By Travis Smola
Despite the loss of several key players and a coaching change, the Vicksburg varsity lacrosse team has picked up right where it left off last season.
The team got off to a fast start, winning its first four games in a row. In their third game of the season against Portage Central, the Bulldogs were down early 4-2 before they came charging back for an 18-7 win. New Head Coach Ben Wolfman said the biggest struggle so far this year has been slow starts.
But once the team got going, the Mustangs had no response. Senior Tim Gearig had five goals in the contest, bringing his total to 19 for the first three games of the year. He had nine for the Bulldogs in their 16-15 win over Caledonia on March 26.
A big focus of Wolfman’s coaching so far has been an emphasis on teamwork and passing the ball around. And it has shown on the score sheets as multiple Bulldogs often get on the board each game.
It has been an excellent start to the season for first-year coach Wolfman, who had only one year of lacrosse experience in Texas before he was captain of Western Michigan’s team for three years. He then spent time as a coach in local travel team programs and eighth-grade lacrosse before getting the job in Vicksburg.