With the spring sports season in full bloom this March, the lacrosse team is bound to make a statement this year.

Lacrosse is a fairly new sport to the Notre Dame Academy community, as it was started just a few years back.

Lacrosse is considered a club sport at Notre Dame Academy, since the WIAA disassociated from it.

“We play thirteen games this year, as we did last year,” said Will Ernst, a junior on the team.

Ernst explained how lacrosse is a combination of multiple sports, all of which he played when he was young.

Floyd Silas III, a junior on the lacrosse team, plays for a different reason.

“I enjoy playing because I believe it’s a part of my culture,” said Silas, who is Native American.

There are many demands on team members, including sharing the field, working hard and putting “a lot of hours in” to be good.

“The most important trait that lacrosse players should have is creativity,” said Silas.

The lacrosse team finished 6-7 last year and did not make the playoffs, although the playoffs for lacrosse, due to the shortage of teams, are more difficult to make.

“Only the top 20 teams for lacrosse make the playoffs, and last year we ranked 24th in the state,” said Ernst.

State powerhouse teams include Appleton, Neenah and Oneida Nation.

Despite last year’s average season the players believe they have valuable takeaways to pull into this upcoming season.

“I feel like we learned to play together more as a team than anything,” said Silas.

Cole Whatley, a senior on the lacrosse team, has committed to Anderson University in Indiana for lacrosse.

“Cole worked super hard all four years in lacrosse, and he’s been a mentor to the younger guys coming up,” said Ernst.

Other Notre Dame students have also noticed Whatley’s dedication to the sport.

“I think it’s amazing to see Cole succeed in a sport that doesn’t get a lot of recognition at the school,” said junior Howie Gerstner.