(From DailyEmerald.com article) The University’s club men’s lacrosse team is eager to prove itself in the coming spring season after faltering in the first
The Oregon club men's lacrosse team had a strong showing at its annual Fall Classic. The team was split into two squads — the white and black teams — and they both met in the championship game. The White team won 14-0.
round of last year’s national tournament in May.
And that journey to re-establishment began Saturday.
The 47-man roster was split into two teams for the Fall Classic Tournament, and it was all Oregon in the end, with both teams making it to the championship game. In the game, it was the Oregon White Team, nicknamed “White Squall,” that prevailed in the rain-drenched final, defeating the Oregon Black Team 14-0 to claim the tournament title.
Joe Kerwin, the former Oregon lacrosse coach in his first year back after a stint as head coach at Notre Dame de Namur University, felt that the eight-team tournament was a good experience for his becoming team.
“We got a chance to really see guys, and it was just a great experience,” Kerwin said. “We’re still getting used to guys and trying to see where people fit in.”
Team coordinator and junior attack Robbie McLellarn, who played on Oregon’s White Team, said he was impressed with his team’s perseverance through the difficult conditions.
“I think everyone played really well,” he said. “It’s a long day of lacrosse; as you get into that final game everyone’s pretty exhausted and everyone just wants to go home. The championship game we thought would be a lot closer but we were all pretty tired … but as long as I’ve been going here it’s been Oregon vs. Oregon in the championship game.”
The White Squall dominated its first game, a 22-0 win over Willamette. But the real test of the tournament came in a 7-6 win over Oregon State in the semifinal game.
“OSU has never beaten us for as long as there’s been lacrosse at both schools,” McLellarn said. “They jumped out to an early 5-1 lead. They were very, very motivated to beat us, and we got a little lazy. But we came together with five minutes left to secure the win.”
Oregon’s Black Team, self-named “The Black Pearl,” beat Southern Oregon in the first game 15-6 and then had a test of its own in a 9-7 comeback win over Portland. The Black Team went down early in the game but never panicked, junior goalie Nick Johnston said.
“I thought the most impressive win was definitely the Portland win,” he said. “We were down 4-0 in the first half and came back and won. It was the strong defense and the transition back to our offense that helped us to get the win.”
The teams were split evenly for the tournament, but according to Johnston, it was the secondary that made the difference in the Black Team’s inability to score in the championship game.
“We had a young secondary and we had a lot of people switch positions for our team,” he said. “The white team had a good secondary, and that’s what made the difference. We were just so tired, and it was pouring. We just basically ran out of gas that game.”
McLellarn said that the tournament marked a successful end to the fall season for the team and a lot of positives emerged that they can build on for the spring.
“I think it showed a lot of hard work that the young guys have been putting in,” he said. “This tournament kind of marks the end of the fall season. Everyone is learning to play together and everyone is getting back in shape. The tournament gives us a chance to preview what it’s like to be playing other teams.”
McLellarn credited Kerwin for the success and camaraderie of the two Oregon teams in this year’s Fall Classic.
“Coach Kerwin did a great job,” he said. “He stayed neutral for this week, and he did a good job of keeping things light but still focused. We practiced all week in our different teams, we scrimmaged during the week and guys got creative with it.”
As winter looms, the team will focus on conditioning and individual skills in preparation for what will be a trying spring season. And while there is still plenty to work on before spring, the fall season was a big step in the right direction.
“We have a lot of athletes on this team,” he said. “This is probably the deepest team we’ve ever had. As far as the team, we’re going to just keep moving along. When we hit the spring, we’re going to kind of start over again.”
http://www.dailyemerald.com/sports/oregon-split-squads-dominate-fall-classic-tournament-1.892374
(From DailyVanguard.com article) During a wet and frigid halftime of a football game at PGE Park on Saturday, the Portland State Lacrosse Club showcased their skills in a crosstown scrimmage against University of Portland.
Not to be outdone in an opportunity to show the Viking-faithful the team’s talent, the Viking offense scored two quick points—one within the first five minutes of play and another with halftime drawing to a close.
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