The lacrosse team has been preparing for the upcoming season 6 days a week since November. They have been lifting 3 days a week and practicing stick skills to stay on top of their game. Running on the indoor track multiple times a week has also been commonplace. 

Every Wednesday morning at 7 am, the team meets to play indoor lacrosse. Box lacrosse is played indoors on a futsal-sized field with enclosing walls similar to hockey. The goals at each end are 3 feet by 3 feet and goalies wear more padding than in outdoor play. The padding is like that of a hockey goalie, with big leg, chest, and arm pads. Five players plus a goalie are in play at one time, filling both offensive and defensive roles. 

The past couple of weeks, the team has been playing in Twinsburg, going up against regular-season rival teams. They have played the Western Reserve Pioneers, Jackson Polar Bears, Hoover Vikings, Chagrin Tigers, and Medina Bees. The first couple of games were tough, as the team hadn’t yet hit their stride, losing 14-2 and 8-3. In week 3 against the Hoover Vikings, many team members were out with COVID. However, the team still wanted to continue. They had 7 players (two substitutes) and a fill-in goalie. Playing a zone defense, the team managed to let in only 5 goals. The offensive side ran a pick and roll scheme on both the left and right sides, constantly looking for openings. The pick and roll proved to work well and US scored 4 goals. In the closing seconds of the game, Hoover scored an unlikely lucky goal. 

The game against Chagrin was also a close one, going back and forth with who had the lead. The game came down to penalty shots with a tied score of 6-6. Unfortunately, we lost in the penalty shootout by one goal. This last week against Medina, US came out strong scoring 3 goals in the first period, but also letting in 3. This game would also end in a penalty shootout due to a controversial call in the closing seconds. We scored a goal that was then called back. Again, US went on to lose in the shootout. The team is looking to bounce back next week against St. Ignatius. Overall, US Lacrosse is working hard to prepare for the spring and has been improving week-by-week, day-by-day. The outlook for the regular season is really strong and hopeful.