From The Statesman

What do you get when you give 10 men sticks, a little white rubber ball, two nets, and a field to use them on? Northern Native Americans called the sport “baggataway” or “the little brother of war,” but now it is more widely recognized as lacrosse.

The men’s lacrosse program at UMD has been around for years, and has made huge strides since being established in 1990. With the popularity of lacrosse exploding, there are now more athletes joining the sport than ever before.

“Since I started playing lacrosse in third grade, the growth has been exponential,” senior captain Matthew Murphy said. “Every year there are more and more players.”

The program at UMD is another example of how the sport has grown, but being a club sport means they don’t get the same level of recruiting or funding as NCAA programs. Through all of these challenges, however, Murphy sees a silver lining.

“The good side of it is you only get kids who are committed,” Murphy said. “Kids aren’t going to join if they don’t want to put the time and effort into paying to play.”

The team believes they have been largely overlooked. Yet, they have accepted their challenges and figured out how to compete at the NCAA Division I level. One of the most important traits the team has used to gain their success is relying on self-accountability.

“The difference between MCLA and NCAA is that a lot of things rely on self-determination and holding yourself accountable to get yourself to the weight room and to go running,” senior Jeff Drommerhausen said.

These student-athletes have to improve their game physically and mentally on their own time. They completely rely on themselves to improve as athletes, which is why the try-out process is an extensive one.

“We can’t take kids who need someone to hold their hand the whole way through the process,” Murphy said. “It needs to be guys who are ready to tackle the challenge and have their own drive to succeed.”

However, the challenges the team faces aren’t always something they view as a bad thing. In a lot of ways, it has created what they call the “Dulax” family that exists today.

“It builds extremely strong bonds with your teammates and the guys who came through before you,” Murphy said. “They want to see the program grow and succeed, and they are willing to do what it takes to make it happen.”

Head Coach Sam Litman is a product of the Dulax family. His story shows how the team sticks together, even if they aren’t on the roster anymore.

“He lives and breathes Dulax,” Drommerhausen said. “It’s great to have a coach that exemplifies that and empowers us to work as hard as we do.”

A lot of Litman’s success as coach stems from his rooted familiarity in the men’s lacrosse program. In his time at UMD, he wore the Bulldog lacrosse uniform himself, something the team admires.

“It is a great opportunity to be able to look up to and learn from him,” Murphy said. “He’s like a father and a brother to us in the sense that he is our coach, but he wore the same jersey as us. It’s really cool to be able to get all of the wisdom we can from him.”

Litman’s recent position as head coach has been successful in more than one way, and the team is looking forward to another season under his leadership.

“Sam means a great deal to this program, and really embodies what our program is all about,” assistant coach Casey Mithun said. “Bottom line, hard work and preparation trumps everything.”

In the end, what matters to the team are the relationships formed from being a part of the Dulax family. It isn’t about going professional and personal success: It’s always about coming back to the brotherhood.

“It’s great having 40 other guys on the team that are all your brothers,” Drommerhausen said, “and having a bond that is a lifetime thing.”

BY RYLIE HEILMAN

Statesman Correspondent