Beating a rival is always a sweet victory, especially so on homecoming weekend.

There were six sporting events on campus Feb. 18, and one of them was a club lacrosse game where St. Edward’s defeated Sam Houston State University 16-9.

Originally the game was supposed to be on Sunday at the lower practice field, but it was rescheduled to Saturday on the main athletic field. Having the game at Lewis-Chen Family Field welcomed a larger crowd of fans and lacrosse alumni.

“We were so blessed to play on this field and have our game moved from Sunday to Saturday, so we have the whole school to thank for that,” junior midfielder Andrew Stingi said.

The team is comprised of several juniors and freshmen. Stingi scored eight goals, while freshman attacker Spencer Small made four goals. Stingi said the biggest asset the lacrosse team has offensively and defensively is the freshman class.

“I feel like this homecoming experience is a big deal, and I hope it brings recruits out,” Stingi said.

Born and raised in New York, Stingi grew up playing lacrosse since kindergarten. His passion followed him to St. Edward’s, as he has helped the program grow in the past three years.

Last season, the team had only 12 members, but now has about 32. Stingi says this is helpful because players in key positions can be switched out, and can allow a stronger overall team effort.

“Our recruitment tactic was ‘no experience required,’” Stingi said, highlighting freshman rookies who continued playing all throughout college. “We realized it’s much more of a social aspect that kids are looking for.”

These student athletes motivate each other on the field, and study and eat together off the field.

The lacrosse team is part of the Lonestar Alliance (LSA) Div. II-South conference, and currently holds a 3-1 record.

With six games left this season, including four home games, the men hope to win the South title and receive an automatic bid to compete in California during finals week.

“We’re a very young team with good leadership, and we’re really looking to keep this going, and hopefully win a championship,” Stingi said.

Club and intramural sports don’t usually receive a lot of attention, but these athletes sacrifice their time to practice and play like the NCAA teams do.

Their next home game is March 4 at 1 p.m. against the University of Texas at San Antonio.

“I would love to have club sports be a much more integrated part of our culture here,” Stingi said. “Because I know for me and many of my teammates, it’s a big part of what we do at Steds.”