Going hard is what lax players do best; so after the disappointment of last season, it’s easy to see why Ipswich varsity is looking to turn the team around and kick some butt. While everyone is getting excited for baseball season starting up, the lacrosse team has their own agenda as–preparation has been long in motion since last season. I had the opportunity to talk with some of the players, and as I sat down and talked with the team, it was easy see the fire in their eyes, the intensity in their voice, and the passion in their hearts.

Last season was a low point for the team, winning only 2 games, which would make one wonder how that could be when the team has such talent. Captain Jamie Iwanicki said, “I think last year was a real bummer, because the team had a lackadaisical mind set and didn’t put enough into it.” Looking to turn some heads this season, the lax bros have been working harder than ever to prove their potential. On top of their devilish lax abilities, the team has new uniforms, so they can look as good as they play.

One major change in the team that will help bring home the gold is the addition of a new assistant coach, Ginolfi. Coach Ginolfi has been working tremendously hard to change the offense, making a new playbook for the team to better diversify attacking the goal. Ginolfi’s renovation of the offense will definitely help to pick up some of the slack from last season. Before making his way here, Ginolfi was coaching a youth lacrosse league to study the playing style of our youth. He also did this to diversify the players he worked with and to try to apply their more energetic style of play to his offense. Going farther back in the archives of Ginolfi, he was the former coach of the Beverley Lacrosse Team for a good amount of time; Beverly has multiple sports teams that do well and have winning records. It is a nice position to have on his resume. Ginolfi hopes to use his mixing pot experience with multiple lax teams to overturn the offense and bring the spark the team needs to blow up.

Getting ready to take flight this season, the lax team is ready and motivated to kick major butt, but we all knew that. “Practice over the off season and dedication to the sport takes hard work and we have high hopes for the upcoming season,” says team motivator and player Austin Koning. Freshman Josh Welling says, “The team looks really good this year, I think they can win a lot of games and I’m eager to get to play at that level.” It’s easy to see his anticipation and I can’t blame him when he’s heading into the greatest lacrosse brotherhood on the North Shore. And if you didn’t believe me before, the lax bros won their first game of the year by a blowout win of 15-2 against Whittier Tech, an outstanding way to start the season no doubt.

Lacrosse is more than a mere sport; it has a rich history and was played by the indigenous Native Americans dating back to the 12th century. Lacrosse played a significant role in these native tribes’ religious involvement and carried the spirit of combat and war. The players were warriors and victory brought honor; they believed lax was “The Creator’s Game.” The boys in orange and black share a similar mindset as they go to battle this season and are determined to bring glory and honor back to Ipswich sports on the road for the gold.