The SMU club lacrosse team has won the first four games of the 2009 season, including a 14-0 drubbing of Oklahoma State University earlier this month.
“We got off to an absolutely great start,” said assistant coach and defensive coordinator Chip Hiemenz. “These guys are just making the commitment to make this a top 25 program.”
Heading into this weekend’s action, the team is closer to that goal than it has ever been. The Mustangs’ hot start has them ranked No. 27 in the country, but their toughest test of the young season comes tonight when they play the No. 23 University of Texas.
“The 4-0 start was what we hoped for, but the meat of the schedule is still to come,” said junior goalie Spencer Brown. “We hope to put together a complete game against Texas and avoid many of the penalty problems we have had in the past.”
Leading the SMU offense is junior attack Tolar Hamblen, who already has seven goals and four assists this year. In addition, junior midfielder Riker Vermilye has racked up four goals and four assists, including three of each last weekend in an 11-7 win over the Baylor Bears.
“Riker has certainly stepped up and proven himself as a leader on our team,” said head coach Alex Poole. “He is playing great lacrosse on both ends of the field … Riker wants the ball in his stick, an attribute all great lacrosse players possess.”
Tonight’s game will be held at the Episcopal School of Dallas, where Poole began his coaching career.
“I am certainly looking forward to going back to my old stomping grounds,” he said. “The entire ESD community has been nothing short of amazing to me throughout my five years in Dallas.”
Hiemenz called the matchup “a showcase game for the Dallas area. We want to reach out to the community and show them we have a great game of lacrosse here at SMU.”
The Mustangs will host their cross-town rivals, the TCU Horned Frogs, Saturday afternoon at Ford Stadium.
“It’s always a privilege to play in Ford Stadium,” Hiemenz said. “Hopefully we can emerge victorious this weekend, which would be great not only for the team but great for the university.”
SMU and the UT Longhorns will face off this evening at 7:30 on the ESD campus in North Dallas. Saturday’s game against TCU begins at noon in Ford Stadium.
