The spring semester is nearing its close for students and athletes. It’s a phenomenal feat for us to recognize our accomplishments over the semester, and celebrate the camaraderie of our fellow students and teammates.
On March 23, the Winthrop University lacrosse team played against Mercer University at Eagle Field in the final non-conference game of the season. Although the game was close, the Winthrop Eagles managed to score victory with the final score at 14-12 against the Mercer Bears with a strong second half. Sophomore and middle lacrosse player Lauren Morris noted the performance of the game was for both teams and how Winthrop managed to prevail.
“Mercer was hands down the best team win we have had all season. The game was not won because of the performance of a select few, but by each and every girl on the field giving their best and contributing,” Morris said.
Sophomore exercise science major and attacker Olivia Deaver commented on how the game was an intense experience and how the team prepared.
“In order to prepare for the game, we practice all week, watch film and work in the weight room. We watched film on Mercer and our coaches were able to come up with both an offensive and defensive plan to tackle mercer’s weak spots,” Deaver said.
The lacrosse team is hoping to change the perception of the fast-paced sport by students.
“Lacrosse is a very fast-paced, unique sport, and not too many people are familiar with the game, especially in the Rock Hill area where there is little to no lacrosse. We do not get as many fans out to our games as we would like, but hopefully that will change,” Morris said.
With the end of the non-conference season, it speaks volumes on how Winthrop managed to finish strong and how they plan to keep that momentum for the conference games in April.
“We had a rough start to our non-conference play this season but have definitely improved tremendously from the start in February. We are continuously learning from both our mistakes and our successes in every game we play and can’t wait to take on Campbell on April 3,” Deaver said.
Morris said that one of the important things that the team improved on is how they developed their teamwork with each other and to grow in future seasons.
“Coming into this season I knew was going to be a completely different feeling that last year. The only personal goal I set for myself was to use this year to grow as a player and better develop my skills in hopes to be the best teammate I can be,” Morris said.
Recently, Winthrop Athletics reported that the Winthrop lacrosse team received multiple awards from the Big South weekly awards. Morris earned the title of Attacking Player of the Week, which compliments her role on the offensive but noted how the team really pulled through during the match.
“Our game against Mercer has been our best overall team performance yet. We played as a unit and really came out with confidence in ourselves and one another. I’m proud of how my team played and am excited to start conference tournament with the same energy that we showed Mercer,” Morris said.
The Winthrop lacrosse team is working hard to play in the Big South Tournament on April 3.
