Men’s lacrosse here at Puget Sound is one of more than 200 non-NCAA collegiate teams that compete within the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association.
A member of the Division II South division of the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League, Puget Sound lacrosse competes with schools such as Gonzaga, Western Washington, Central Washington and Pacific Lutheran.
The Loggers (2-2 PNCLL, 2-6 overall) are currently holding the third spot out of the five teams in their conference, below first place Gonzaga (3-0 PNCLL, 7-2 overall) and second place Western Washington (2-1 PNCLL, 3-7 overall).
. Central Washington (1-2 PNCLL, 2-10 overall) and Pacific Lutheran (0-3 PNCLL, 0-8 overall) come in at fourth and fifth in the conference respectively.
The Loggers got off to a bit of a rough start this season, losing their first four games, all against non-conference opponents. Puget Sound was offensively overwhelmed against University of Portland in the first game of the season, losing 19-1.
The Loggers fell against Western Oregon in their second game with a similar score, losing 19-2. Puget Sound followed that up with 11-2 loss against the Whitman Missionaries, before losing a more narrowly contested battle with College of Idaho, eventually falling 13-11.
Once conference play began, however, this story changed. Puget Sound opened their 2013 conference play season with a convincing 15-8 win over fellow small school Pacific Lutheran.
Although the Loggers fought hard against Gonzaga, they could not upset the team that remains undefeated in conference play, falling 16-3.
The Loggers got back on the winniing track, however, with a 10-8 victory over Central Washington. This victory was particularly significant, as it allowed the Loggers to qualify for the playoffs.
However, their next game was a 20-3 loss on their home turf to second place Western Washington on Saturday, April 20.
As for Saturday’s game, the Loggers found themselves in a hole early on and never recovered. Seniors Graham Cameron (Eugene, Ore.) and Brian Burger (Colorado Springs, Colo.) each added goals and senior Brett Hennessy (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) added an assist.
Considering the competition the Loggers face from much larger universities, Puget Sound has competed well this season and looks to secure a playoff spot.
Senior goalie Brendan Witt (Denver, Colo.) leads the team with 0.576 save percentage from his 18 career games played in the maroon and white uniform, while senior Dan Leininger (Colorado Springs, Colo.) leads the Loggers with 10 goals this season (with a whopping 24 goals scored in his 16 career games as a Logger).
With a remarkably young team, the Loggers look to gain experience and return for the playoffs stronger than ever, despite the loss of some key senior players.