Marquette Lacrosse

Well, it is a 10:30pm.  I got my work PC up and my home PC up.  I have to choose between lacrosse and work, or do I?  Well obviously I don’t because I am doing both right now kind of together.  We had our last night of practice before our conference tournament.  Seriously this time of year is about teams that can stay focused.  If you can remain focused on the task at hand you have a shot.  If you “coast” on through the tourney, it may be a pretty short tournament.  It is a whole new season, how will it end for your team?

Well, I knew this day would come when the seniors would head into their final weekend.  I have decided to write them a letter now, while they are still “on the team” so they can take it with them this weekend (if they even read this – doubtful ).  Here goes

Dear Seniors,

Well here we are.  It is the conference tournament.  It could end up being our final weekend, it could just be the next step towards Nationals, but either way we are nearing the end of our season and four years together.  First,  I want to go back in the hot tub time machine to your freshman year.  You guys came into a program that had just come back from being suspended from hazing, a brand new coach, and a lot of question marks.  Your freshman year Pirate was a midfielder, Ernie had never played before, Matt was still an LSM, and Peter was not even on the team.  Wow, let’s take a look at what has happened since then

• Ernie is now a starting D-mid and has been for two years
• Matt is a captain and still the most dominant LSM I have seen in MU’s history (sorry Billy)
• Brian has switched positions, been captain, and president two years
• Peter has been our VP this year and a contributing pole for three years
• You guys have endured a lot of losses to get to your first wins, but the team is better for it
• You helped bring stability and guidance to a program in dyer need of it
• All four of you have made friendships with each other far exceeding the class of “friend” and definitely in the world of “brother” almost too far sometimes, but I think it works
• If you four were not on the team this year, we would be missing 2/3 of our captains and 3/5 of our eb.  Pretty impressive impact you are having

One would look back and hope that in that list I included # of wins, championships, etc.  It’s true, I wish I could write those things, but that isn’t what happened and it wasn’t your path.  That’s ok.  I mean let’s face it, somebody has to come in and lay the foundation for success.  Your impact was about laying that foundation, priming the pump for championships, setting the path for success.  We could definitely walk away with one this weekend, we all know and believe that, but it isn’t for certain.

However, I also want to point out think about the impact you made.  All of your contributions have been the intangibles.  As Andy Hunt would put it, it is hard to feel like you were successful when you can’t point to championships, but you were.  You four were as important as Andy, Butters, and Adam were to getting us back going.  Life isn’t always about wins and losses.  There is so much more to it.  Teams that are jerks can win, and teams full of “good guys” can lose.  Either way, it is about how you do things more than it is what you do.

I will leave you with one last lesson because I think it is important.   As you get older, you are going to be faced with a lot of things that change in life.  Things that were once non-existent problems will all of the sudden be there.  You will get married, have kids, have a career, probably volunteer, do some other things.  The thing to remember is to always “Do things the right way.”  I can’t tell you what the right way is, you have to figure that out for yourself, but keep that in mind.

Too many adults get bogged down in winning or money or something else and they forget about how they got there.  They did things the right way and got great results.  At the end of the day, do you really need 5 million instead of 2 million?  Maybe, but probably not.  Life is about giving back to the world and being a part of the greater good.  Marquette teaches the notion of Curas Personalis or “Care for the whole person.”  Well people who do things the right way, do just that.

You are going to come across challenging situations including situations in which the very moral fiber of your body will be challenged.  How will you respond?  I hope if there is one thing you have taken away from the four years with me, it is that you do things the right way, on the field and off it.  Honor the game, honor yourself, and honor those around you.  It is more important than winning or collecting an extra few dollars.

With that said seniors, I will miss you.  I will look back on your four years here very fondly.  I have been so lucky to coach a great bunch of young men.  I am proud of each and every one of you.  I know you will accomplish great things and I hope you tell me about them.  I am looking forward to one more weekend standing alongside you in battle as we try to win a conference championship.  When our season does end though, you can thoroughly expect a big hug from me because I will be sorry to see you go, but happy you are getting to move on to a new chapter.  I know that while we may not physically be together we will always be in communication and run into each other every once in a while.  After all, we are family and we play hard, play smart, play together, and have fun.  Congratulations Seniors on a great 4 years.  You earned it!

