Lacrosse kicks off new season

Marshall University's lacrosse team is headed into a new season with its first game Saturday.  The team plays 10 to 12 games every season, coming to a close at the end of April.

Calvin Britton, junior computer forensics major from Wesley Chapel, Fla., said lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the nation.

"I feel like Marshall has huge potential because of its close proximity to lacrosse hotbeds," Britton said.  "The closest of these are Ohio, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania."

Britton, one of four team captains, said he gets excited to see the team grow every year.

"A majority of the talent comes from our young guys — not to say the older guys don't contribute — but my freshmen class had four players that year," Britton said.

"Last year, we had eight freshmen on the team," Britton said. "This year there are ten."

The Thundering Herd lacrosse team was created in 2003 and is part of the National College Lacrosse League, according to the team's website.  They play in the Midwest South division against such schools as Ohio University, Cincinnati, Xavier, Eastern Kentucky, Western Kentucky and Louisville.

"The biggest benefit for me is helping lacrosse grow at Marshall," Britton said.  "I come from an area where lacrosse is a way of life, and I want that to be the same here at Marshall."

Britton said he is passionate about his goals for the future of the team.

"What I'd like to see in the future is to have a coach, a 25 man roster like established lacrosse schools, greater access to the turf stadium for games and financial support from the university," Britton said.

Carson Terwilliger, sophomore pre-pharmacy major from Baltimore, Md. and  team captain, said he played has played for years and loves the sport.

"I knew I wanted to continue playing after high school, so I started looking into schools with club teams," Terwilliger said. "That's when I found Marshall."

According to both Britton and Terwilliger, any Marshall student can play, but the team is predominantly Greek.

"We are a growing team with a lot of potential," Terwilliger said. "We just need the sport to keep growing, and we need some support behind us to really succeed."

For the first time since the team's inception, players and supporters have raised funds in order to hold home games this season, which cost about 500 dollars each, Terwilliger said.

The team will travel to Morgantown, W.Va. Saturday for a doubleheader against the Morgantown Lizards and Shepherd University.  

Juston Donadieu can be contacted at Donadieu@marshall.edu.