Sonoma State Star

Issue date: 2/26/08 Section: Sports

Senior Cito Williams will pilot the Seawolves attack in in the new season. He leads the team with 6 goals and 3 assists. [Click to enlarge]

Warren Pringle, named captain for the second year in a row, looks to keep his reputation as a top goalie in the WCLL. He's notched 22 saves thus far in 2008. [Click to enlarge]

This season there is something new and different about the SSU men's lacrosse team. The sour memory of winning their division before going down in the national championship is gone. That feeling of resentment is long since left them, leaving them excited for the potential of what could be another incredible season.
The coaching staff has played an important role in the Seawolves revitalization. Head coach Doug Carl, who guided the Seawolves to three WCLL titles and the 2002 national championship, left the team citing to spend more time with his family.
New head coach Dominic Gomez, an All-American goalie and captain for the Seawolves when they won the national championship in 2002, has reenergized the team. Gomez was an assistant coach under Carl in 2005 and knows the players and the system very well, making him an ideal candidate to succeed the career of Coach Carl.
"He fits in well as the head coach," said senior attackman Kevin Alexander. "He really brings leadership to the team."
Another part of the resurgence has been the team's chemistry. "I think were clicking more than last year," said senior midfielder Andrew Ferrette. "We play well together. We have a group of freshmen that are stepping up and a lot of guys returned from last year."
Returning senior captains Warren Pringle and Cito Williams, who filled vital leadership roles for the Seawolves last season, will once again lead the squad in 2008.
In the Seawolves first game of the season against Santa Clara on Feb. 10, despite major injuries and suspensions, the captains led the Seawolves to a 10-6 victory. The Seawolves led the game 7-2 heading in to half time but the Broncos retaliated in the second half off of penalties from the Seawolves, scoring twice more and cutting the lead to 7-4. Pringle, one of the best goalkeepers in the conference, held the lead in the fourth quarter to capture the win. Williams ran the offense with four goals and one assist.
In the Seawolves second game of the season on Feb. 17, Williams and Pringle came to the rescue once again as their performances helped the Seawolves capture a 10-6 win over Texas A & M. Williams scored three goals in the game and Pringle put up another impressive performance by notching 11 saves.
While Williams and Pringle have been the glue that holds the team together, one limitation has been the team's roster size. "As far as the numbers are concerned, we have a really small team," said Alexander. "Other teams have more players than us. We tend to get tired more quickly than other teams."
Alexander explained that lacrosse is a lot more physical of a sport than most people believe. "It's extremely physical," said Alexander, "Every player is required to wear pads. You can hit someone with your body or stick. You get your fair share of bruises and injuries."
Ferrette described that even though lacrosse is similar to hockey, it has a combination of different sports intertwined in it.
"Lacrosse is hockey with a stick in the air instead of on the ice," said Ferrette. "But it's not just hockey, it's a mix of other sports too." Ferrette added that besides hockey, lacrosse has resemblances to soccer and basketball as well.
Watch a single game and one thing is made perfectly clear: this sport requires an immense amount of grit and toughness
With a rejuvenated squad the Seawolves feel that their quest for another national championship is within reach, though doubters always remain. "We expect to prove a lot of people wrong," said Ferrette. "We want to win our division. We always expect to go to the national championship. That is our goal."

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