Salem State Men's Lacrosse Team Plays Rain or Shine

Sherene Abu-Hijleh

Everyday you will see the Salem State Men's Lacrosse team either practicing or playing lacrosse on the field at the O'Keefe Center, no matter what the weather is. Whether it's raining, sleeting, hailing, snowing, or even below freezing outside, the men of the lax team grab their equipment, suit up, and head out to play.

That shows dedication.

The weather hasn't been in favor for any of the spring sports teams here at Salem State. A lot of the student-athletes who do play a sport in the spring look forward to playing on a nice, warm, sunny day. But there have been only a handful of those days for the spring season.

Not to mention, the jerseys that spring athletes wear are meant to be worn on warm, sunny days. The men's jerseys, a t-shirt and pair of shorts, are made of a light cotton material, easy enough for the body to breathe and not get so hot. But, with the weather being how it's been lately, the athletes are wishing their jerseys kept them warmer. That's where layers come in.

I know when I go out to practice, I cover myself. Normally, I'll wear a tank top, two long sleeve under armors, a t-shirt, a long sleeve, and a sweat shirt. Along with that, I wear a pair of shorts, sweat pants, and long socks. I'm dressed for the arctic, pretty much.

You will see on the sidelines the students wearing sweatshirts and sweatpants, even hats, to keep themselves warm, before going into the game. Some students wear heavy under armor underneath their jerseys along with long socks...(it really works!)

Kyle Tuneburg, a freshman Education major, said, "I wear a tank-top, t-shirt, and an under armor long sleeve underneath my jersey for every game." Tuneburg, being a goalie for the team, has to be able to maneuver his arms freely while in net. And with the layers that he wears, along with his equipment, "It's kind of hard and sometimes gets annoying while in net." I wouldn't doubt it.

It seems as if Mother Nature hasn't cut the team a break. Two days before their home opener against Salve Regina on March 7th, the entire team came together and shoveled the snow off the field. That's right, they shoveled, using the same ol' shovels any homeowner would use to shovel out their walkway.

"We spent five hours shoveling that field. It took so long and we were very tired, but we really wanted to play, so we did it." -Brandon Cali, junior Criminal Justice major

The hard work and shoveling did not seem to have paid off for our home team that game. The Vikings lost to Salve Regina 4-9.

Spending two hours on the field, everyday, working up a sweat in freezing cold weather, isn't an ideal practice for many, but for this team, it's what needs to be done to get those wins. Every athlete on this team has come together and performed to the best of their ability, no matter what Mother Nature has in store for them.

"Everyone we have right now is putting their heart into the game and our hard work is paying off in practice."- Cali

Practice makes perfect. That's what they say. For the Salem State Men's Lacrosse team, not only does practice make perfect, but it's inevitable. They practice rain or shine.