The Trojans are kicking off Fall Ball for the new school year tonight.  The team will be practicing with new Strength & Conditioning Coach and Nike SPARQ Trainer, Robert Steele tonight at 7pm on the track around Cromwell Field.  The public is welcome to watch from the stands as the team runs through their SPARQ fitness evaluation.

Fall Ball continues tomorrow as the team holds their intra-squad scrimmage on Cromwell field.  The team will meet at 9pm to stretch and will take the field promptly at 9:30pm.  Feel free to come down and cheer on your favorite player!

Fall practice schedule:

Tuesday, Wendesday: 7pm-9pm  Nike SPARQ Training & Stickwork

Thursday: 9pm-11pm Scrimmage

February 9, 2009 – The USC Trojans Men’s Lacrosse Team lost two games this weekend against #9 ranked UC Santa Barbara and #25 ranked Santa Clara University.

The Men of Troy were in Santa Barabara on Saturday for a cold, gray afternoon of lacrosse.  The always rowdy UCSB fans didn’t phase the Trojans as they came out of the gates strong and kept pace with UCSB, tying the score at 2 by end of the first quarter with solo goals by  sophomore midfielder Ricky Giancola and freshman attackman John Duddridge.  However, with the start of the second quarter, it became clear that USC was going to have trouble clearing the ball as UCSB turned up the heat on its ride.  Unable to get the ball to the offense, the Trojans only posted 1 goal in the second quarter: a rip from Duddridge, fed by sophomore attacker Jordan Levitz.  Meanwhile, UCSB took advantage of their extended possession time and drove up their score by 5, leaving the half-time score at 7-2.

The Trojans offense, who had lost Giancola shortly after his first goal due to an injury, had little opportunity left.  Spending too much time in the penalty box and too little time clearing, USC came up short in the second half, producing only 3 more goals: a solo by senior captain Corey Janoff, another solo by Levitz, and a quick shot by attackman Nima Majd off a feed from Levitz.  UCSB finished off the second half with 6 more goals, making the final score of this conference game 13-6.

Sunday brought USC’s second home game – a faceoff with former WCLL rival and now out of conference opponent, Santa Clara University.  The Trojans were not as fast out of the gate in this game, allowing Santa Clara to rack up 8 goals in the first quarter, to USC’s 2: a feed from Janoff to Levitz, and a connection from junior midfielder Kase Lawal to Duddridge.  Mistakes and penalties continued to plague the Trojans for the rest of the first half, and Santa Clara cranked up their lead to 13-3 by halftime.  The sole USC goal in the second quarter was a Levitz to Duddridge shot.

The second half showed an entirely different USC team.  Rejuvinated and refocused by some outstanding play by sophomore captain and goalie Alex Rice, the Trojans won the second half of play.  USC posted 6 more goals in the second half (Levitz solo, Levitz fed by Majd twice, sophomore attacker Peter Randaccio fed by Majd, Janoff solo, and Janoff fed by Levitz), and held Santa Clara to only 5.  Unfortunately, it was not enough to overcome the early lead Santa Clara had created and the final score ended up 18-9.

The Trojans will spend this week regrouping and preparing for their upcoming trip to the Pac-10 Shootout at Stanford University where they will face Stanford (on 2/14) and Cal (on 2/15).

Feb. 04, 2009 – The USC Trojans Men’s Lacrosse Team announces it’s captains for the 2009 season.  Corey Janoff, David Krumwiede, and Alex Rice will lead the team both on and off the field.

Senior and returning captain Corey Janoff (West Linn, OR/West Linn High School) is the Trojans’ face-off specialist and one of the teams strongest offensive weapons.  Corey was a high school First-Team All-State player and Oregon’s only Academic All-American.  Corey brought his leadership skills to USC and continues to be an inspiration to the team on and off the field.

Senior and returning captain David Krumwiede (Paradise Valley, AZ/Phoenix Country Day School) is the driving force behind what is sure to be a dominant defense this season.  David is a charismatic leader whose commanding presence is felt on the field at games and around the table at team meetings.

Sophomore Alex Rice (Hollywood, CA/Blair Academy)  is the newest and youngest of the three players receiving the honor of being named captain, but you wouldn’t know it by his demeanor.  Alex is a hard-working athlete who is returning to the team after a strong showing last year as a starting freshman goalie.

“This is going to be a challenging year for the team,” commented Head Coach David Aktary.  “We are undergoing a lot of changes in almost every aspect of the program and we are facing competition from some of the best teams in the league.  Fortunately, we have three bright, hard-working, and capable young men to help guide the team through this transition.  The leadership and dedication they have already demonstrated gives me confidence that we are on the right path with the right leadership.”

