<strong>By Tim Haslam</strong>
Entering their third season in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association, the Westminster Griffins will hope to continue to be a dominant force in Division II.
In 2007, Westminster won the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference Division II Championship and were beaten in the MCLA
Division II semi-finals. In 2008, the Griffins defended their RMLC Division II title and also won the MCLA Division II Championship.
I recently sat down with Westminster head coach Mason Goodhand, and associate head coach Dave Long, to get a preview of how the Griffin
s were going to continue their dominant play in 2009.
What is the key for the Griffins if they want to win the MCLA Division II Championship?
“Getting the kids ready to play every game is the key. The young kids on the team can’t look at past results and our seniors need to step up,” Goodhand said. “We’ll take whoever has a good work ethic and turn them into lacrosse players. We give them confidence and confidence is what it takes to win championships.
In 2008, Westminster had seven MCLA Division II All-Americans – three first-team, one second-team, one third-team and two honorable mention. Only two of these players will be back for the Griffins – sophomore goalie Dallas McLellan and senior defender Zach Kessler.
“There are going to be freshman who get a significant amount of playing time this year,” Goodhand said.
Is this year a rebuilding year?
“I think every year is a rebuilding year until you get to year four or five,” Goodhand said. “It takes four or five years for a foundation to built where good recruits are brought in to replace outgoing players.”
What game on your schedule are you looking forward to?
“The next one,” Long said with a big smile on his face.
“Good answer,” Goodhand said. “Our goal is to play better lacrosse every game.”
Which three players stand out to you as players and people?
“Lance Nielsen,” Goodhand said. “He played with me at the University of Utah then went on an LDS mission. He came back and joined the circus for a year. He now works in the mornings diving off cliffs in a local restaurant. Chase Reid also stands out. He lives in Ogden and travels 30 minutes or longer to come to school. He is recently married and will become a dad in August. He is here at every practice making the sacrifice. Then there is Chris Baer. He is from Philadelphia and came to Utah his senior year of high school. He played back east for a season and came back to Utah because it was a fun place to play.”
The Griffins will begin their 2009 season on February 24 in Athens, Tennessee where they will face Davenport University.
<em>Tim Haslam recently graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications. He enjoys Utah football, Real Salt Lake and of course, lacrosse. You can find more information about Tim at <a href=”http://www.timhaslam.com/”>www.timhaslam.com</a>.</em>
Originally posted on CollegeLAX.us on Feburary 3, 2009.
