Colorado State University-Pueblo’s first ever men’s lacrosse scrimmage took place Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Art and Lorraine Gonzales Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium. The ThunderWolves won against Johnson and Wales University with a score of 15-5.
The game took place on an extremely windy day, but Pack fans showed great school spirit supporting the team at home during their first game. Because of the large number of Pack fans and families of athletes, there were no seats available on the home side of the stadium and many had to sit on the field.
“I was so excited to see so many people come over and support the Pack Lacrosse team, “said Chaitanya Reddy, an international student from India at CSU-Pueblo.
“I had never heard of a sport named lacrosse, so I came down with curiosity to check it out,” Reddy said. “I was shocked to see how much similar this game is to the field hockey, which is the national sport of my country. The major difference between the two sports is that in lacrosse instead of hockey, athletes used sticks to catch and pass the ball.”
The game began around 1 p.m. and within the first few minutes CSU-Pueblo made its first goal, scored by freshman Hunter Thompson, from Greenwood Village, Colorado.
“I was just ready to lead the team and get us out there,” Thompson said. “I was excited and ready to pump up the game and will continue practicing and performing better during every upcoming game.”
A typical game has four quarters, a half time and a 20 to 30 second break after every goal.
Saturday’s game ended around 3 p.m., and right after it was over the athletes were surrounded by their respective families and fans, congratulating them on their first victory.
The head coach for CSU-Pueblo men’s lacrosse is Sean Blair. Chris Esquivel is the assistant coach and Tim Gabriel is the strength and conditioning coach and special teams coordinator.
Blair said that the team’s first victory is the initial step towards a successful season for the team.
“Winning feels great, and we got a chance to evaluate ourselves,” Blair said. “We thought a lot of shots were effective in preparing freshmen for what college athletics look like. That first step has been accomplished.”
When asked about the upcoming field house, Blair said, “The field house helps, as our proximity is so close to the field. It not only helps the guys here, but also helps in recruiting more student athletes for the men’s lacrosse team at CSU-Pueblo.”
Blair believes in taking one step at a time for the team’s success.
When asked about the pressure of winning national championship like the football team, he said, ”During the first year, we want to make sure we are coming out and progressing as a team. Before we think about reaching the point of national championship, we need to grow up, to cross the mountain.”
