These are the sights and sounds of UMass Lacrosse, and they begin inside the Minuteman locker room.
Justin Walker makes his march, tapping each of his teammates on the head. Tom Fallon has his fingers in war paint, set to apply the makeup that darkens his stare. Paul Hutchen is screaming, pacing back and forth to the rhythm of his chants. Don Little is silent, his thoughts fixated on the game. And Matt McFarland’s stomach is riding the carousel from hell.
This is UMass Lacrosse.
“It usually seems to be different groups of people that like to do their own thing, hanging out with each other,” says Dusty Smith, of the pregame gatherings. “But everybody understands that everybody’s getting ready to the best of their ability in their own way. Then, when it’s time to go, everyone is prepared to do it together.”
Before taking the field every game, captains Little and McFarland bring the team together to offer what are supposed be classic words of inspiration. But that speech rarely takes full form.
“I always throw up,” says McFarland, with a chuckle.
“When we bring it in, if [McFarland] steps aside and throws up then there’s really nothing you have to say,” Little says. “Because that says it all. He was my roommate for two years when I was a freshman and a sophomore. When we had our first game he came out and did that. I was kind of like, what is going on? But now it’s become a tradition where if he doesn’t do that then you know there’s something wrong.”
Sure, it’s somewhat revolting. But it’s still UMass Lacrosse. The second McFarland’s guts give way, and the resulting hysteria. That is UMass Lacrosse.
“When everybody else sees McFarland throw up we all get a little more excited, because we know how excited he is at that point and it’s usually a good tradition to see happen,” Smith says. “It let’s everyone know that we’re ready to go.”
And when the Minutemen hit the field, it’s not unusual for their opponents to become riddled with shame. Navy felt it this season when Smith rocketed a lefty shot from the right side of the field with force strong enough to send the ball back out of the netting. Penn State felt it when Chris Fiore slung a last-second shot through 11 players into the shelf from over 30 yards out. Hartford felt it when Kevin Leveille faked its goalie three times and made him fall down. Rutgers felt it when Marc Morley caught the ball with his back to the cage and slung the ball through his legs and between the pipes. Syracuse felt it when Bill Schell stoned national point-leader Mike Powell from point blank range. Georgetown felt it when McFarland stick-checked Player of the Year candidate Steve Dusseau, who was on his way to the easy fourth quarter goal. And Stony Brook felt it when Dan Paccione netted a one-handed game-winner through the legs of its goalie. That is UMass Lacrosse.
Knowing well that they’re rarely given the respect they deserve, the Minutemen play each game daring to prove that Massachusetts is the newest sanctuary of the lacrosse world. UMass Lacrosse might not get the big money players, the big money sponsors or have the big money moniker. But it doesn’t want to.
“We like to use that as a little motivation,” Smith says. “We like to think that when we go out we don’t get all the bells and whistles that everybody else get. And we think that in a lot of ways it makes us tougher and makes us more of a group. We like to keep that chip on our shoulder to keep us on edge when we play other teams.”
A year removed from its 2001 NCAA Tournament snubbing, UMass is prepared to make its fight for the crown. It’s a battle that began on Feb. 23 with its, 12-11, overtime loss to Hofstra and one that continues Saturday at Brown with its first round matchup against Fairfield. No longer do the Minutemen dwell on the fate of last year’s neglected 12-2 squad. It’s in the back of everyone’s mind, but that’s not driving them anymore.
“In the beginning of the season that was an issue,” says McFarland, who joins the rest of the UMass seniors in their first and last tournament appearance. “We kind of used that in the beginning to say let’s get back at everything that happened to us. But now it’s about this year.”
This year, the Minutemen have come from behind three times in the final quarter and won. They went undefeated in the ECAC and clinched the conference’s automatic bid, taking their postseason chances out of the committee’s grasp. They never wavered from the run-and-gun style that deteriorates opponents’ will and never shied away from their rough, physical nature. They never stopped to question their character.
After its game with Penn State on March 30, in which UMass came back from being down 12-11 with 49 seconds left to win 13-12, Hutchen scribed the definition of UMass Lacrosse.
“It’s a test of character,” he screamed. “When you’re down four goals and look at every guy on the bench and everyone knows you’re going to come back. That’s just unbelievable.
“This is why I wouldn’t have gone to any other school but UMass.”
