Written by Lauren Bucher
The sticks are dusted off. The cleats are laced up. The helmets are strapped on tight. And lacrosse practice is in full swing.Although the official season is in the spring, the team is practicing and playing in tournaments and scrimmages to prepare for the upcoming season.”We have a lot of seniors this year, which is good because they know the system, they know the team,” coach and Harding alumnus Chris Hamilton said. “We picked up some freshmen and other new guys to form a strong team. Hopefully, that will translate into some wins for us. I am looking forward to it.”This year, the team has 18 players, a number Hamilton said is about average.”We practice three days a week,” Hamilton said. “We are implementing our offensive and defensive schemes. The seniors already are comfortable with our plays, but we are working on bringing in the new guys.”Freshmen Brent Jernigan, Clinton Haley, Kyle Weiland, Nathan Carpenter, Ian Hawk Thompson and junior Brian Vogl are all new additions to the team. The returning seniors are Ryan Ishmael, John Dunlap, Mark Slagle, Zach Morgan and Travis Perkins.Hamilton, a 2009 graduate, will enter his second year of coaching lacrosse.”We are focusing on being more organized and more intentional with everything we do this year,” Hamilton said. “I try to practice and do things that mean something. We are doing things for a set goal; everything has an intended purpose.”So far this semester, the team has played Hendrix University in Conway and the University of Arkansas.The team is technically an organization, meaning that Harding does not sponsor it. However, awareness about the team is growing along with the increasing national attention to the sport. “We are trying to use the popularity of the sport [to raise campus awareness]. It is the fastest growing sport in the nation,” Hamilton said. “It’s a fun sport; it combines football, soccer, hockey, a lot of running. We are just trying to get people out to the games, and after they are there they become fans.”Perkins said he expects the season to be one of the team’s biggest yet.”We’ve got a thicket full of talent, and I’m looking forward to seeing all the hard work pay off,” Perkins said. “We’ve got some tough games this season, but it’s nothing that a few good men can’t handle.”
