By: Trevor Dougherty

The team has just finished participating in the 5^th annual Nick Colleluori Classic with successful showings against both the University of Michigan and Mount St. Mary's University.  It was a great day for our team all around - beautiful weather, a delicious tailgate and contributing to a wonderful cause, on top of competing against two strong lacrosse teams.  It was enjoyable for the coaches, players, parents and fans to watch a fast-paced and energetic team continue to gain confidence on the field throughout the day. 

With that being said, the men on the team realize that there is still a ways to go in the improvement process.  We are finishing up Phase 1 of our season in the next few days with Alumni Weekend as we welcome back to campus previous Hawk players.  The alumni are playing a crucial role in the development of this program and we are looking forward to introducing them to the newest brand of St. Joe's lacrosse.  Shortly after, we will be jumping into Phase 2 of our season with increased strength, speed and conditioning workouts, along with individual skills sessions.  We are viewing Phase 2 as a great opportunity to get ahead of our opponents and be better prepared for the upcoming season.  We have set high standards for ourselves and these next few months will be an important step in helping us to meet those expectations. 

The team as a whole would like to again thank the parents for hosting a wonderful tailgate during the HEADstrong Classic.  The amount of time, effort and preparation that goes into each tailgate is always appreciated.  The meals are consistently top-notch; though I might add, everything tastes much better after a win.  With your continued support, we are looking forward to making this an unforgettable season for St. Joe's lacrosse.  Go Hawks.   

By: Matt Germain

Another week down, and another week closer to the official start of the 2012 lacrosse season. As we finish out our final week of practice before the HEADstrong Lacrosse Tournament, we continue to prepare ourselves for the first big test of the 2011-2012 season. We are set to take on two quality opponents this Saturday in the University of Michigan, and Mount Saint Mary's.

As October 8th draws closer, the men on our team are showing increasing levels of excitement and intensity to show the lacrosse community what the new Saint Joseph's University men's lacrosse team is all about.  This fall we have already made huge strides towards accomplishing our goals for the year, and continue to work everyday to get better. Our coaches have instilled the mentality in us that we should focus on getting a little better everyday, because the cumulative effects will have a big impact on our level of success this year.
   
The team has been working extremely hard both on and off the field not only with lacrosse, but in the classroom and community as well. Our hope is to not only excel on the lacrosse field, but as students and young men. I trust that as you read this blog, and the ones to come, you will get excited to see the progress our team has made in just a few short weeks. I am confident in saying that this truly is a different team, and we look forward to showing you this Saturday. We look forward to seeing everyone, to take the first step towards a great season. Go Hawks! 

By: Chris Jenkins

This year has been a big step up from the last few years for the men on the team. We have been practicing harder, lifting more, and conditioning like never before. The team has been attacking every workout and practice session with an enthusiasm and drive that was definitely lacking in the last few years.

We look forward to showcasing all the hard work in the upcoming headstrong tournament next weekend. Coach Wray and coaches Mike Keating and Dan Keating have done a great job preparing us for our games against Michigan and Mount Saint Mary's. We have improved so much just over the last few weeks that it is very exciting to see what will be able to do this season. The team on the field next weekend will look much different. We hope that this tournament will be the building block to the beginning of a very successful season for St. Joe's Lacrosse.

On a different note, we have begun doing weekly community service at several locations around campus to give back to the Philadelphia community. My service group has been visiting the Simpson House Retirement Home. It has been a great experience thus far and very rewarding to give back to all the people living there. The residents of the home are excited to see us every week, they love telling us stories about their lives, playing trivia, and even throwing a ball around. Weekly service is a nice change up from the normal physically taxing sessions we have all week and gives us a chance to relax while giving back. This is going to be a great year and we have started off on the right foot, working hard on and off the field.