The USC Trojans were ranked #8 in the SLC in a preseason poll by MCLA The Lax Mag, and won their first game against Pepperdine, 17-2.  The Trojans look to build upon that win in their games against conference rival UCSB on Saturday, February 7 in Santa Barbara and at home against WCLL powerhouse Santa Clara on Sunday, February 8.

The men in Cardinal and Gold triumphed over the Pepperdine Waves today, 17 to 2.  Top goal contributors include transfer sophomore Jordan Levitz at attack with 5, fellow attackman and freshman John Duddridge with 3, and returning midfielders Ricky Giancola and Matt Williams, both scoring 2.  Putting on an all-star performance was captain and returning midfielder Corey Janoff with 4 goals and 14 won faceoffs.  Returning midfielder Case Lawal provided 1 goal and 1 assist while fellow returner Nima Majd assisted 2.

The dominant defense by starting long poles Hunter Meldman, David Krumwiede, and John Ludwig was supported by fellow close defenders Jordan Morse Reiff and freshman Chase Bakaly, holding the Waves to only 2 goals.  Supporting the defensive efforts were longstick midfielders Ryan Leaverton and Jamie Kline.

Goaltenders Addison Martinez, Alex Rice, and Jeff Barton took turns in the crease stopping nearly all the shots the Waves got off and starting clears that led to multiple fast break opportunities for the Trojans.

usclacrosse.com now has a handy-dandy widget to let you know when and where the next upcoming game is (see the left side of this page).  However,  you can also find USC Men’s Lacrosse games proudly displayed on the USC Events Calendar, which will feature each of our games, both home and away.

Don’t forget, the home opener is just days away when we host Pepperdine on Saturday, January 1 at 2pm.  Be there – it’s going to be a great game!

The 2008-2009 USC Trojans were the focus of the “Team Spotlight” article in the January 2009 edition of MCLA The Lax Mag.  While the article was written in the Fall, before the Spring season team was formed, it gives a good idea of the new direction of the team and the overall change in philosophy that the new coaching staff is bringing with it.   usclacrosse.com has obtained an electronic copy for your enjoyment here:

USC Featured in MCLA The Lax Mag Article (popup into new window)

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USC Men’s Lacrosse announces the formation of it’s 2009 roster which can be found at http://www.usclacrosse.com/roster .  The Trojans are again fielding a young team with extensive lacrosse experience this year.  Under the leadership of seniors like captains Corey Janoff and David Krumwiede, the team is eager to see the new talents of promising freshmen and transfer students alike on the field against some of the top teams in the MCLA.   Deep in key defensive positions and with 2 new goalies backing up returning starter Alex Rice, the Trojans are sure to give up few goals this year.

“I feel great about our defensive prospects this year.  We have some excellent talent coming in to complement an already solid group.  New names on the defense roster this year include Hunter Meldman, a transfer from NCAA Division 1 UNC Chapel Hill, Chase Bakaly, a freshman from top-ranked Landon School, and Luke Gilliand, a senior who is returning to the team after taking last year off” said Head Coach David Aktary.

If the Trojans will be stacked at defense, they aregoing to be absolutely lethal on the offensive side of the field.  Rookies Peter Ding, John Duddridge, and Macklen Lethin join veterans like Kase Lawall and Jon Chow to fill out an attack unit that is sure to be a serious offensive threat.

Not to be overlooked, the midfield remains one of USC’s strongest areas.  Boasting 4 LSM players like senior Luke Whiteside, and 11 dedicated midfielders including juniors Matt Williams and Will Purvis , the Trojans will have both talent and depth to compete in what is certainly the most talented conference in the MCLA.

The USC Men’s Lacrosse Team will play a total of 17 games this season. They’re season will be comprised of 5 division games, 2 games in the Pac-10 Shootout, a trip to Florida State to play 3 games as part of the Southern Shootout, and 7 other games against various opponents. Check out the schedule now and mark your calendars as we prepare for another hard hitting Trojan Lacrosse season.

USC Men’s Lacrosse has decided that with the addition of a new coach and a new direction for the team it would be in their best interest to release Duane Milton as the team’s assistant coach. We would like to thank Duane for his work with the team and wish him luck in his future endeavors.

USC Men’s Lacrosse is pleased to announce David Aktary as the new head coach. Coach Aktary recently moved out to California after completing his MBA at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. He was formerly the coach at University of Michigan-Dearborn.

We are excited to bring a new face to the program and make strides towards becoming a prominent lacrosse program on the west coast. Coach Aktary has previous experience coaching and playing at the club level, which should make for a smooth transition into his first season as USC’s head coach.

Coach Aktary has founded several lacrosse programs in his career as a player and coach, including his high school’s program and the club program at University Michigan-Dearborn (where he later returned several years after graduating to become the head coach).

Aktary has also founded multiple businesses and currently acts as the Managing Director of Aktary & Associates, a business consulting firm. He is also fluent in Spanish and enjoys playing guitar.