Searching for their first win of the season, the DePauw men's lacrosse team hosted the Fighting Scots of Wooster College on Lower Boswell West Field Saturday.
In an inter-conference matchup, the Tigers suffered a tough loss, dropping the game 24-0. The loss moves the team to 0-9 on their inaugural season, including 0-3 in the NCAC.
It has been a challenging first season for the Tigers.
"Most games, we roll out a squad of 18 unrecruited athletes playing against a team of 30-plus recruits," senior Jack Glerum said. "We recognize that it can sometimes seem like a Sisyphean task, but that doesn't keep us from playing hard for 60 minutes. I see improvement every game and still have a blast."
A bright spot for the team has been freshman John Zupancic, who led all players with 11 face-off wins on Saturday. Zupancic has emerged as one of the best face-off midfielders in the conference.
"Being a freshman starter on the team is a great experience for me," Zupancic said. "I am very excited to see what we will do in the coming years."
Zupancic echoed Glerum's comments about giving 100 percent no matter the outcome, and offered high praise for a senior class that is setting a great example.
"A big part of the success of our team is the bond that we already have, and that is a direct result of the passion from our seniors," Zupancic said. "They definitely hold us accountable in practice."
Although it's been a rocky start, Zupancic remains excited about the future and takes pride in laying the groundwork for program that has high hopes.
"We have great team chemistry," Zupancic said. "Everyone works really hard and we all understand that it isn't going to be easy. We know that we are the start of something special, and in the coming years when DePauw lacrosse is on the map we'll know we were the start of it all."
The Fighting Scots improved to 6-3 on the year (2-1 NCAC). The Scots players enjoyed an all-around strong game with 18 of their players scoring at least one point. Matt Ranck led the way for Wooster, cashing three goals while handing out two assists.
The Tigers will be back in action Wednesday, April 10, when they journey to Delaware, Ohio to try to knock off NCAC-leading Ohio Wesleyan.