Caity Healy | Editor-in-Chief
Seven wins and three losses — this was the record that Men’s Lacrosse had as it entered into the PNCLL playoffs. Their first opponent: Gonzaga University. In the 2016 playoffs, the Wolves went head to head against Gonzaga and lost, 21-10. For the first time in three years, the men were ready to face them again. Taking to the field on April 26, they weren’t willing to go down without a fight.
A battle was what Gonzaga was presented with. Neither side wanted to let up, but Western found itself with a comfortable lead going into the half. This lead left the Wolves feeling more relaxed, which gave the Bulldogs the opportunity to find their way to the back of the net. Western knew they had to find the momentum they began the game with. With lightning-fast offense and relentless defense, the Wolves proved to be too much for the Bulldogs. After a hard-fought competition, the Wolves came out on top, 16-13.
“It felt good to get a playoff win,” said junior midfielder Taylor Klus. “We haven’t even made the playoffs since I’ve been here so it was good to go from not making the playoffs to winning the first game. It meant a lot to the program after a rough couple years.”
During the game, senior Andrew Barnett reached his 100th career goal, and 100th assist. This made him the second player in Western Men’s Lacrosse history to reach that milestone.
Having eliminated Gonzaga from the tournament, Western was ready to move on to the semifinals versus the University of Montana the following day, April 27. The drop in temperature reflected the drop in energy that the Wolves were feeling.
“The odds were stacked against us going in,” Klus added. “We were on the second day of a back-to-back. They had home field and they have over 30 players on their roster.”
But the men weren’t ready to back down. They came in strong, and went head-first into the game feeling prepared for a win. However, the battle took a turn for the worse as the Wolves found themselves grounded on defense against the Grizzlies. After four quarters of struggling to make their way down the field, the Wolves fell to the University of Montana, 21-8. This closed their season.
“Overall, I think the season went well,” said Klus. “We gained a lot of experience on how to play those better teams.”
As for the state of Men’s Lacrosse in the upcoming years, Klus isn’t worried.
“I think WOU Lacrosse is on the rise. We have a very strong freshman class and another freshman class coming in that will help fill the gaps of the four seniors,” Klus said. “With a few more bodies, better rest … I fully expect to win the PNCLL next year.”
Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu
Photo courtesy of Sharon Eidler
