Lacrosse continues to animate the West Coast, A look into the University of Puget Sound’s women’s lacrosse team

Lacrosse season may be four months away but that has not kept the women off the turf.

With 13 new recruits on the team, the Loggers are looking forward to a promising season and are hard at work in preparation.

The 2014 season has a roster of 25 girls with more collective experience than the program has seen since head coach Liana Halstead has been with the program.

Women’s lacrosse is coming off difficult seasons in the past few years, but the program has a strong history and players are optimistic about the 2014 season.

“With 13 new players and 12 returning players, spots will be competitive this year,” co-captain junior Lauren Stuck (Mount Air, Md.) said. “It’s going to push players to play at a higher level than they’re already playing.”

The team is already showing a high level of dedication in their season.

The team practices two to three times a week together in their off season, with some led by coaches and others led by captains Stuck and senior Reagan Guarriello (Orange, Calif.).

“Logger lacrosse is looking to have its best season so far,” Guarriello said. “We have a team full of amazing talent and cannot wait to hit the field with these ladies in the spring!”

Women’s lacrosse is a varsity sport but lacrosse is not a sport within the Northwest Conference (NWC).

With only four of the nine members of the NWC having women’s lacrosse teams, the sport is underrepresented in the region.

There are 154 Division III women’s lacrosse teams nationwide, but they are largely east of the Mississippi.

Lacrosse has traditionally been an East Coast sport that has only recently come out west. Lacrosse is a sport that comes from North America and was played by Native Americans long before the United States was even established as a country.

The first women’s lacrosse game, however, was played in Scotland in 1890 and entered the NCAA in 1982.

The East Coast has typically dominated the lacrosse world; it was named the official sport of Maryland in 2004.  Lacrosse, or lax as it is known amongst players and fans, is