The NC State men’s club lacrosse team has a lot in store for the fall season. Multiple tournaments and games are kicking off in October for the fall season.
So far, the club lacrosse team is very young, consisting of many sophomores and freshmen. They also are implementing new offense and tactics to improve from last year.
“We only have 15 returners and a total of 41 guys, so we have 26 brand-new players to the team,” said head coach Christopher Demarest. “We have an immense amount of talent on the offensive side of the ball that’s new to the team.”
According to Demarest, the Pack won the SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference division in 2016 and has not been to the playoffs since then. Demarest said the Pack has had some struggles in the past year, going 6-7 in the SELC. Some teams they faced included South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Eastern Carolina and Clemson.
“I think one of our main problems last year was settled offense,” said junior attackman Hank Moss. “We were really good at scoring in transition, but when it was settled and 6 on 6, we struggled scoring a lot.”
However, Moss seemed much more optimistic about this year’s squad, despite the disappointing previous season.
“This team has definitely got a lot more athleticism than the teams I’ve been on in the past,” Moss said. “This is probably the most amount of offensive depth since I’ve got here.”
Demarest said last year, only five of their 13 games had double-digit scores on offense, and three of those games had five goals or less. According to Demarest, four of their six wins had a score within two goals, never really giving the team a comfortable lead.
“We have a new type of offense that we’re trying to implement so we can definitely be an offensive threat,” said junior president and attackman Jake Walls. “The past two years that I’ve been here, our defense has definitely been extremely strong. This new offense we plan to use is higher-paced, more partnering, more one-on-one dodges. We plan to score a lot more goals.”
Last year, Demarest said, the defense held teams to single digits seven times, with the highest opposing score being 15. Only three opponents scored more than 12 goals, Demarest said; with some improvements on defense, it will assist in making the new offense shine.
Demarest said he plans to use sophomore defenseman Drew Balsbough, who is known for his physicality, more this year as one of his anchors on defense. Sophomore goalie Scotty Crouthamel and junior goalie Chris Tong return in the net and will continue to make saves for the Wolfpack.
Walls said the team’s morale and camaraderie is under construction, but he is encouraged by what he’s been seeing.
“It’s something we’re really trying to improve on, getting kids out here more consistently, getting a group of guys that like to hang out, not only on the field but off the field,” Walls said.
So far, it seems to have been working. New freshmen have taken note of the leadership of the upperclassmen and how well the team meshes together on and off the field.
“The upperclassmen are awesome,” said freshman David Baird. “They’re really nice. They’re welcoming me with open arms … I look forward to playing loose with the guys; they’re really fun to interact with. Just playing loose, not too serious.”
Captains are not chosen until the spring season. Because of this, everyone is on an equal playing field. In the spring, the team chooses the captains it feels should lead the team.
“[Leadership is] definitely not a one-man job,” Walls said. “It really comes from a lot of leadership from underneath, a lot of young kids making themselves available and coming out here and being good kids.”
The team is looking forward to finally playing other teams. Fall ball is meant for fun and bonding, but getting exposure from different teams is essential, especially with such a young group.
Demarest said the fall season ends Nov. 6. The spring season, which consists of most of the games, starts Jan. 6. The team’s first spring game will be at Elon Feb. 9.
Fall Schedule for Club Lacrosse:
Oct. 19, Round Robin Tournament (Greenville)
Oct. 26, Barton and St Andrews games (Wilson)
Oct. 30, UNC game (Raleigh)
First years Sam Ellison and Will Beauchamp scrimmage during their Fall-ball practice at the Method Road Fields on Monday, Sept. 30, 2019. Coached by Chris Demarest, the PackLAX team plays in the Southeastern Lacrosse Conference (SELC) against teams like UNC, Clemson, and ECU.
