Photo provided by the Michigan Tech lacrosse club From left, Michigan Tech’s Max Casler, Billy Bailey, Tony Koerner and Harrison Jesko all pose before a spring game. The quartet are part of the lacrosse club team, which is looking to rebuild after losing several players last season.

HOUGHTON — Harrison Jesko is an electrical engineering major in his junior year at Michigan Tech. He’s also the president of the men’s lacrosse club team that aims to get students out playing the game in the fall and spring of each school year.

“Our main objective for the team is just to try and get students at Michigan Tech to get out and enjoy the game of lacrosse,” he said. “We strive to try and make sure that everybody in the club is doing well in school (while) at the same time also getting out and exploring what (club) options Michigan Tech has to offer.”

The men’s lacrosse club competes in the Great Lakes Lacrosse (GLL) conference. Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan compete together with nine other teams that are primarily based in Wisconsin.

The team had a rebuilding season last season finishing their season in the middle of April as the fifth team in the Central Division.

“The way our season goes, in the spring we’ll have three to four (competition) weekends,” said Jesko. “(We) drive down to Wisconsin. We’ll play anywhere from two to four games on any given weekend. After those games we have our main tournament for the league, usually in Madison (Wisconsin). Then we’ll have one tournament in the fall.”

“This season was a little bit of a wierd season because we kind of had a big turnover year where we had a lot of people leave and not as many people come back,” Jesko said. “So we had a short roster. Our goal for the season was to (just) stay competitive and for everybody to have a good time.

“With the team that we had, we weren’t trying to win our conference, but we were also more or less going out there to have a good time, just trying to play some good lacrosse.”

The team spent the year growing and improving their game play and Jesko felt they improved as the season progressed, coming closer to getting wins against tough opponents as the end of the season neared in mid April.

“We definitely played better as the season progressed,” he said. “Our first weekend, we played some pretty good teams, but we got beat pretty heavily just because (they were) our first games. I don’t think we were quite as prepared, but as the season went on, we (improved).

“In our last tournament weekend, we had really close games against some pretty good teams. We almost (beat them). I think we lost by a goal (in) each (game), but if we would’ve played those teams in the first couple of weeks (of the season), they would’ve won by a lot more so our team definitely got better as the season went on.”

Growth has become a goal for the club moving forward.

“We need to grow as a team,” said Jesko. “That means advertising and getting the word out that Michigan Tech has a lacrosse program because I don’t think a lot of people know that there is a lacrosse program here. I don’t think there’s a shortage of (players), it’s just getting them to come out (and play).”

A smaller number of players is also a challenge for the lacrosse team that Jesko sees in part due to longer road trips on the weekends.

“A lot of people I think are uncomfortable maybe going to Wisconsin for a whole weekend. I think if we could get more guys, we would have a really competitive team,” he said. “Going forward, our No. 1 concern is to definitely try and increase the number of people playing.”

When asked what makes the Michigan Tech Men’s lacrosse club team unique, Jesko was quick to credit his teammates who make playing the sport so fun to play. He also advised anyone who may be interested in trying the sport to come out and meet the team next season.

“It’s definitely the players,” he said. ” I think every guy that’s been on the team has been a really great person. It makes it really fun to play when the people your playing wth are just really great friends. I’ve made some of my best friends here playing Lacrosse. I would say that’s the biggest stand out feature for the club. We have some great people on the team right now.

“The biggest thing that I would want people to know if they are thinking about playing is just to come out. Practices are free to show up to (and) the only thing that costs money are the tournaments. It’s not a lot. (The cost) depends on the year, but that’s something that we’re trying to get down so that it’s more affordable.”