A winless season can easily, and understandably, be a difficult memory to forget but this year’s Ravens men’s lacrosse squad looks to move past the struggles from last season.
They lost ten games out of ten last year, finished in the troughs of the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association (CUFLA) and now approach the forthcoming season without their previous star goalie and captain Simon Bellamy to guide the way.
Yet, amidst the adversity and tangible cause for discouragement, the mentality of the coaches and players is far from a state of despair. Embracing an attitude of committed gravity, the team is eager to showcase that they will not be merely playing this year, but competing.
“It was a rough last season,” head coach Jeremy Strong confessed, a Ravens alumnus who has been coaching with the lacrosse team since he graduated in 2011.
“Every few years players graduate and move on. Sometimes it’s a complete restart, sometimes it’s a clean transition but we were left with a void these past couple years.”
Strong attributes last fall’s woes to a thin roster, youthful inexperience and other hardships which plagued the team.
Returning attacker and co-captain Nicolas Ayoub explained staying focused will be a particular keys to success for the team this season.
“The biggest thing is being disciplined,”said Ayoub. “We’ve let ourselves get out of control before and it’s tough letting teams go on scoring runs because of silly penalties.”
Despite the glaring challenges, Strong remains optimistic and reassured by some sparks of success last season.
“There were silver linings. We tended to compete very well for two or three quarters out of four but we couldn’t make that extra length,” he said. “It’s a physical sport with a short season and we had a short bench, not enough legs to fill four quarters plus some inexperience on the team overall.”
“But when you break down the games quarter to quarter, we weren’t that bad… I am very, very optimistic that we have a much more promising squad this year,” he added.
The coach attests this positive vision of the upcoming season to a reorientation of the team’s commitment.
“We’ve been doing a large culture change. This isn’t beer league, it’s the best level of lacrosse in Canada these guys can play,” he said.
“These guys know they need their sticks in their hands every day, to be going to the gym, watching game tape on top of the practices. It’s a big commitment, to the team and to each other.”
One strategy used by Strong to reinforce this emphasis on commitment
was naming the captains at the end of last season, to allow the returning players months of molding themselves as leaders through pointed training and mentorship with the newer recruits.
“We definitely have a younger team this year,” co-captain Ayoub explained in relation to his perception of his own role on the more focused roster. “I look to lead by example, pass on the torch to the young talent coming up… morale is up, nobody is hanging their head.”
“The captains knew who they were and started groundwork with the team, working on their leadership capabilities so we can come in with the buy-in that we’re not just here to play around,” Strong noted. “If everybody buys in, everybody shows up, everybody makes the commitment, we’ll be a stronger team.”
There have been other adjustments made, such as rearranging the positioning of some defenders to suit their strengths, and enlisting alumni volunteer coaches to hone the offence.
Another positive aspect heading into the new season stems from new signing, Jacob Garcia who according to Strong, “looks like a real strong offensive player to build around.”
“Being a first year on the team is a little nerve-racking,” Garcia said. “I’m living pretty far from home but these guys have totally taken me in… I think after a couple more practices things will start clicking.”
Regardless of the sources of offence or ghosts of winless records past, the Ravens men’s lacrosse squad has adopted an unwavering dedication to their team and each other and Strong considers this their principal strategy moving forward.
“We’re going to win some games this year, I don’t have a doubt in my mind.”
Feature image provided.
