Normally when a team starts a season with two losses there is some disappointment and frustration expressed but the men’s lacrosse team is surprisingly optimistic. Beginning their season with a 10-6 loss against Occidental University followed by a 9-2 loss on Feb. 4 against UCLA the Waves are looking long-term for the season.
Going into the match against UCLA last Friday the Waves were “kind of expecting to lose said junior T.J. Reed. It was going to be an uphill battle.”
Reed has been playing lacrosse for a number of years. As one of the more experienced members of the team he recognized that collectively they are “developing on different aspects of the game each match.”
“Our biggest difficulty has been getting guys on the field. Last season we had over 20 players he explained. But now we only have 13. Last week a couple guys that played last year decided to come back to the team so now we have some experience and skill returning.”
Looking forward a few matches one of the team’s biggest strengths is the recent addition of Jay Pfeifer as head coach. Pfeifer an accomplished player and coach from Syracuse University comes to Pepperdine with two national titles according to Reed.
“He’s a great rhetorical leader: focused calm and real cool during practice Reed said. He’s going to be a huge changing point for the future of Pepperdine lacrosse.”
In the long run the Waves expect to break .500 in their seasonal record taking back control within the next few games to leave wins on the field.
Despite being disappointed with the beginning of the season Reed was optimistic about the potential of the team claiming a strong bond and dedication that will bring the team together as they grow throughout the season.
“Although we’ve lost both of our opening matches we’ve had some glimpses of solid potential. And next we are playing Concordia Saturday at 1 out on Alumni. It’d be great if we could have some people show up. We don’t really have fans Reed said. With puppy-dog eyes and a smile on his face he continued by insisting the team would improve if they were showing off for the crowd.