How to Watch Lacrosse

OTTAWA--There is a new sport about to be played on People’s Bank Field this spring: lacrosse. Mysterious and noticeable crazy red lines have arrived on the turf, but don’t worry they will be explained soon.  

Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse was one of the recent additions to Ottawa University’s athletic program in 2015, and the teams will be having their first game here at OU on Feb. 19.  

Most people in the Midwest have never attended a lacrosse game before or even watched one for that matter. For people who have never seen one, here are some starting points to get through the first lacrosse game. 

First, the basics, there are 12 people on the field at one time. The goalie, four defenders, three midfielders, and four attack. The attack is similar to a forward in soccer, in that they are the primary scorers for the team. The midfielders can go on either side of the field, and the other players cannot cross their side.   

Second, it is important to remember that men’s and women’s lacrosse are different sports. Though they have the same basic idea -- slotting the ball past the goalie into the net -- they have very different ways of approaching it.   

Men’s lacrosse allows contact, so they wear pads and helmets while playing. This will make for different tactics and strategies.  

Conversely, women are not allowed to make contact, which causes a lot of whistles in the women’s game.  

Other differences between the two are that men’s lacrosse has four 15-minute periods and women’s has two 30-minute halves. Men’s lacrosse sticks also have pockets that the women’s do not, making it easier to catch the ball. 

“You will see a lot of balls get dropped in our games,” freshman lacrosse player Megan Kaufman said. 

Lacrosse also has penalties. A green card being a warning, a yellow is a two-minute penalty and a red requires an ejection from the game. 

“The most important part of lacrosse is the draw,” said head Women’s Lacrosse coach Brittany Frankenfeld. 

The draw is similar to a jump ball in basketball, which is where two players fight for possession of the ball in the air, with their teams around them ready for the rebound.   

Slightly differently, men’s lacrosse wrestles for the draw. Once a player has won the draw, play begins and the game is on. Set plays and open ground dictate the game in this exciting blend of sports that we are accustomed to such as hockey and soccer.  

Now that you understand the basics, be sure to come out and support the lacrosse squads in their inaugural season on our very own People’s Bank Field. Go Braves!