Entering the first game of the season, the men’s lacrosse team faced the Chelsea Bulldogs. The air was laced with uncertainty as the players headed into the match.

“We had a pretty bad record [in] past years,” said senior Karl Thorsson.

Starting out the Bulldogs dove for the lead, taking the first goal of the game, but the tides soon turned.

“We came back with another goal, they scored another goal, and then we came back with another, and then we dominated from there,” Thorsson said. 

Paving the way with a hat trick (three goals from the same player in a game) from Thorsson, the River Rats pulled through to victory, beating the Bulldogs 6-4 on the Bulldogs’ home turf.  

Regardless, the rivalry stayed friendly. After the win, senior goalkeeper Preston Hermansen caught up with an old friend from the opposing team. 

“It was really nice to play against my old friend. We played in four tournaments together during the summer for our club team; reconnecting before the game on social media felt special,” Hermansen said.

This win marks the beginning of the season to come, representing a change of culture within the team.