The 2024 boys lacrosse season is officially underway with practice starting Monday, March 17. Both the players and the new head coach are optimistic about the season.
This year 34 boys are on the WIAA co-op team, which includes a few players from other area schools, such as Freedom and Ashwaubenon.
With a new coach coming in, the players must get used to the changes that come with a new season.
“ I believe as a group we are making big strides in learning a new system,” said Head Coach Max Salscheider, who attended Bayport High School where he played the game. He then went on to attend Marian University where he also continued to pursue lacrosse.
Salscheider started coaching with Bay Port in 2019 as an assistant and then took over as the head coach in 2023.
His expectations for this year’s players are to learn how to come together as a team and build a foundation for the culture of lacrosse.
“The goal is to get 2% better each day. The wins and losses will work themselves out,” said Salscheider.
Players on the team are excited about playing for Salscheider. To a player the seniors interviewed concurred with Danny Gagan, who is team captain with senior Chris Vogel.
Gagan is optimistic about the season because of “a lot more order where we run a real offense.”
He cites Alex Ciak, Leo DeRyder and Vogel as the standouts on the team. Both DeRyder and Vogel were all-conference players last year.
Senior Asa Poister enjoys the team because it is “fast-paced and a lot of people I know are on the team.”
Teammate Deacon Hozeska, also a senior, echoed that sentiment, saying he “likes the strategy of the game and enjoys it as a contact sport.”
Senior Abe Augustine, a newbie to the squad, was “prompted by friends to play,” and having watched his sister play the sport (she plays in college), he decided to play.
The team’s first scrimmage was March 25 versus the Oneida lacrosse team. Score was not kept, but progress was made for the boys.
“We did some very good things but also showed some flaws that we need to iron out,” said Salscheider in analyzing the scrimmage.
The team’s schedule provides challenges, such as out-of-conference games against Sun Prairie, Marquette and Catholic Memorial. Other teams like Neenah, state runners-up last year, and Appleton United, another preseason Top Ten, will be conference challenges.
Salscheider views these tough games as opportunities to get better: “I look forward to the challenge each week!”
