Sandwiched two weeks after the Super Bowl and two weeks before March Madness, the college lacrosse season gets going in full force.
Who cares if it?s snowing or if students have barely unpacked their belongings for the spring semester? In a practice this is becoming more and more common, most teams kick off their seasons in mid-February rather than the early March start of years past.
Among local Division I programs, Navy, Maryland and Loyola all get started on Feb. 17. The University of Maryland-Baltimore County would have joined those schools, but the Retrievers canceled their home opener against Butler after the latter announced late last month it is discontinuing its men?s lacrosse program. So, UMBC and John Hopkins will open their seasons Feb. 24, with Towson beginning play the following day.
The early start doesn?t bother Navy senior midfielder Billy Looney, who said playing in cold ? and maybe snowy ? conditions will only help the Midshipmen as they seek their fourth straight Patriot League title and a return to the NCAA tournament.
“Playing this early in the year will help us prepare to play under many types of conditions, especially in the Patriot League, where there are a number of teams in the north where it can get really cold,” he said. “The only thing you have to be careful of is making sure your stick doesn?t freeze up, which can lead it to break easier. Then you have to go to your No. 2 stick, which isn?t always as good as your first one.”
Navy senior defender Andrew Dow doesn?t mind the season starting so early, either. The preseason All-American and team captain from Hauppauge, N.Y., said while the Midshipmen are still playing the same number of games as they would have if the season started later, the early start makes it feel like he has more games left to play.
“This is my senior year, so for the games to start this early [it] makes it feel like I have an extra month to play lacrosse,” he said. “Starting earlier only means we have to work harder in the preseason.”
UMBC senior midfielder Kelvin Moulden said he loves the early start because he has wanted to start playing again since the end of last season, when the Retrievers won the America East Conference title and advanced to their first NCAA tournament since 1999. There, they lost their first game to Princeton.
“I just can?t wait to get out there,” said Moulden, a team co-captain and Annapolis native. “I?m going to be a little more impatient now since we have to wait an extra week. Hopefully, we can get another game, or a least a scrimmage.”
Another Retriever, senior attack Andy Gallagher, said the weather may not be ideal in February, but that is the farthest thing from any of the players? minds after the opening face-off.
“Once you start running around out there, it doesn?t feel any colder out there and the checks don?t hurt any worse,” he said.
Ron Snyder is a staff writer at The Examiner. He can be reached at [email protected].
