This past weekend the San Diego State lacrosse team hosted its Fall 2013 Aztec Warrior Challenge at the Aztec Lacrosse Field.
The Aztec Warrior Challenge is a tournament for high school lacrosse players, in which teams of five to 10 players compete to win the title of Weekend Warrior Champions.
A clinic was held in the early morning by SDSU lacrosse head coach Kylee White. This hour-long clinic was followed by the tournament play. On the field, six games were taking place simultaneously as the five-on-five competitions began. The teams’ standing in the bracket play was dependent on how well each team performed in these games.
The tournament allowed for some exciting competition, all players intent on winning and hoping to be noticed and recruited by the team.
The games were played on one side of the lacrosse field and each game lasted 7 minutes. Teams were guaranteed at least 10 games, after which a double elimination bracket play began.
The event lasted all day, beginning at 9 a.m. and carrying on into the early afternoon, when only one team finished victorious.
This was the third year the women’s lacrosse team has hosted this event, which began during the 2011-12 school year—the same year the team received Division I standing.
This event had two purposes: to raise money and recruit players for the SDSU team. A few of the high school students currently being recruited by the Aztecs played in the competition.
This allowed the coaching staff to not only watch the recruits play and assess their abilities, but to also give them an opportunity to see how the potential recruits interact with the current team.
Because of the fact that this is only the third season for this team, much of it is currently made up of younger players, a majority of which are underclassmen.
[quote]This has also allowed the players to create the culture of the team and set precedence for all those who follow them, White said. [/quote]
Junior Catherine Shepardson believes having a young team this year will play to its advantage, allowing it to grow and prove itself a fierce competitor.
This year’s team also has a very diverse group of girls from all across the country, from senior midfielder Isabelle Pickett, an Australian student, to sophomore defender Nicole Lescano, originally a Florida resident.
Next week SDSU will begin its preseason games, and White said she has high hopes for the team this year.
[quote]White said the team was able to begin this year ahead of where it ended the last season, and that it has had time to practice and become more physically prepared for the upcoming season.[/quote]
This year, the Aztecs will continue competing in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation against teams including Oregon State, Stanford University and the University of California, Berkley.
The schedule for the women’s team will come out before its season starts in spring. Admission to the games is free.
Photo by Jenna Mackey, Staff Photographer