-Coach

Marquette Golden Eagles v.  University of Minnesota Golden Gophers

March 29, 2010

Created By: Matt Hetrick

It is Monday morning and I am stoked.  We are in the playoffs for sure (not that it was in doubt) but we are in and we know we will be playing in the #4 v. #5 game.  Depending on if Saint Cloud State is able to get an out of conference game this week or not will determine if we play them or we play Iowa State.   Either way, I will leave that to the administrators.  We know our path to UMLL Championship will have to go through ISU/SCSU on Friday, UMD on Saturday, and then Sunday will be dependent on a lot of things, so I won’t say b/c any team can win on any given day.

So, our new season is now 0-0 and so is everyone else in our league.  On the line is a trip to the National Tournament and the UMLL Conference crown.  The road will be tough for us to get there, but it is possible.  Minnesota-Duluth is the reigning champion and I have seen nothing to indicate they plan on relinquishing that title anytime soon.  However, opportunity is knocking for all 6 teams in conference playoffs.  It is so exciting, when opportunity comes right out and slaps you upside the head.  It just reminds you that hard work is rewarded with opportunity to succeed.

We have to stay focused on one moment at a time.  A game is a series of moments and if you worry too much about winning, you are focused on the moment at the end instead of the moment you are living in.  This focus will be something we will work on each day this week in chalk talk and practice.  A good example of this might be University of Florida who went into the SELC tournament as the #8 seed and had to play FSU who had beaten them 25-9 only two weeks earlier.  Well, FSU won the game 11-9 and went on to win the SELC crown.  What a great story of a team focused on getting to where they wanted to go and earning their spot in Denver.  We will need to do the same.

Our team will meet three times this week.  Our intent is for all of us to stay focused on lacrosse.  We have spent a lot of time investing in a fairly successful regular season.  We have been plagued by injury culminating in having only 14 healthy players against UW-Madison.  However, we are resting up, we are healing, and we are preparing.  We could talk about all the what-ifs in the season, or we can take this opportunity and prove that the what-ifs are not just some pipe dream, but something that we could have done.  It has been a fun ride so far, but the best is yet to come.

I will write more once I have it, but overall, it is going to be a great weekend.   I am looking forward to it.

You know, I kept saying I was going to blog, but then I kept putting it off because I was emailing alums & parents often enough.  So, in the bottom corner we have seen “New Hope” for most of the season.  Well, the “New Hope” is gone, and we are smack in the middle of a season, okay probably end.  However, in many ways it is just the beginning.  First, let’s look back over some of my thoughts on the season.

Difference Between Winning & Losing

In the movie Friday Night Lights, the coach says “There ain’t much difference between winning and losing except the way the world treats ya.”  I don’t know that I totally buy that, but there is something to that.  I am not playing the what if game, more the reality of this team.  We lost to Kentucky by 1 and Illinois by 1.  We lost to GT by 3.  In our first three games we were 0-3 with a goal differential of -5.  A few breaks the other way and we could have easily been 3-0 with a goal differential of 5.   It just speaks volumes to the type of team we have.  While the world may look at us in one light because of our 4-7 record, I look at us differently.  We are learning and getting better.  We are 4-4 after our 0-3 start and have the opportunity to finish our last 11 games with a winning record (7-4 or 6-5).

There is another team that looks like this.  They happen to be Johns Hopkins.  Do you know that Hopkins started their 2007 championship season 4-4.  It isn’t how you start, but how you finish.  This team is setting up to finish strong and at just the right time.  We head into our last 3 games on a 3 game winning streak and have all but cemented a spot in the conference playoffs.  Don’t get me wrong, we have tons of work to do and we need to put together 3 more 1 game winning streaks, but is a  good thing to be where we are.

