packed weekend with three games in two days.
With a record of two wins and one loss, coach Addison Barden, graduate student in entomology, said the main thing the team needs to work on is its transition game.
"We got beat at least three or four goals in the fourth quarter against Ohio University off unsettled situations and bad transitions," Barden said.
Despite that shortcoming, the team was still able to win.
"(It was) a close game," Barden said. "It actually came down to the last second. We were actually a man down and brought home the 'W', so that was a great win for us."
Barden said the team would practice hard until Wednesday before tapering off to give the players time to rest before their three-game weekend.
Jack Mullen, sophomore in predentistry, said he thinks the team will be well-prepared for the challenge.
"We have a lot of really good athletes on our team," Mullen said. "We've just got to keep moving the ball, and I think things will take care of themselves. I think we should be fine."
Jack Mabrey, sophomore in history and secondary education, said the main challenge may be not knowing what the other teams are like.
"It's a bunch of teams a lot of us have never seen before," Mabrey said. "We've just got to come out and try to stay in our game because I think if we try to do things based on what they're doing, then we're going to end up getting in trouble.
"So we've got to come out and be confident in our own game and our own style."
The team's youth adds a dimension of mystery about future opponents, but Barden said this was still the team's greatest strength.
"At this age we have so much talent--three or four years down the road we're going to be unbelievable," Barden said. "I really think our youth is going to put us in good places in a couple years."
Mabrey said the challenging part of having young players is getting them accustomed to collegiate competition.
"A lot of these guys are used to playing 12-minute quarters in high school, and the transition to 15-minute quarters is pretty tough," Mabrey said.
Mabrey said this change is especially difficult considering how fast-paced the sport is.
"You've got to do everything on the fly, whether it's subbing or going from offense to defense or doing anything--it's nonstop," Mabrey said.
Lacrosse has been called the fastest game on two feet, and players agree there is nothing quite like it in the sports world.
"Combine the physicalness of hockey and the endurance of soccer and then the defense of basketball, and you have lacrosse," said John Michael Beddome, sophomore majoring in business management and finance.
Even though the team came out last in preseason rankings, Barden said they believe they have the possibility to win it all.
"I'm excited about the team unity," Barden said. "I'm really happy and proud of the guys and where we're at right now."
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