There’s a new club sport at Weber State University: men’s lacrosse.

The WSU men’s lacrosse team has begun practicing on campus and will soon be playing its games as a member of the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference (RMLC), one of the 10 conferences and over 200 teams that make up the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) that fields lacrosse teams from all over the country.

Interest in a men’s lacrosse team has been on the rise at Weber State. In talking about the increasing interest, Kyle Gorrell, president of the Wildcat men’s lacrosse team said, “I’m constantly surprised by how many people I talk to who are not only familiar with the sport but are excited to have a home team at Weber State.”

Other members of the newly formed team expressed opinions similar to those of Gorrell about the positive support they have been receiving from Weber State faculty and students.

“The school has been very supportive in helping us get the team going,” said Tyler Sanders, a defender for the Wildcats. “And the student body seems to be pretty excited about what’s going on with this program and where we can be headed in the future.”

Excitement for the team isn’t only limited to the students and public but has also been expressed by fellow teams in the RMLC.

“As soon as word got out that we were working on this team,” Gorrell said, “I started hearing from people associated with programs at Utah State University, Utah Valley University and even some of the teams in Colorado that we’ll be playing, offering their help and telling me how excited they are to have a team here at Weber State.”

One of the more intriguing and perhaps nerve-racking aspects of playing lacrosse at Weber State is that prior experience playing the sport is not a pre-requisite to join the team. After seeing fliers for the lacrosse team around campus, Nate Soriano decided to give the sport a try.

“It’s a lot more intense than I thought it was going to be,” said the new Wildcat defensive midfielder. “I knew it was going to be a little rough, but I didn’t think you could be as aggressive until the first time I took a stick to the gut.”

Practices began earlier this month and three to four scrimmages with teams from the RMLC are soon to follow in April, with a goal for the team to officially join the RMLC in the fall of 2015.

If you are interested in picking up a stick and hitting the field, or if you just want to watch safely from the bleachers, be sure to stay up-to-date by heading to the team’s Facebook page or the team’s website at weberstatelacrosse.com.