Winning & Hard Work

For many of the seniors this is the most continued success they have experienced at Marquette and the first winning record in conference in sometime.  How we as a group, seniors, younger players, and coaches handle that will dictate a lot of what happens over the next couple of weeks.  Learning to win and how to handle it is one of the hardest things to do.  Coach John Paul at Michigan referenced trying to find ways to keep the guys as motivated as they were after losing to the #13 seed Northeastern in 2007.  They went on a 49 game tear before losing, but it is hard to do.  Not accepting where you are, is not something everyone is good at.

As we head into practice tonight and games this weekend, we must remain hungry.  We have to want every groundball, every clear, every ride.  If we play like that, we are going to find we can do better than we might have expected.  We cannot become complacent with where we are.  I don’t think this team will, but it is definitely something we ALL must stay aware of.

Team Notes

We have been a bit unfortunate this year in that we have been hit hard by injury and the illness.  What I think is most impressive is that our injured guys get it.  They are still attending practice and team events.  This is good, because that is what families do.  It isn’t so easy for guys to always get that, and not everyone does, but for the most part these guys seem to.  This is a great time for them to contribute to our team and help us accomplish something special as a result.

Parting Shots

-  The Beatles are one of the best bands of all time.  Seriously, I love that I can throw on their disc and listen to it all the way through without hitting skip (or fast forward for those still using tapes).

-  Guitar and/or playing an instrument is soothing.  I used to play piano and guitar but hadn’t played in years.  I picked it back up a few weeks ago and forgot how soothing it is for your soul.  You can say so much with just a couple of chords.  Say things that words cannot capture.

- This is the last  regular season conference weekend for our seniors Matt Morell, Brian Cassidy, Ernest Echols, and Peter Hoffman.  If you can get out there to support them, that would be great, they certainly have earned it!

- We are trying to get our facebook fans up to 100 before the weekend.  Become a fan here. You can also follow us on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/marquettelax.  Thanks to Jordan Schrader, Charlie Klabunde, and Paden Reed for keeping our twitter up to date in games.  They will be at it against this weekend.

As the season progressed, one of the highlights throughout the first part of the season was looking forward to Marquette’s home weekend, playing in state rivals UW-Milwaukee and UW- Stevens Point. After a number of close and disappointing loses, Marquette looked to build on the success of a well-fought game against Iowa State, coming away with a big victory of 22-3. Hoping to carry that momentum, Marquette used that game as an example of how they could play together and really come out strong and play their game.

After the first conference win Marquette was hungry for more, and took that attitude to the game across town at Shorewood High School against the UW-Milwaukee Panthers on Friday night. The game started out slow, with UWM’s defense making it tough for Marquette to get any real offense going. At the end of the first quarter, the score was tied at 1-1, and neither side seemed like they were going to let up. Marquette owned the second quarter, with tough defense and patient offense that took the score to 7-2. After the halftime, UMW seemed revitalized and held Marquette to no goals, while scoring one, pulling within four with a score of 7-3. But in the end the UWM defense could not hold and Marquette buckled down on defense, not allowing another goal, with a final score of 12-3. Marquette was lead by TJ Gallus, 4g and 2a, and Pat Van Dusen and Brian Hof with three goals each. Also, on his birthday, Jon “Squints” Matthews recorded 1g and 1a.

The next day, Marquette traveled down to their home field at Valley, to take on UW- Stevens Point. Games in the past have been close, but this year Marquette jumped out early, 5-1 in the first quarter, and never looked back posting a score of 11-1 at halftime. The second half was still hard fought, and UWSP did not give up. A highlight of the game was when seniors Peter Hoffman (defense) and Brian Cassidy (Goalie) got a chance to hone their offensive skills and play some attack. Final score was 20-5 and Marquette enjoyed their fans and alumni witnessing their third conference win, putting them over .500 in conference play. Marquette was lead by TJ Gallus with 5g and 4a, and Pat Van Dusen and Brian Hof tallying 6 a piece, with junior Derek Hein contributing 2g. 

Assistant Coach Andy Hunt commented after the Steven’s Point game, “I am extremely proud of how our guys played this weekend. To win three games in a row now is a big testament to their hard work and determination to get better. The upperclassmen, especially our captains, are really setting the tone for our younger guys, and everyone is responding with better performances.

