by Jake Knoeller
It’s 5 p.m. on a Tuesday night early in September in the Fieldhouse. Training is already off and running. Many members of the team are very excited about what this team can potentially bring, especially with their newfound depth after struggling to finish last season due to a low amount of players.
“We’ve got numbers now,” said team captain Zack Gamble. “We spent all summer recruiting and finally having a full crew of guys that really know what they’re doing is an awesome feeling.”
Gamble has been playing lacrosse for 12 years, and his hard work is what earned him the position of captain.
“We put in a lot of time and a lot of work,” said Gamble. “It’s paid dividends so far.”
He is a goaltender, which comes with a lot of responsibility. According to him, lacrosse is a very robust sport.
“There’s something in it for everybody,” said Gamble. “Whether you like to be more physical like a hockey player, or be a little finesse-oriented like a basketball player.”
Gamble believes that once they get everybody on the same page and bonding as a team they will be a force to be reckoned with in the league. The coaches are also all in on this team after stepping up to find more players over the summer.
“We’ve got a lot of experience,” said head Coach Augustus Johnson. “A lot of these guys out here are new players for us but they all played in high school or they’ve played some kind of club ball a little bit.”
Johnson is hoping for the team to work on their game IQ before their first game.
“I really want these guys to know what to do and when to do it,” said Johnson. “I want these guys to be like Steph Curry and just don’t stop running even when they don’t have the ball.”
Having the ability to substitute more with higher numbers will allow players to do this. Assistant coach Daniel Eggert feels good about the way the team connects and his relationship with the players.
“Last year I kinda got thrown in late into the year and it was a tough season all around, but you know I connected with everyone pretty well,” said Eggert. “It’s been much better this year so far, I mean the season’s looking pretty good right now.”
Eggert said the team is specifically skilled with their short-pulls and many of the players can rip the ball well. He said they just need to get to know each other better so they can be good at working together when it’s time to officially take the field.
The team will have to wait until February 2023 for their first official game, but they are planning to play some scrimmages in October and an alumni game on Nov. 5.
“That’ll be this current squad against myself and some of the other Humboldt alumni,” said Eggert.
Their early start to training shows how dedicated this team is to being successful. They have numbers and depth this year, which means they’re aiming to step up from the last few years.
Be First to Comment