CHRYSTAL McCONNELL/Arizona Daily Wildcat Women's lacrosse captain Elizabeth Short (left) teaches the fundamentals of "duck and hold" to fellow player Kathleen Skinner. The lacrosse team is without a coach, so Short and the other captains are filling in.

Players run practice while the No. 15 women's club lacrosse team continues to succeed despite having to compete for more than a year without a coach

As hard is it to imagine the men's basketball team winning without Lute Olson or the softball team without Mike Candrea, the women's lacrosse team is succeeding without a coach.

Despite not having a sideline roamer, the Wildcats have jumped out to a 3-1 record, losing 10-5 on Saturday to No. 3 UCLA öö a team which beat No. 1 Cal Poly 8-4.

"Our coach last year was a grad student, (Beth Duschatko) who played on our team with us and then she graduated," said junior center Elizabeth Short. "Then I guess since lacrosse isn't that big here, we couldn't find anyone to coach us."

Despite the successful start, being coachless isn't exactly ideal.

"We have enough experience that we can sort of guide ourselves," said Short. "We're looking for that one voice to be the ruler. Right now it seems like there are too many chiefs and not enough Indians."

The team has sought to solve the problem by urging the players to respect one another and through a plan of having one of the leaders run a practice, said tri-captain Heather Eynon.

"With so many leaders in the group no one really knows exactly who to follow," Eynon said. "We're going to try to have a captain or one of the returners each take a practice and they'll be the leaders."

During games, the team has been coached by men's head coach Adam Hopkins and assistant Ken Broshart.

"One day they just asked me and I know a bunch of the girls so I did," said Hopkins. "Coach Broshart and I have had a good time."

Hopkins said he is really impressed with how the team has been able to have success without a coach and their discipline.

"It is unbelievable, just the small things coach Broshart and I have told them has helped, but the fact that they hold disciplined practices is unbelievable," Hopkins said.

Despite the coaching void there is no lack of talent on the team.

"We proved last year we have a lot of talent, like when we played with only eight players, there's supposed to be twelve on the field and we won two games," Short said. "We have so much talent that returned and so much new talent."

Junior center Kim Flattley is the leading scorer with 11 goals, though Palmer is a close second with nine.

Eynon, the team president, has taken up much of the administrative duties, like booking hotels and flights, that club coaches must do.

"Heather Eynon has really taken charge," Short said. "She's really been a great leader, a great asset to the team."

Eynon and vice president Heather Snow, a junior, have to do fundraising while also keeping in contact with the league and other teams in regards to scheduling.

Short said she believes the team will be able to find a coach for next year.

"Yeah and if we don't find one, I'll coach," Short said.

Short said she thinks the team will be able to make it to the eight-team United States Lacrosse Intercollegiate Associates National Championship tournament, in St. Louis. Only one team from the Western Women's Lacrosse League makes it in.

"I think we'll do really well. I think we'll make it to St. Louis," Short said. "Our toughest competition is UCLA. I definitely think we have a great chance."