Already playing in the Garden

Just four months ago James Taylor began the process of organizing the Portland State Lacrosse Club, but the ambitions of Taylor and his fellow lacrosse fanatics came to fruition Thursday, as the Vikings scrimmaged against Western Oregon University at the Rose Garden.

Despite being soundly defeated by a final score of 18-6, the resilient bunch of Vikings players were vowing to work for improvement, while their coaches and leaders were impressed by the team’s growth thus far.

“We played well at times and competed against a pretty good Western Oregon team there,” said coach Brauck Cullen.

The friendly match pitted two teams likely to face each other again once the regular season begins in February. The teams squared off at a venue that, despite its close proximity to the Portland State campus, rarely hosts Viking athletic events.

The most recent Portland State team to play at the Rose Garden was the men’s basketball team, when they took on Lewis and Clark following the flooding of the Stott Center gym in December.

While the Portland State Lacrosse Club will play their regular season home matches on campus at the Stott Community Field, the team jumped at the opportunity to play an indoor match amid frigid January temperatures.

The arena was already arranged for the Lumberjax, Portland’s National Lacrosse League franchise, to play a match later Thursday evening. And despite a modest turnout, players from both teams were giddy with excitement at the chance to play in Portland’s most alluring sports venue.

“This was a very fun opportunity,” said Taylor, Portland State student and club president. “It was a little different than we are used to-playing indoor rules and all-but a great experience.”

The visiting Wolves seemed to find the indoor setting more conducive to their fast-paced attack, as they went on a nine-goal run at the end of the first half to take a commanding 13-3 lead.

“They (Western Oregon) really set the tempo tonight and took advantage of our inexperience,” Taylor said.

Playing on the indoor surface may have contributed to the fast tempo of the game, but the Vikings’ inability to keep possession of the ball also played a factor. Unable to control the ball and materialize solid offensive possessions, the Vikings allowed several fastbreaks, leading to easy scoring opportunities for Western Oregon.

Playing at the club level, the squad is open to any Portland State student, and Cullen estimated that half the team had never even picked up a lacrosse stick before practice began in October.

Even though several members of the team played in high school or currently play on city leagues, the team needs consistent practice time to gel together and avoid struggling in future games.

The limited availability of field time has not allowed the team to practice at convenient hours, often forcing team members to choose between attending practice or class. Despite the less than ideal conditions, the team is optimistic about their upcoming season.

Considering how far they have come in four months, they may have every reason to be hopeful.

“I think we all have to be pleased,” Taylor said. “We have drastically improved since the beginning of the season.