By Jeff Eisenberg
Daily Bruin Contributor
The sun-drenched UCLA campus is not a typical location for a game of lacrosse, a sport dominated by the cold-weather schools of the Eastern Seaboard.
Then again, the UCLA women’s lacrosse team is hardly typical.
With 22 rookies, many of whom had no prior lacrosse experience before the season, the Bruins are struggling to blend their youthful bench with an experienced starting lineup. Despite losing just two starters from a squad that finished third last year in the cutthroat South Division I of the Western Women’s Lacrosse League, UCLA started this season with consecutive losses to UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo last weekend.
“My expectations weren’t quite met for the first weekend,” said second-year head coach Johanna Williams. “We really need to work on our shooting and our transition game. I am looking for them to pick up their intensity level as well.”
UCLA will have their first opportunity to bounce back tomorrow, when they host winless UC San Diego, a team they crushed twice last season by a combined score of 24-5. Nonetheless, the Bruins are not overlooking this opponent because they simply cannot afford to lose.
“First and foremost we are expecting to win,” said senior Katie Marino, the team’s captain and one of its top defenders. “We didn’t have time to jell in the preseason so we need to get our offense in synch.”
With so many newcomers, getting the team to play cohesively could be an issue all season.
“It is hard bringing in players who have never played before,” Williams said. “You have people who you are trying to get ready for the game, and then you have others (with whom) you are still working on catching and throwing.”
Incorporating players with virtually no experience will be a problem at UCLA as long as women’s lacrosse remains a club sport. While varsity teams at Stanford and UC Berkeley are able to recruit players from the East Coast with high school experience, UCLA cannot offer scholarships, and must make do with other schools’ leftovers.
The club petitioned to earn varsity status last year, but the athletic department decided to add women’s crew instead.
The inability to recruit is frustrating, but Williams is certainly familiar with helping young players make the the transition from playing other sports. A former athlete in high school, she started playing lacrosse her sophomore year at UCLA and has loved the sport ever since.
While coaching a squad with 36 players without an assistant is definitely a challenge, Williams is grateful to have veteran stars like Marino and senior Alison Lee.
“Last year we had three or four starters who had just learned the game,” she said. “This season, we have good leadership. We have a lot of seniors who have been playing together for a while.”
That experience will be crucial if the Bruins are to overcome their sluggish start. With matchups against Cal Poly SLO and Stanford looming on the schedule, the Bruins must improve quickly if they hope to make the playoffs.
Nevertheless, the team has remained remarkably confident.
“Our league is extremely competitive, (but) I don’t think we’re out of it,” Williams said. “I am still looking for a national championship.”