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MSU-Mankato Fresh Faces and Attitudes
MANKATO, Minn- New additions to the Maverick Spring 2012 team are guaranteed to make this season one to pay attention to. Their roster features 18 new freshmen and 20 returning players. Among those returning players are Ben Maclean, All-Conference Defenseman 2008, and Brent Walby, two-time All-American Attackman, who turned in their uniforms to play new roles off the field as assistant coaches.
The schedule for the Mavericks has changed this season as well with the addition of their new Nate Chalberg Memorial Field making home-field advantage that much sweeter. This season the team will finish its regular season by hosting five games, which the team hopes will spring some real competition. “Home games! All I can say is BRING IT. Fans get ready for some great games and come cheer us on!” said senior attack #19 Ryan Nelson.
In preparation for this upcoming season, the team began strength and endurance training and joined one of the many summer leagues Minnesota has to offer. With new motivation comes unrivaled confidence and the team needs to demonstrate these skills against Wisc-Madison, St. Johns and Central Florida in the first six games alone.
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“We are looking forward to playing the U especially. They are our rival and it’s been a battle in the past. This year we have the talent and work ethic to claim a victory,” said junior #9 Max Dornfeld, one of the three new Spring 2012 captains.
High expectations fall on the 18 new arrivals to the spring roster to fill the spots left by last year’s departing seniors.
“The new faces have had an extremely large impact on the team in and out of practice. More competition in practice brings a higher level of intensity and desire from everyone to make that top spot. This has lifted everyone’s skill to the next level,” said Nelson.
Since the program’s start in 1992, the team has been building a foundation worth taking note of and has been climbing the national ranks for the past five years.
“It’s increasingly more difficult to advance as we near the top. Each year marks a new level of sacrifices and commitment from the guys earning them more success. The sky is the limit for this group of young men and I am excited to see how far they can take it,” said Mankato’s head coach Dylan Dickey.
The Mavericks are embracing the new changes to their program and plan to bring that energy and confidence to the field as they open their regular season with a scrimmage against St. Olaf this Friday at 7 p.m.
Keep up with the Mankato Lacrosse team by visiting www.mankatolacrosse.com or follow them on twitter @MankatoLacrosse.
Minnesota State University – Mankato was established in 1992 and is a Division 1 member of the MCLA and operates under their regional Conference, The Upper Midwest Lacrosse Conference (UMLC). Minnesota State University, Mankato is a public four-year university located in Mankato, Minnesota, a community of 50,000 located 75 miles southwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul.
