Although Pepperdine has much to offer in terms of sports, from tennis to water polo, golf to basketball and even baseball, some students seem to be craving something a little more. Many fans may be looking for something with a little more excitement, a little more contact and a little more speed. In comes Pepperdine men’s lacrosse. While you may not have made it down to Alumni Field to see the boys in action, there’s still time.
For those of you who don’t know, yes we do have a lacrosse team and yes we have had one for over twenty-five years. The team is considered a club sport making it a student-run club. They are apart of the Southwestern Lacrosse Conference and compete against teams from Occidental, Claremont, Concordia, Biola, San Jose State and more. Home games typically take place on Alumni field or the soccer field on Saturday afternoons. Even if the game doesn’t end in a win, it’s still worth it to come down to support. With the sun shining and the ocean as the background for a competitive and fun game, there’s not much better for an afternoon weekend activity.
This season started out with a couple of tough losses by only a single point. But the team kicked up the momentum with a home win against the Channel Islands to secure victory. Team leader and senior Max Biedermann tells us how he feels about the 2012 season: “This season has been an exciting season so far which unfortunately included a couple one goals games go against our team. Our team has been competitive in all our games, and it’s been a blast to play with the guys on our team.” With a group of athletic, excited and competitive guys, you can’t help but feel the energy from the sidelines. Even without a winning record, the team looks to their season as a successful one. “We had a lot of talent that our record didn’t reflect,” junior Wil Coman said. “I mean we have only won three games, but of our losses three have been by one goal. We were right on the brink of making things happen this year, but we just didn’t close games the way we wanted to.” It’s apparent by the positive energy of the team after each game, win or loss, that it’s not just about securing a win. It’s more about playing a good game and having fun. “Each game was a blast though and even if we didn’t get the win, everybody was running around having a good time the whole game,” Coman continued.
But last Saturday marked a home win for the team and they came away excited for the last game April 14. Playing against San Jose State April 7, Pepperdine beat the Spartans by four points. “We just had a lot of positive juice out there,” Coman said. “And when you get that kind of juice flowing between a team of guys like that, good things happen.” The game was filled with quick assists, exciting goals and some hard hits that brought a couple 
opponents to their knees. Coman attributes the win to good team chemistry: “Dan Blakey would score a big goal and it would flow into the rest of the team, the positivity, and then defense would feed off that juice and Pierce or I would have a huge hit on the defensive side of the ball juicing the team up and it turns into a cycle. A team thrives off itself, and the juice to make it happen was just there yesterday.” While we may not have a football team, its games like Saturday’s that may be able to help if you are craving something similar.
There’s a place for everybody
If you are interested in playing lacrosse at Pepperdine, you don’t have to worry that you weren’t the All Star at your high school. “Most of our players did play lacrosse in high school, but the team is limited to players with high school experience,” Biedermann said. “This year senior Bobby Hall decided to return to lacrosse after giving up the sport in middle school, and Grad Student Paul McCown decided to start playing lacrosse this fall and joined the team.” So even if you weren’t the best on your high school team or if you haven’t played before, don’t be afraid to get involved. “No lacrosse experience is needed to join the team. We have practices in the fall and spring where players can learn the game,” Biedermann continued. He also says to look out for the informational meeting during NSO week.
Coman reminds us the sport isn’t for the faint of heart, but everyone is welcome. “Lacrosse definitely has a unique skills set. Passing, catching, and cradling with a stick is a large part of the game. But if you love sports and are confident in your body it will come,” he said. Coman joined the team freshman year after never having played before. “I just missed football and wanted to play a sport where I could fly around and put my helmet on somebody. Now I’m starting at defensive pole and having a great time.”
The team practices on the lacrosse field behind Rho parking lot on Monday and Thursday nights at 8 p.m. “We have guys all the time who have never played. Come talk to one of us or just show up at practice and its a pretty relaxed team, we love new faces,” Coman continued.
What’s to come for next year’s team?
With a vital group of graduating seniors, the team is looking a little slim for next season. “There are a few key guys taking off that we will miss,” Coman said. “Josh Currie who we depend on to put up around five goals a game, [Max] Biedermann who is a team leader and solid defensive player, and a few key guys out of the midfield like Tony Davis who knows how to make heads up plays in transition.”
He is still is confident that the team will be solid for the 2013 season. “Our junior class right now is strong though,” Coman continued. “We have some talented players that know how to move on the field and I think next year will reflect that.”
“Pepperdine lacrosse has always been united by a love for the game that hasn’t changed too much over the years, each year brings something new because of loosing and gaining players to overseas programs,” Biedermann explained. While next year will change dynamics with the loss of graduating seniors like Biedermann, the team will continue to practice, play and entertain in their games. “We would love to see more fans at our games, and believe that students will enjoy watching the fast-paced, high-energy nature of the sport,” senior Tony Davis said.
The team looks forward to their last game of the season on Saturday April 14 at 3 p.m. on Alumni field against UC Irvine. “UCI has always been a close game and if we are going to win we’ll need all the players we can get,” senior Josh Currie said. “It would be wonderful to win and have a lot of people come support our last game.” Bring friends and get ready to cheer on the boys as they work to secure their final win of the season.
