In 2008, after years of off-and-on activity in the realm of intramural sports, the Mississippi State University lacrosse team was declared a club sport.
Lacrosse is currently run through the Sanderson Center, and plays intercollegiate matches against teams such as Vanderbilt and Tennessee Tech among the schools on this year’s schedule.
Team president Ben Hester said if the team captures the conference title this year, it gets to travel to the national championship tournament.
“This season we are excited to continue to get better and better. Our roster is more talented than ever, and we have a legitimate shot to win the Deep South Conference,” Hester said. “I’ve never taken a season more serious than this one, and I just want to win.”
Historically, the team has had issues getting enough players to have a full team, meaning it had no other option but to take in anyone that came to play, some of who had no prior experience in the game of lacrosse.
This season, though, the roster is larger than any other team in history, holding 35 players. According to Andrew Banker, a junior midfielder from Collierville, Tenn., size of the roster is not the only thing that is bigger.
“This is the most talented group of players that we have ever had,” Banker said. “Our talent level has greatly increased with the roster that we have today.”
Banker is currently a member of the lacrosse club team’s executive board as vice president along with Hester, Wes Peery (secretary), Sean Offenberger (treasurer), Adam Sullivan (public relations chair), and Nathan McBride alumni/fundraising chair). All of these athletes are willing to answer students’ questions in regards to joining the team or coming to matches to show support.
The players, along with head coach Bart Moffatt and assistant coach Brian Carver, welcome experienced lacrosse players to come out and play for the team. With the expanding roster, however, Banker said future seasons will gain more restrictions on playing.
“With the roster getting larger every year, we are about to start having more restrictions on who is on the team,” Banker said. “It is great that we will get to have tryouts. That just means more people want to play for us.”
The season began last Saturday for the Bulldogs, resulting in a loss to NCAA D3 Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala., by a score of 16-6. But the Dogs look to come back strong after their first loss of the season in another road match against Vanderbilt on Saturday, Feb. 9, in Nashville.
Aside from road games against teams in Alabama, Tennessee and Arkansas, this year’s team will host three games this season against Middle Tennessee State, Belmont University and the University of Memphis. The first home game is scheduled against MTSU on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. All games this season will be played at the new intramural fields off Blackjack Road.
The team’s website, laxteams.net/msstate/provides information on the upcoming season along with merchandise anyone can purchase. The “Contact team” tab provides email addresses for any questions concerning the team.
 
Editor’s note: Ben Hester is a staff writer for The Reflector.