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By Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Wildcat
September 9, 1996
Mickey Miles Felton, coach of the UA's lacrosse team, is looking for a few good ... well, anyone."We're looking for players, managers, trainers, personnel," said Felton, who is entering his 20th year at the helm of the Laxcats.
The first team meeting is tomorrow in the Student Recreation Center conference room at 3:30 p.m.
Felton, who has a no-cut policy, welcomes anyone interested in helping out the program to the meeting. That's not to imply that the Laxcats need a great deal of help, however.
The Laxcats, who participate in Division I-North of the Western Collegiate Lacrosse League, have reached the playoffs in all but one year during Felton's reign. Last season, Arizona won 12 of 15 regular-season matchups before falling in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs. This year, the Laxcats have 14 returning veterans - the most in three years, Felton said.
After practicing for just under a month, the Laxcats will open their 1996 exhibition season Oct. 19 at Air Force. The team will then break for most of December and early January, then regroup to prepare for the 1997 regular season.
The Laxcats play their home games at Wildcat Field, which is located at 15th Street and Tucson Boulevard, next to Drachman Stadium.
Felton said "it doesn't do any good" to speculate about the coming regular season.
"We lose players because of grades and lack of commitment," he said. "Last fall we had 36 players, but in the spring we had 20."
Aspiring lacrosse players shouldn't expect to be able to blow off the exhibition season and be a part of the team in the regular season. "If you don't play in the fall, you don't play in the spring," Felton said.
Because the Laxcats are a club team, they receive minimal funding from the university. As a result, players must buy their own equipment. Felton said players should expect to put up $500 a year for equipment and other expenses.
Felton, who is president of the WCLL, said there will likely be a national championship for club lacrosse this year, for the first time ever. The eight-team tournament will take place in St. Louis, he said.
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