While this week's weather may have sent many indoors, not everyone stayed home. After a 14-6 loss to Old Dominion, and coming off a season where they were 6-11, the AU women's lacrosse team has little time for such creature comforts.
Despite the cold, on Tuesday afternoon the team engaged in their usual routine of spending the last 30 minutes of practice running suicide and wind sprints.
Yet no one complained about the conditions, and indeed there were jubilant cheers for every group of players who ran. Afterward, Coach Katie Woods offered up some tough love for her squad.
"Ladies, who's going to be able to stand up after someone pushes you down?" barked Woods, who is in her first season as a college head coach.
As a first year coach, on a team that at time struggled last year, Woods knows that this year will be a marathon rather than a sprint.
"I want to be able to look back and say and see that we've improved in every game and we got stronger and more competitive," Woods said. "Our goal is taking it a game at a time."
Indeed at practice, Woods made sure her players were well aware that they had to be in it for the long haul.
"Don't get tired on me yet. We're at game five; we have a long way to go."
One player who will be paramount to the "long haul," is junior captain Lauren Aksionoff who in only four games has six goals and three assists, with three coming in the team's only victory, a 9-5 victory against Davidson.
On defense, the team's other junior captain, Tahra Johnson, should also play a large role. Despite last season's results and a current 1-3 record, Johnson was very upbeat on what this year's team could do.
"So far the team looks strong, they have a lot of potential," Johnson said. "I'm looking for our juniors to play well."
Johnson admitted that the team had one glaring weakness, which for good reason, Coach Woods was already addressing.
"One of the reasons we lost so many games last year is because of stick handling, so we spend about the first 30 minutes of practice doing stick handling drills," said Johnson.
"For us the focus is taking care of the ball, and competing in high-pressure situations," Woods said. "They enjoy it, and see that it brings their game to a whole new level, but we're still getting used to that pressure in games."
While this year's team may still be a work in progress, the fact that our women's basketball team made it all the way to the Patriot League championship, after going 7-21 last year, has to be an encouraging sign.
With a plethora of juniors this team has no lack of experience as they move forward, and while the goal of improving every game might seem less than lofty, as the women's basketball team proved, a little late season confidence can carry you a long way.
The AU women's lacrosse team will take on Virginia Tech. in their home opener on Sunday, at noon at the William I. Jacobs Recreational Complex.
