Kevin B. Klaus/Arizona Daily Wildcat UA lacrosse midfielder Jeems Lochridge, left, celebrates one of Arizona's 21 goals against Texas Tech Feb. 22 at Murphy Stadium with midfielder Jared Peter. Arizona defeated Texas Tech 21-5 and will play UC-Santa Barbara Sunday.

Laxcat senior Lochridge emerges as team leader

When the UA men's club lacrosse team dropped seven of its last nine games in 2003, the cliques that had formed the team's foundation began to conflict and unravel, sending the team into disarray.

"We had bad team chemistry," said then-junior attackman Jeems Lochridge, who led the team with 4.24 points per game last season. "Everyone yelled and got down on one another. There was fighting and bickering between players, between coaches and players."

Summer brought a changing of the guard. Head coach Adam Hopkins' departure opened the door for assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Kenny Broschart to step up and assume command. The seniors also went their separate ways, leaving Arizona's new team captains ÷ senior defenseman Tom Wiley, junior defenseman Dan Young and Lochridge ÷ to tend to a young but potent roster in 2004.

It's a challenge that Lochridge, nicknamed "The Boy" by teammates, welcomed.

"I knew we had a lot of new guys coming in," he said. "Being a new guy myself, I saw a lot of things I liked and things I didn't like. I didn't like the attitude, guys trying to bully you around, thinking they're better than you just because they're older, you know? So I treat everyone really as equal. I give them respect.

"Our team is like a family. You need to respect your family."

Broschart instituted a number of changes during the offseason, including Lochridge's move from attack to midfield, mostly to capitalize on the senior's playmaking abilities.

"He is one of the most dominant players on our team," Broschart said. "Last year, he led the team with 70 points and was one of the best players we had. We moved him this year, and he is really playing well."

Lochridge, a business administration and finance senior, continues to take a controlled approach to his game.

"I try to do everything textbook; do the little things that, when not done, turn into bad habits," he said. "I'm trying to be a role model, to do things fundamentally so some of the younger kids who don't have much experience can see and learn."

His fellow midfielders, including freshman Harrison Crawford, are quick to extol Lochridge's demonstrative nature.

"He just gives 100 percent," Crawford said. "Every day in practice, he's there, and in whatever he does, he goes all out. Him being on my line motivates me to play better."

Lochridge has let his offense take a backseat this season, in favor of letting sophomore attackmen Adam Paris and Greg Polheber light up the goal. Both rank in the top 10 of the Western Collegiate Lacrosse League's point standings.

Despite his efforts, Lochridge, who was third on the team in scoring through last week, remains just one of the guys.

"He's not a leader and he's not really a big brother, either," Paris said. "He's just a very good player who just wants to go out and play well.

"He's the catalyst of our team. He gets going, and then everyone else gets going."

Still, "The Boy" doesn't quite consider himself "The Man."

"I wouldn't say it's my team at all," said Lochridge. "I wouldn't say it's anyone's team. I start the offense, get it going like the quarterback, but it's not my team at all. Everyone's part of the team, and it belongs to them."

With the team's newfound collectiveness, Lochridge hopes 2004 turns out how 2003 never did ÷ with a berth in the United States Lacrosse Intercollegiate Associates national title game May 12 in St. Louis, Mo.

"We don't have the talent we've had in other years," he said, "but I've been having the most fun out of any of (my four) years. Other years, it was just a bunch of individuals. Being close-knit and getting to know each of the guys is better than having two or three friends on the team.

"I want to be in St. Louis, with my team there, receiving the championship trophy."