It was also wonderful seeing the number of alumni that came out to support the team this weekend. Their encouragement and support go a long way with our players and coaching staff, and we truly appreciate their presence in our program.”

Head Coach Panch Ojeda added his comments on the weekend. “This past weekend was a tremendous stride forward for the program and the team.  Not only did we put together a three game winning streak, the team is beginning to gel and learning to work together to win games.  The box score shows the goals and assists, but it was the hustle plays, grit, and determination that propelled Marquette to victory.  It should also be noted the team was able to get contributions from numerous different individuals which is a good sign of our team coming together and peaking at the right time.

With that said, the team definitely needs a good week of practice as we prepare for games against Saint Cloud State and University of Minnesota-Duluth.  These games will have playoff seeding implications and Marquette can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Saint Cloud State on Saturday.

Lastly, thank you to our alumni, parents, and fans for attending our games.  We had a large number out at both games and their support is essential for the continued success of our program.”

Marquette travels to Minnesota this weekend to take on Saint Cloud and Minnesota-Duluth in its last conference games of the season.

Marquette Lax Spring Break

Date: 03/15/2010 – 03/20/2010

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Marquette v. University Wisconsin-Stevens Point

Date: 04/10/2010

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Marquette v. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Date: 04/09/10

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(From Marquette Tribune) – Marquette students are redefining what it means to “take a walk in someone else’s shoes” on campus today.

In fact, they aren’t wearing shoes at all.

They’re participating in “One Day Without Shoes,” a nationwide effort to spread awareness about those in third world countries who cannot afford shoes. Sponsored by TOMS Shoes, the campaign also aims to bring attention to podoconiosis, a disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil.

Matt Hetrick, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, is organizing the Marquette event. As of press time, 981 students declared their support for the event on its Facebook page. Hetrick is encouraging all students to step out and support the cause.

“Rain or shine, I’m doing it,” he said. “Families that can’t afford shoes have to do it, and they deal with it. That’s what I’m doing — walking in the footsteps of the children who have to do this everyday.”

Since students may not be allowed to walk barefoot within indoor facilities, Hetrick is asking participants to slip a pair of sandals inside their bags and follow proper health codes — specifically when entering a cafeteria.

Read the rest of the story by clicking here.

Milwaukee, WI (April 8, 2010) – The Marquette Men’s Lacrosse Team is preparing for conference play at home this week.  The team battles University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Friday night at Shorewood High School and University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Saturday at Valley Fields.  Marquette opened the season 1-2 in conference play with losses to Minnesota State-Mankato and University of Minnesota along with a victory over Iowa State.

It has been quite the roller coaster for Marquette.  The team has played numerous teams very close, with 4 of their 7 losses coming by a combined 7 goals.  The team has continued to work hard and has not been deterred at their close losses.  At the beginning of the year the team set their sights on the conference championship game and that has not changed.  This weekend will be a big factor in this.  If Marquette is able to come out of the weekend with two victories they will likely earn a bid to the conference tournament.

The battle against University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is a battle for the Brew Town.  The two teams tangled last year in their first ever UMLL battle.  It was a back and forth game with UWM coming away with an 8-7 victory.  This season has started very differently for both clubs.  UWM has opened the season 0-5 with a close loss to Iowa State.  Marquette is not taking anything for granted.  UWM is known for their grit, hard work, and the team is certain they will be ready to battle come tomorrow.  Marquette is doing its part to be prepared and wants to take back the Brew Town.  The game will be Friday night at 8pm at Shorewood High School.

On Saturday Marquette will take on University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.  The Pointers have lost the past two games to Marquette, but they have been getting progressively better.   Under the tutelage of Coach Josh Fast last year the Pointers made great strides and it would seem this has continued into this year, with the team losing to Iowa State by only 4.  This is Marquette’s only conference home game this year, so the team is definitely going to be ready to play in front of the hometown fans.

The schedule for this weekend is:

Friday 4/9  @ 8:00pm Shorewood High School – University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Satuday 4/10 @ 12:00pm Valley Fields – University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

Please follow the team on  Twitter & Facebook.  The team will have live tweets for both games.