Lacrosse team downs Longhorns for first time in school history (Courtesy of the SMU Lacrosse team)
The men’s lacrosse team (5-1) traveled south over the weekend to partake in the Houston Invitational Tournament, and they returned to Dallas having done something never before accomplished in school history. They defeated the University of Texas, and did so without key players such as junior Tom Greene, president of the team, who was held back due to his involvement with Mustang Marathon.
According to junior marketing major and team captain Chip Hiemenz, Friday’s contest against the Longhorns was the showcase game of the weekend, and SMU came out on top in sudden-death overtime, 12-11.
“It was pretty cool to be part of the showcase,” he said. “I think lacrosse has been around 25 years at SMU, and we had never beaten UT.”
Senior attackman Chris Neumann, who scored the game-winning goal, described the waning moments of the competition.
“It was back and forth the entire game and somebody really just had to take control,” he said. “I just stuck around the goal and was fortunate enough to get a rebound and put it in.”
Neumann’s last-second effort helped the Mustangs overcome Texas, traditionally one of the top teams in SMU’s league, the Lone Star Alliance.
“All the hard work and practice and sticking in there paid off in that single moment,” he said. “It was one of the best feelings of my entire life.”
Of the win, Hiemenz said, “[The Longhorns] have a lot of talent and we played very smart. It was a big boost for us to come out and play solid lacrosse.”
While UT and Texas A&M have historically been the teams to beat in the Lone Star Alliance, the Ponies have been able to open the season on a tear which has helped them rise to the top of the rankings.
“The past few weeks we’ve integrated a new offense,” Hiemenz explained. “We had the same offense since my freshman year, but now we have designed one that works around our strengths.”
In addition, the captain names team chemistry as another factor contributing to SMU’s hot start.
“There is really good camaraderie on the team, and we play very well with each other,” Hiemenz said.
Following the victory over UT, the Mustangs will take a five-game winning streak into a pair of home contests this weekend against the University of Texas-Dallas and Austin College.
“We want to go out there and win,” Neumann said. “After the UT game we have a lot more confidence. “We’re not going to take (UTD and Austin College) lightly,” he said, “but we want to have fun and soak it all in.”
The team will host UTD Saturday at 1 p.m. and Austin College Sunday at noon. Both games are free of charge and will take place on SMU’s Intramural Fields.
