Everyone knows about the Border Battle between Wisconsin and Minnesota if you’re reading this site. Paul Bunyan’s Axe is a staple of college sports, but just how bitter is that border battle? Try all the way down to the club sports level. On Friday while the varsity softball team is in Minneapolis taking on the Gophers as part of the “official” Border Battle series, the University of Wisconsin club lacrosse program takes on it’s neighbors from the west right in Madison’s backyard of Middleton at 7pm Central.
What makes this version of the Border Battle must see? Besides the general disdain between the two schools, the Badgers lacrosse team that will take the field on Friday night will have a roster full of Minneapolis area talent on it’s side of the battle.
No doubt it adds a lot to the mix for a team that is just in it’s 4th year of existence as a member of the MCLA, yet it can be friendly off the field as a lot of players on both sides grew up playing the sport together in Minnesota.
Wisconsin lacrosse has been a club sport for close to 40 years already, but it existed as more of a fall sport until they upped their game to compete in the largest lacrosse league in the world, the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association. The MCLA has two divisions and UW competes in the highest of them as a Division 1 school and a member of the Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference within the MCLA, which has over 100 members in Division 1 and 200 member schools in total.
One of the misconceptions about the sport is that this team doesn’t recruit. Yes, they can’t offer scholarships or financial-aid to their players, but they can offer a great place to go to school and for those lacrosse players in the Minneapolis area that don’t get scholarships the reciprocity agreement between the state of Minnesota and Wisconsin can be a very attractive opportunity at a lower cost.
In fact, UW even has a few transfers from scholarship programs, namely from a school with a good tradition like Towson. So, clearly Wisconsin has a draw all it’s own even without financial aid or help in getting into the school.
As for the team that will take to the field on Friday night in Middleton? Well, UW is currently 4-1 on the young MLCA season, but have done it in awesome fashion. They’ve held every opponent to under 10 goals this season, while twice scoring more than 20, with a season high 25 goals coming against Nebraska in the regular season opener on the road to the Huskers. Wisconsin’s lone loss was to perennially tough Minnesota-Duluth, 9-6.
Of course with the additions of Maryland and Rutgers to the varsity Big Ten conference there have been rumblings of lacrosse becoming a varsity sport on the conference level, but according to club president Curtis Van Holland don’t expect UW to be part of that in the near future. He sees that move at least 6-10 years off in the distance if it happens at all.
So, on Friday night while you are trying to find things to do consider getting out and supporting one of the youngest and best club lacrosse teams in the country and exercise your birth right as a Wisconsinite to hate on the Gophs at the same time and while your at it, check them out on Sunday afternoon against Illinois as well.
For more information on the team and how to support this growing club check them out online and via Twitter @BadgerLacrosse.
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