The Ohio University women’s club lacrosse team is more than just lacrosse: it’s fun, friendship and a place for players to play the game they love.
OU’s women’s lacrosse team is in Division 1 in the Midwest Women’s Lacrosse League and is a part of the university’s club sports. The team is getting ready for its first tournament Saturday, and they recently held tryouts last month in preparation for the next season.
Quinn Downing, a senior studying management information systems and data analytics and a midfielder on the team, recalled the nerves she felt when trying out for the team her sophomore year.
“It was really scary,” Downing said. “I feel like the sport itself is growing so much and every year we have more and more girls try out.”
Lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing college sports in the country.
“I knew I wanted to play lacrosse, so I just brought that mindset and wanting to meet more girls with similar interests as me,” Downing said.
President of the lacrosse team Kate McClellan, a junior studying social work, said getting to know the new team members has been a great experience.
“It’s been super fun getting to connect and meet and know these new members, and just see what they bring to the table,” McClellan said.
McClellan has been playing lacrosse since she was in third grade after watching an Ohio State University women’s lacrosse game.
Provided by Kate McClellan
“I thought it looked so cool, so I started playing,” McClellan said. “I played club and school all the way up until I graduated high school and I just kept playing.”
The OU women’s club lacrosse team gives players a chance to continue playing the game they love and build close relationships with team members.
Emma Patsilevas, a sophomore environmental health science major, said she has met some of her closest friends from being on the team.
“It has been the best decision I made since coming to school,” Patsilevas said. “All of my closest friends have been made through the lacrosse team. We’ve all become so close, and it has really given me something to look forward to during the weeks.”
Downing said finding and joining the team allowed her to continue to participate in the sport she has played since middle school.
“One of the big reasons I decided to join was I actually felt lost without lacrosse,” Downing said. “Finding the team was just amazing.”
One of Patsilevas’ favorite parts of being on the team is traveling for games.
“Last year, we traveled to Notre Dame and that was super cool,” Patsilevas said. “I never imagined that I would be somewhere playing lacrosse but also getting to look at historical sites and see other college campuses.”
For Downing, meeting her best friend on the team was one of the highlights of her experience so far.
“We both tried out the same year and made the team together,” Downing said. “We didn’t think we were going to make the team … I actually don’t know what I would do without her in my life.”
McClellan loves seeing friends and family show up and support the team at games.
“It’s so important for me to see that, and I love seeing it so much because it’s the people I love coming to watch me do the thing that I love,” Mcclellan said.
