KENT, Ohio — It’s one of the fastest growing sports in the country: a blend of soccer, hockey and basketball.
Though the game has been around for centuries since being created by the Native Americans, it’s only recently that lacrosse has exploded in Northeast Ohio.
On the campus of Kent State, women’s lacrosse is the newest sport, with the season kicking off earlier this month.
“It means a lot to mean and I’m so honored to be a part of it,” freshman attacker Megan Kozar said. “You have to have a super good group of people to start a program.”
The team is young, with the roster comprised of two sophomores and 24 freshmen. But for head coach Brianne Tierney, it presents a unique opportunity.
“There’s a group of 26 young women who will start and play every game possibly all four years of their career and that is a rarity at Division I at our level and in this sport,” she said.
The Golden Flashes are the only D-I women’s lacrosse program in Northeast Ohio, and only the third in the state (Ohio State and Cincinnati are the others). While they are the new kids on the block, the team says that won’t affect them.
“Coming into the season some people are going to think of us as freshman, but we are coming in strong and ready to play hard,” freshman defender Hailee Andry said.
The sentiment is echoed by goalie (and fellow freshman) Grace Merrill.
“A lot of new programs aren’t really known to be good and just other teams walk all over them,” she said. “I think, personally, I want to come out and show how strong we are and all the skills that we have and that we’re not just someone you can walk all over.”
The season has just started, and for Tierney and her team, so has their journey, as they work to build the program and learn along the way.
“You can teach a lot of people how to play lacrosse,” she said. “I think this crew was the best, and just how they’re motivating each other and how they’re building from within.”