Courtesy of BYU Lacrosse

Editors’ Note: True Blue is the first player blog on Utah Lacrosse News and we couldn’t be more excited. Joel Perez will be breaking down the BYU Men’s Lacrosse team this season in a weekly blog.

Hey everybody, my name is Joel Perez. I play defense for the defending MCLA D-I National Champion BYU Cougars. I am super excited to give you a glimpse into the life of MCLA lacrosse.

A little bit about me: I started playing in the 8th grade. My first coach was the legendary Steve Gray, who coached me my in my Junior and Senior years of high school. So for anyone who thinks you can’t play college ball unless you started super early I promise that’s not the case. I played at Brighton High School and loved every minute there. I was there on the brink of our rise to power! I played outside linebacker on the football team which is probably why I feel so at home on the defensive side of the field. I recently returned from a full time LDS Mission to Houston, Texas.

Well, now that you know a little about me, let’s get to what you really wanna hear. This season looks to be a promising one indeed. The team has been hard at work since the fall with practices beginning at 5:30 in the morning. Coach Schneck has made it clear that we have a target on our backs, and we can not let off the throttle in the slightest. Coaches Schneck, Harris, Rife, and Nagle have pushed us all to the limit each practice and we got to see it pay off a little in Saturdays Blue and White game.

The White team came out hot and jumped to an early 5-1 lead. Blue came back quick though, led by Ted Ferrin, to come within 6-5 at the half. It was back and forth from there with Blue getting their first lead of the game in the middle of the fourth quarter. There was a lot of gut checks throughout the game and each time the teams responded. Blue came out with a victory in OT off a Jake Ferrin rebound shot on the crease. The game produced a lot of excitement for the season. Both teams looked as though they could compete on their own and be contenders for the title. The beauty is we don’t have to, we will be together.

I look forward to continue to give you the inside peek of the life of a BYU lacrosse player. Go Cougs!