Huskies Hitting Running Stride in Fall Ball

SEATTLE, WA- The rain has started and the leaves are turning to that familiar yellow and brown, autumn has arrived and with it, comes Fall Ball.  The Husky lacrosse team suited up for its first two weeks of Fall Ball.  Incoming freshmen, rookies and veterans took to field to shake the dust off their sticks and begin the preparation for the regular season beginning in January.

One word to describe this year’s Husky team- energy.  With Fall Ball hitting its second week more new faces appear invigorating an already talented squad with an exciting virility.  Head coach Stew Kerns commented on the new team dynamic “there is definitely a sense of direction and level of expectation that the team wants to be at.  I’m here to help them and guide them towards those goals.”  Their goal is simple- attend the national tournament.

The heartbreak one goal loss, in the PNCLL playoffs to No. 16 Oregon last season measured a massive level of improvement from years past.  That loss could be the most important in the programs history.  The new direction, motivation and fervor of the team resembles the resurgent UW football team under Steve Sarkisian.
“Right now, we are focusing on getting the freshmen integrated with our systems, getting them up to speed before the season begins so we can get right into competitive games,” Kerns added. With the level of competitiveness increasing Kerns also said, “there will be tryouts and not every guy that comes out for the fall will make the final roster.”
With ten practices, scrimmages against men’s club teams, and a tournament in Oregon all this fall, these Dawgs are serious.  As they should be, the upcoming regular season is loaded with numerous top 25 teams like BYU, Simon Fraser, Cal Poly and Oregon, as well as a trip to San Diego.  All roads lead to Denver and a national championship playoff berth.

With the first scrimmage scheduled against a Men's Club Hawaii squad next Tuesday, the level of energy and excitement is high among the team.  Each player is competing against each other to ensure their spot on the team “competition makes players perform better,” Kerns added.

Some notable players standing are midfielder Joe Cramer, an MCLA All-American last season and returning captain; as well as Ashkaan Jaberi, a returning junior long-stick midfielder from Bellevue, now playing with a short stick.  New faces include Issaquah middies Jake Director and Riley Goodman, and Bellevue defenseman Alex Candoo.  Not to forget a multitude of other players throughout the state looking to explode this fall.  There is a new addition to the coaching staff as well- offensive coordinator Jeff Pattison.  Currently, the head coach at the Lakeside boy’s high school program; he was a former 2-time Washington All-state player from Mercer Island and played college ball at Roanoke College in Virginia.

The increase of new faces and high expectations combine to create a mutual chemistry.  Veterans are pleased with the new talent and their energy, while the young guns are learning the ropes and understanding the change of pace from high school to college.

Husky 2009-2010 Schedule
11/7/10 PNCLL Fall Ball tournament in Eugene
2/13/10 California (Pac-10 Shootout)
2/14/10 Stanford (Pac-10 Shootout)
2/20/10 @ Washington State*
2/27/10 @ Boise State *
3/6/10 Oregon *
3/13/10 Oregon State *
3/18/10 Brigham Young
3/20/10 @ San Diego State
3/22/10 @ TBD
3/24/10 @ UCSD
3/26/10 Cal Poly
4/3/10 Idaho*
4/10/10 @ Montana*
4/18/10 Simon Fraser*
4/24/10 PNCLL Playoff begin @ Bend, OR

Schedule will be updated with a conference game with Gonzaga and any teams not appearing.
*denotes conference games