Gonzaga Men's Lacrosse members were a buzz of excitement after a successful fall season of practices and exhibition games. After returning all but one of the starters from last year, the team has high hopes for the level of play they wish to achieve in the coming season. This solid upperclassman core was only enhanced by the promising incoming freshman players, who immediately made an impact on the practice field and during the scrimmages and exhibition games. Returning coach, Ben Stein, was joined by Evan Castiglia, former Zag and last year's defensive coach, and Peter Janicki, assistant and conditioning coach. Starting practice in September, the coaches and the senior leaders took charge and began instilling not only the offensive and defensive systems but also the Gonzaga Lacrosse philosophy: Work Hard, Play Hard. During the fall, the team travelled to Missoula, Montana to compete in a lacrosse tournament featuring PNCLL opponents such as Idaho, Montana, and Montana State. A couple weeks later, Gonzaga hosted a game against the University of Idaho Lacrosse Team on fall family weekend, a game which was very well attended by their loyal fans. The Zags came away from these games with invaluable experience and with a wealth of knowledge of what they can and need to achieve to become a championship contender in the spring season.