Photograph by Jessica Vretenar
Rookie goalie Tim Luebke stops a ball against UW-La Crosse on Sept. 26.

UW-Platteville lacrosse headed to UW-La Crosse for some Fall Ball action on Sept. 26. Despite tying up both games, the Pioneers fell to Winona State University and UW-L.

The Pioneers started the day against Winona, who managed to slip ahead at half with a two-point lead off of two rushes down the field.

“Winona started off a little rough,” sophomore Eric Miller said. “We started off a little rusty, but that game pushed us in the right direction for the rest of the year.”

After the first half, the team started to pass and work together to move the ball around on offense. More rookies were on the field and they picked up the intensity after the first half to match Winona for rushes.

“We possessed the ball better which allowed us to eat up more of the clock and [get] some more looks offensively,” senior Darin Schopen said.

UW-P tied up the game early in the fourth quarter, with a quick shot by rookie Richie Knipfer, off an assist by junior Cody Mayne. Winona pulled ahead with a rush following the Pioneers’ shot to win the game 7-6.

“A lot of guys are still learning the rules of the game, I’m impressed by how quickly the rookies with no playing experience are picking it up,” senior Jake Carlson said.

The Pioneers battled against UW-L but fell to the Eagles 6-3.

“UW-L is a more physical team and when your playing back to back like we did, it can take a toll on you,” Schopen said.

Photograph by Jessica Vretenar
Senior Jake Carlson rushes past the Winona defense during the loss against the Warriors.

UW-P held the Eagles at 2-2 for most of the game, but the heat and fatigue from the previous game took its toll, as the Pioneers let a few rushes through their defense.

Senior Mike Shea said passing and catching will be a primary focus for the team coming off the weekend’s games. Passing was still a bit rusty during the game, and a few of the quick breaks the other teams caught could have been stopped with more consistency.

“Playing rookies in our Fall Ball season is about the best thing we can do for our team,” Miller said. “We have a lot of talent and a lot of young potential talent, so the more we play them now the better we can be in the long run.”

Set lines are still being determined and changed as every week progresses, coach Matthew Mikulecky said.

“It’s all about the player clicking with a position and fitting into our rotations. We are always changing things up to help the younger players find their correct positions,” Mikulecky said.

The team will focus on conditioning and ball control in the two weeks they have before heading to UW-Whitewater Saturday, Oct. 10.

“We still have a lot of inexperience overall,” senior Brent Beveroth said. “Since the games in Madison, that [overall skills] has improved tremendously. Overall it’s just going to come down to gaining experience and work ethic.”