Last year’s lacrosse season ended with a trip to the emergency room for senior captain Jeff Steitz after an opposing player cross-checked him and broke his collar bone, while the team fell to Drodt College in the first round of the playoffs, 10-3.
Steitz, who is the president of the club team, has been a captain since his sophomore year and leads the team with the help of the other two captains: senior attacker Ben Zaeger and junior defenseman Mike Van Tiem.
This year, the Billikens have the talent to improve on the success they had last year, according to Steitz.
“We’ve been steadily increasing in numbers and in talent over the last few years, and this is definitely the most talented group we’ve ever had, as well as the most knowledgeable about the game,” Steitz said.
Since his freshman year, Steitz has seen the lacrosse team more than double in size. It now stands at 25 members. Steitz said that it has been a building process, but they’ve been getting bigger and better every year.
The team had a 6-4 record in the regular season last year and was seeded fifth in the Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference tournament before their first-round exit. The team has much higher expectations for this season.
“We’ve got a lot of good talent this year, some good new players and good freshmen,” senior attacker Steve Ferris said. “We’re definitely stronger this year than last year, and we think that we should win the conference tournament and make it to nationals.”
Among those talented freshmen are Tom Van Tiem, Brian Collins and Joe Cottone, according to Ferris.
The Billikens begin their 2008 campaign in Searcy, Ark., against Harding University.
“We need to start off the season strong,” Steitz said. “That’s been a problem over the last couple of seasons. If we are able to start off strong and continue to play well during the season, we’ll be in good shape. I think this year’s team has the talent and the desire to make it to nationals.”
In order to achieve their goals this year, Steitz said that the players will need to come together as a team under their captains and their coach, Matt Gardiner. Gardiner has coached for the last four years and has been “a good team leader for the guys and has done a lot for the team’s scheduling needs,” according to Steitz.
In addition to this weekend’s game, the Billikens’ will compete against Auburn, Wash. U, Augustana College and DePaul University. Both Ferris and Steitz agreed that the Wash. U game is always a fun rivalry.
“We’re hoping that people come out and watch us this year,” Ferris said. “We’ve got a pretty good team, and we’re going to surprise some people.”
