news

For more information contact:
Tim Gregg
281.218.8589
timgregg@houstonsooners.com

Back to News Home Page

OU Lacrosse Club Reaches Final Four in Houston

By Chris Hodgson
President, OU Lacrosse Club

From the moment we stepped on the bus to depart from Norman, the Houston trip was just different. I’m not just referring to the bus itself, though the Supercoach was a nice upgrade. The pulse of the team seemed different. We were still loose; that much had not changed. The usual jokes and insults flew around the bus, and most of the team either slept or played Xbox on one of the bus’s two flat screen TVs. However, there was a certain energy beginning to creep in the closer we got to Houston. Our showdown with Texas State would be, hands down, the biggest game I had played in during the time I’ve been fortunate enough to have playing lacrosse for the University of Oklahoma. It was hard to approach the Conference Championship weekend like any other tournament weekend, and it turned out to be unlike any I had played in thus far.

Our team was made to feel welcome the instant we stepped off the bus. We had the opportunity to interact a bit with some of the Friendswood youth lacrosse players, signing autographs and encouraging them to stick with the game. From there, we headed into the locker room to prepare for the game. The facilities were more than adequate, with plenty of space. This proved to be a real blessing, as we ended up spending much more time in that locker room over the course of the weekend than we could have anticipated.

The original agreed upon time for the game was at seven P.M. on Saturday night. Unfortunately, due to thunderstorms and heavy rain, we ended up waiting around for the weather to clear up for several hours. The Lone Star Alliance personnel decided after three hours that the game would be moved up to nine A.M. the next day. However, the storm delay afforded us the opportunity to get to know our friends at the OU Club of Houston. My parents, both OU alumni themselves, were having a lively conversation with the club’s representatives when I ventured out of the locker room. As it turned out, one of them had a son my age at the University of Oklahoma who had been my roommate sophomore and junior year. Everyone we met was very personable and helpful, and later the club helped us find a new hotel when our original choice was experiencing technical difficulties due to the storms.

The amount of support we received from the OU Club of Houston, the people of Friendswood, and our friends and families who made the trip was amazing. It felt like we had the same support that my brother receives for his away games as a part of the OU football team. I really can’t thank everyone who came out and supported us enough for their contributions.

After a long, restless night fraught with anticipation, seven A.M. rolled around and it was time for us to go to work. After a light breakfast we loaded up on the bus and made our way back to the stadium. The storms had cleared out and the weather was fair. It was a beautiful day for a game of lacrosse, and both teams were fired up for the conference semifinal game. We went through our usual warm-up routine, stretching our legs as well as throwing and catching the ball. When the pre-game countdown struck zero, we were raring to go. One of our newly announced captains for the upcoming season, Ryan Thyrring, took the opening faceoff and the game was underway.

Texas State jumped on us early, taking a five to one lead in the first quarter. It was a less than stellar start for us, but we weren’t hanging our heads or making excuses. We had gotten to where we were in the postseason by working hard, fighting for each other, and taking each possession one game at a time. Commitment to team and mental toughness had been pounded into our heads by our head coach, Brendan Klein, as well as a pair of Navy SEALs who had taught us to push past what those with less intestinal fortitude would consider to be our limits. We fought back, bringing the game within one or two goals several times throughout the game. Our goalie, Sean McMenamin, made several outstanding saves to keep us in the fight, and we played our hearts out on both ends of the field. Seniors Dalton Gibson, Pete Kitsos, and Jay Stouffer all played well in what would be their last lacrosse game for the Oklahoma Sooners.

The game was a physical one. Emotions ran hot as checks were thrown and bodies hit the deck. During the third quarter, I earned a minute in the penalty box for an unintentionally illegal body check. My victim let me know exactly how he felt with a muttered threat and a swing of his stick to my lower back when the referees weren’t looking. However, there’s no bad blood between us. I’ll see him next year and we’ll settle any differences on the field like gentlemen.

Although we fought hard, we fell short in the end, losing to the Bobcats eight to twelve. We were all disappointed, as we had hoped for a chance to play the University of Texas in the championship game. There was controversy over whether or not Texas State was going to stay and play in the championship game, which was set to take place later that afternoon. We ended up having to wait in the locker room while conflicting answers were thrown around. The Texas State players and fans seemed to be saying yes, they would stay, while their coach seemed to be telling us no. We told the league officials that we did not mind waiting if it meant a shot at Texas for the championship. Our mentalityas a organization is one of determination, and we will gladly play any team at any time, whether we had already played four quarters earlier that day or not. I could not be more proud of my team. Texas State had a talented group, and I look forward to playing them again next season. We’ve been hard at work in the offseason since that weekend, training and recruiting. The 2013 recruiting class looks to be solid, and all of the returning players for next year will be hard at work making personal improvements.

I would be more than happy if next year’s tournament is held in the Houston area again. The support we received more than made up for the setbacks we endured on Saturday evening. Hopefully we get the chance to make the trip south next season and visit our friends from the OU Club of Houston.

For a complete gallery of photos, go to The OU Club of Houston Facebook page

Back to News Home Page