Spring semester has begun and that can only mean one thing: it’s time for lacrosse.
The men’s lacrosse team has been working since the end of November to make sure they bring home another Division III National Championship. Senior defensive mid-fielder Peter “PJ” Hewitt, knows there is a lot of work to be done but is optimistic ahead of the new season.
Constant room for improvement
“The team morale coming into this season is very high. We have a lot of upperclassmen returning with a clear and focused mindset. We have a bunch of underclassmen hungry and wanting to prove themselves. This team understands that we have the potential to accomplish great things this year, we just have to do the work,” Hewitt said.
He added, “In preparation for the season opener this year, we have made an emphasis on doing the little things. From groundballs to echoing calls, our team has stressed doing the small things. Each day we come into practice with intense energy, a competitive mindset, and an understanding that we can be a special group with the right work ethic.”
Cabrini starts its season off with an away game against Haverford on Feb. 18. The Cavaliers then go on a seven-game home-stand starting Saturday, Feb. 25 against University of Lynchburg, and end with arguably their toughest opponent of the regular season, Tufts University. Following this stretch, Cabrini faces off against Eastern University on Saturday, March 25 just before moving into conference play.
One common goal
Assistant coach Tommy DeLuca’s big goal is the championship, however, he said, “We are very transparent as coaches that playing on Memorial Day weekend (championship weekend) every season is what we’re working toward. We’ve done it once before as a program, and every single person involved wants to get back there. It’s important to take it one game at a time and not to look past any team on our schedule. But we know that the end goal is, and always will be: winning another national championship.”
Men’s lacrosse head coach Steven Colfer has not lost a single in-conference game since 2006. Cabrini looks to continue its reign as the powerhouse of the Atlantic East Conference.
On Tuesday, Jan. 24, Inside Lacrosse, a lacrosse news outlet, released a ranking of the top 20 Division III men’s teams across the country and Cabrini ranked 15th. The team saw this as an opportunity to prove to themselves and others that they can be number one.
DeLuca said, “Part of me, of course, is glad we’ve gotten recognition and what that means for our program, but the other part of me says they mean nothing, and we have to show up and beat whoever is in front of us, whether we’re ranked number one or 500. I don’t think it puts any pressure on myself or the players, and if anything, I would say it puts pressure on us to do better. Fifteenth in the country is great, but we know we’re capable of being number one, so that 15 gives us a bit of motivation to work harder.”
However, Hewitt seems to look deeper into the meaning of what it is to play alongside your best friends. “Being a part of such a special group, I think it would be a waste of our potential to not look at the national championship as our number one goal. With that said, so many different connections and life-long friendships are made throughout the course of the season. Those relationships are what makes this team so special. Continuing to grow and build them throughout a Championship run is the goal for this team,” Hewitt said.
