February is less than a week away, but the Idaho men’s lacrosse team has been preparing for their game against Gonzaga since fall.
The Vandals will begin their spring season against the Bulldogs Feb. 13 on the Moscow SprinTurf.
Senior captain A.J. Gravel said the preparation in the fall has set the team up for a promising season.
“We have a young team and it has been a stepping stone for building and growing on where we want to be this season,” Gravel said. “We all have a clear vision of where we want to be and the fall definitely set us up for this season and we’re going to keep working to reach our goals.”
Senior Colton Raichl said the Vandals have beaten Gonzaga the past several years and that there are no easy games or friends in the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League.
“We’re here to play hard and will hit them in the mouth between the whistles and nothing after,” Raichl said. Â “It’ll be a fun hard game and hopefully will come out with the win.”
Sophomore Charlie Dolar said the rivalry with Gonzaga has a home feel, as several players are from the Spokane area.
“Since we’re pretty close from each other, it’s really a big game for us,” Dolar said. “It’s a blast to come watch and play because it’s a pretty intense game.”
Gravel sees this game as an opportunity for young players to establish themselves as collegiate athletes.
“In the past, younger programs have been a surprise to some people,” Gravel said. “Who knows what we’re capable of. I’m really excited to see what we can do come game time because it’s a different animal compared to practice.”
Raichl, the team’s offensive coordinator, has played for the men’s lacrosse team since freshman year. The senior said he’s excited to coach the team and expand the club program.
“I wanted to play lacrosse and grow the game up North,” Raichl said. “Hopefully as a coach, I can continue my coaching career past this season and grow the game here in Idaho.”
Raichl said although he can relate to his players based on age, he’s no stranger to making play calls.
The team hired James Courter as the new head coach during the offseason to replace former head coach Sammy Seidenberg.
“I kind of tweaked some offensive play sets and bring a culture back to the team,” Raichl said. “Since we have a new head coach, I know how the team, players and program works. I’m here to be the middle man between the new head coach and older players,” Raichl said.
As a result of the coaching change, the number of players participating lacrosse has been relatively low, but Raichl said they still have enough players that numbers are not a concern.
“It’s pretty normal, we’ve been usually operating about 15 to 20 guys. This year, we’re on the lower end because of the coaching change and a lot of guys decided not to come back,” Raichl said. “But we got a lot of young guys that are eager to play and are out here every day working, so I don’t think it’s a problem and we’ll overcome it easily.”
Courter said he’s excited on the opportunity to coach the Vandals.
“We have a bunch of young talent that are committed and looking to progress the program,” Courter said.
Dolar, the club president and team captain, said Courter has been a positive addition to the team.
“James has been a perfect transition this year,” Dolar said. “He’s done everything he can to help our team, and we’re looking pretty good so far.”
Dolar also added that the transition of high school lacrosse to the collegiate level has its share of contrast.
“The speed of the game is a lot quicker,” Dolar said. “It’s more about reaction than thinking about what were doing. It’s an adjustment that takes the first two or three games to get through. But after that, everyone is up to speed and so far everyone in our team is catching up quickly,” Dolar said.
Idaho competes in the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League as part of the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association. Similar to many other teams in the conference, the Vandal players said that their goal is to win the MCLA National Championship in May.
Idaho will also host games against Nevada on Mar. 25 and Montana on Apr. 16.
The team will wrap up the spring season against Boise State Apr. 23 at 12 p.m. in Westminster, Colorado.
Luis Torres can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @TheLTFiles