CSULB Lacrosse Making A Comeback

Four years after coming back from a 20 year hiatus, the CSULB Lacrosse team has become a force to be reckoned with.  The team has returned stronger than ever making finals appearances every year. They were the first “new” team to attend the Southwestern Lacrosse Conference Finals in 2009.

Since the team is so new, finding enough members to fill the roster is a challenge. Nick Jezulin, a member of the team, said “Well for starters we don't have any money to recruit with. We typically find out from friends, family, other coaches that hit us up via email or the actual player wanting to come to Long Beach will make contact with us and inquire about our program.”

The team has been striving to reach NCAA status, but this present a steep financial obstacle to overcome. A fully funded lacrosse team can cost upwards of $500,000 per year. Funding from the team now comes mostly from player’s pockets and a small portion from ASI. The team sells apparel and discount food cards to help raise money.

 A more immediate goal the team is working towards is acceptance to Division I of the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association. The MCLA consists of 213 teams from the US and Canada and is split into 10 conferences. Each conference has both Division I and II.  During the regular season, CSULB plays multiple D-I teams and does very well against them.

Photo courtesy of Nick Jezulin