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.

USC beat the Bruins Saturday night in a thrilling season ending game. The Trojans scored the winning goal with just over a minute to go in a game that is sure to provide plenty of fuel to the fire of this bitter rivalry for years to come. After falling behind by a small margin of 3-6 at the end of the first half USC came alive in the 3rd quarter and brought the game to a tie at 9-9 to begin the 4th. With just over a minute to go and the score tied at 12-12 Tyler McDonald scored a behind the back goal to give the Trojans the 13-12 victory!

Saturday February 23rd’s game against Claremont has been cancelled because of the rain and tenatively rescheduled for April 10th.

Saturday Feb 2nd, USC Trojans Men’s Lacrosse team kicked off their regular season against the Pepperdine waves with a 15-6 victory. USC, with 22 rookies, played an impressive game where many freshmen saw playing time.

Freshman goalie Alex Rice (Blair Academy, NJ) making his first collegiate start was strong in the pipes making 12 saves out of 15 shots on cage. Three weeks of hard conditioning paid off with USC winning the face-off and ground ball battle. The two major contributors in the groundball battle were Luke Whiteside (Wesleyan, GA) 6 gb’s and Richie DeBeikes(University, CA) 5 gb’s.

USC scoring was led by impressive attack play by freshman Tyler McDonald (Hingham, MA) tallying 5 goals and 2 assists for 7 points in his first time wearing the cardinal and gold. The midfield was led by 2 stand out freshman Drew Ness (Westview, CA) with 3goals, 2 assists and Jake Medwell (Bellvue, WA) with 3 goals.

Next week the USC Trojans Men’s Lacrosse team is preparing for a home division rival with national powerhouse UCSB ranked #3 in the nation. Good luck to Pepperdine in 2008.

The 2008 season roster is finally online. The roster is complete with player profiles and biographies. Check back soon for pictures from the Trojans’ season opening games.

The Men of Troy take on the Pepperdine Waves on Saturday February 2nd at 1:00pm at Peppedine.