The men’s lacrosse team is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing clubs at VSU.

With the combination of more opponents joining the schedule and an abundance of the new enthusiastic players, the club team has plenty to look forward to in upcoming years.  

            “I think that’s always awesome,” team advisor, Dr. Nelson, said. “Sometimes you get students down here that probably played lacrosse or maybe people that just want to try it. I think that’s the one thing about college trying different activities and sports. The good about the club system is you can go out and try.”

            This spring, the Blazers are expecting to be competing against schools like Georgia Southern, Georgia State & College, Georgia State, Florida Atlantic, and Reinhart College.

            After having inconsistent members in the previous years of the club’s existence, the lacrosse team is at an all-time high with 23 players on the roster.

            The team size increased thanks to the fairly large group of eight new players that recently joined the club.

            “Obviously with the exception of the first year, that’s our biggest incoming class yet,” club vice president,Scott Fritzsche, said.

            Fritzsche,who understands the tough task of organizing club guidelines, makes an effort to keep everyone committed.

            “Everybody (other lacrosse teams) just use the fall  to get their schedules ready, once spring comes around everybody for the most part drops work and actually devotes to playing,” Fritzsche said.

            The group of newcomers will give the club a competitive edge –especially the several players who arrived to VSU with prior experience like transfer Zack Boone.

            Boone, who comes to Valdosta after playing collegially in Pittsburgh, never thought he would ever find his newly loved “lax bros.”

“He (Mike) told me about it and talked me into coming down to visit,” Boone said. “I met the team, saw them play in a tournament, saw the school and I was sold. I came from up north where it’s really big, to come down here to find a school where people so similar, have a love for the game– I was excited because I didn’t think that Iwould be down here.”

            Both the men’s and women’s club lacrosse teams bring opportunities to get involved with a sport that isn’t popular in South Georgia.

            The men’s team will play the majority of its games next semester, but are expected to play at least one game this fall. 

            Club president Mike McGuire is trying to get the club in the same discussion as other established lacrosse teams around, and he agrees that getting rid of their “backstreet, sandlot style” equipment will be the huge step.

 “When the new helmets come next week, I think that’s when people are going to be like I want a matching set of gloves,” he said. “Me personally I haven’t had new gloves since ninth grade so I need new gloves. We usually play teams that are official like that.  I think that will just unite our team and bring us together a little more.”