Aidan Tyksinski, Editor

Last season was a year to forget for La Salle’s lacrosse team. The roster was full of underclassmen playing a very tough schedule, a bad combination that led to the Explorers finishing 0-15. Not only did they not win a game, but the Explorers failed to even push a game to overtime, continuing the narrative that a lack of skill, not luck, was the main issue for the team.

While the season has just started, things are already looking up for the Explorers. They won their first game of the season 19-10 over Fairleigh Dickinson, breaking a 16-game losing streak that dated back to the 2022 season. While the Explorers have lost two straight games since the opener, the 13-12 loss to Manhattan in double overtime over the weekend is a positive sign that this season will be different from the team’s previous campaign.

A big reason for the Explorers’ early success has been their offense. Last season’s team only had 40 assists and a .345 shot percentage, second to last and last in the A10. This year the Explorers already have 18 assists, which would put them at 84 over the whole season, an amazing improvement in one year. As for their shot percentage, it is at a cool .438, good for fourth in the conference.

Another reason for La Salle’s solid start has been the players’ efforts. Junior Katie Johnson already has 10 goals this season, tying her total from last year, and Mackenzie Click’s 4 goals against FDU played a huge part in the Explorer’s win. So far, it has been the upperclassman leading La Salle, but freshman Kate Licciardi has held her own. Licciardi has started all three games, grabbing two assists against FDU and netting her first goal against Manhattan, as well as getting another assist in the same game.

The worst loss of the season was to Villanova 14-4. The home opener for the Explorers was disappointing, especially coming after the win against FDU, but La Salle did a good job controlling the pace offensively. The most glaring issue in this game was that once the Wildcats got possession, they would push the ball quickly without much resistance, leading to quick goals. This was not as much of an issue against Manhattan, giving La Salle fans hope that this was just a fluke.

The Explorers have two more non-conference games coming up, before opening conference play at Davidson on March 9. The first of the non-conference games will be against Howard on Wednesday, followed by a home game against UMBC on Saturday. Howard is currently 0-4 and UMBC is 2-2, so La Salle will look to win against both of these beatable teams before going into the harder part of their schedule. The Explorer’s 1-2 record puts them in the middle of the Atlantic 10 standings, so adding another win or two will be a huge morale boost for a team looking to leave last year in the past and improve on what could be a very exciting season.