Youth and inexperience showed during the Longhorns’ 4-game spring break trip to San Diego. With 5 key players hurt or missing due to family issues, the young team gave away their first two games, conceding victories to U-San Diego and Chapman in their opening matches, before picking it up and taking key out of conference games against UCSD and San Diego State.

Texas started the USD game as they had started so many before, spotting their opponent two goals and shooting to the goalie’s stick. After an ugly first half, the Horns re-gathered and came out firing in the second half, bent on making a statement to the WCLL. The boys put together a 4-goal lead and set their sights on cruising to what would surely become a blowout win, but the Toreros wouldn’t go without a fight. USD went on a 5-0 run, taking the lead with just 6 seconds left. The Toreros were ecstatic, but the Texas coaching staff had other ideas. Said head coach Noah Fink of the blown lead, ”We can’t just give up and let that happen. We’re young and still learning to have that necessary killer instinct.”

After the ugly second half play against USD, the young Horns were ready to come out firing against Chapman University on Sunday. Chapman, like Texas, is a young team, ready to prove themselves as they move up the MCLA ranks. The story would be the same as the day before. Tied 8 to 8 going in to the 4th quarter, the Longhorns gave up 3 unanswered goals before netting one late. The ball refused to roll Texas’ way, as Chapman out-hustled, outscored and out- ground-balled the boys on their way to victory.

The 58 degree water of the Pacific proved to be just the refresher the Longhorns needed. After taking Monday off to rest, Texas headed just up Highway 8 to play the San Diego State Aztecs on their home turf. Just like the USD game, the Horns spotted SDSU two goals with poor clears and bad shooting before getting a goal of their own. The rest of the day wouldn’t go the same though, as Texas refused to take a losing record home with them. Great clearing and riding from midfielders R.J. Broderick and Warren Williamson and LSM Dennis Chang kick-started a 4-goal run, totaling the score at 9-5. SDSU would put in two late, but the boys from Austin held out in the end, grabbing their first WCLL victory of the year.

After proving Tuesday they could finish out games, one final chance to make a statement was given to Horns on the campus of the hungry and unpredictable UC-San Diego Tritons. Goalie Towers Wilen’s work in cage was key. He would total double digit saves on the game. Sophomore midfielders Paul McCloud and Alex Kroviak led in points, with Paul netting 4 goals and Alex 3, along with 2 assists. The team depth at defense was hurt with the injury of captain Ernst Leiss, but juniors Maxwell Atherton and Dennis Sukholutsky got help from sophomores Mark Anderlik and Jimmy Lesassier, who played strong all week. The Horns gave up two in the last minute of the game, allowing UCSD to get within one, but wouldn’t relinquish the lead, finishing their trip with a win, 8-7.

All told it was a successful Spring Break, both in terms of lacrosse and team bonding.

by Alex Kroviak

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