By Maggie Tifft, Contributor
Spring is here, which means it’s time for new sports to take action on the Demske. At Canisius, the men’s lacrosse team has been around for years, winning three MAAC championships. So what makes this year so special?
The Griffs look to come back to those years of glory and championship rings after suffering a devastating 2–13 record a spring ago. While the program has seen ups and downs throughout the years, their goal has never wavered.
“Our goal is to be in the MAAC tournament and have a chance to compete for a conference championship and make it into the NCAA tournament,” says head coach Mark Miyashita.
Miyashita has been head coach for the men’s soccer team since 2017, being an alumnus of Canisius himself and getting inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003. Miyashita’s deep history with the school drives his passion for the team’s success and overall well-being of his players. The team's best year under current coach Miyashita came in 2018 when Canisius won the MAAC Championship.
With a conference as “wack” as the MAAC, the Griffs have an opportunity to grab another conference title, as there has not been a consecutive champion on the men’s side since the twentieth century.
This season, the coaching staff has put an immense effort into strengthening the mindset of the players, in addition to typical strength and skill training. With an emphasis on controlling one’s mindset and creating a positive narrative in the player’s head, coach Miyashita and his staff look to better their record this season and see some of their one-to-two–goal losses end up in favor of the Griffs.
“Working on mental strength training has been a real asset to both the student-athletes and the coaches. We have more tools in our kit to use and rely on as a team to help us avoid or get out of any hiccups throughout a game, a week or throughout the season,” continued coach Miyashita.
The Canisius men’s lacrosse team begins their season on the road, Tuesday at 4 p.m. in Ann Arbor, where they will face the nationally ranked Michigan Wolverines.