Last week, the Men's Lacrosse team went south to San Diego to face three out of conference opponents, as well as to enjoy many team bonding experiences.

The trip kicked off on Friday, with the Spartans making the journey down to face the San Diego Toreros. The Spartans and the Toreros had only faced each other once prior - in 1989, so the Spartans were hoping to bring the heat to the virtually new opponents, however, they underestimated the strength of San Diego, which lead to an unfortunate 7-25 loss. Despite the loss, highlights included Senior Jackson Christopulos going 16-10 in face-offs with 8 ground balls, as well as Freshman Max Oshetski scoring 5 goals with two ground balls.

Saturday was a day to recuperate from the loss and prepare for future games, where the Spartans enjoyed a pool party, followed by attending a National Lacrosse League game between the top two professional teams in the nation, the San Diego Seals and the Buffalo Bandits. The game was interestingly Godzilla themed, and ultimately the Buffalo Bandit clutched out an overtime win against the San Diego Seals. The game was great fun for the Spartans, as the team received a special shout-out during the game, as well as a chance to meet up with alumni.

Sunday brought forth another game, this time against the Point Loma Nazarene Sea Lions at a neutral location. This was the first time the Sea Lions and the Spartans faced each other, and although the Spartans had a slow first quarter, they dominated the rest of the game, beating the Sea Lions 15-10. Dominant performances came from Freshman Max Oshetski, who scored 7 goals and 2 assists and Graduate Nicolas Costa, who scored 3 goals and 3 assists. After the game, the team decided to go enjoy some of the famous beaches in San Diego.

While they went to the beach on Sunday, the Spartans went to the Beach on Monday, playing Long Beach State at a neutral location. The hot weather, combined with the fatigue and injuries of the two prior games led to a very close match between the Spartans and the Beach, which was tied at halftime. The two teams traded blows one for one in the second half, but ultimately Long Beach State would outlast the Spartans, winning by one with a 9-8 victory. Strong performances came from Graduate Dominic Costa, who scored 4 goals, and Senior Jackson Christopulos, who went 9-5 in face-offs.

While the Spartans were frustrated by the outcome of the final game, the trip to San Diego proved to be a valuable one for the team as they have come back rejuvenated and ready to face the conference duo of UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz in the weeks to come. Go Spartans!