USC's men's lacrosse club lacrosse recently began its 2025 season and already has a thrilling victory under its belt.
On Friday, the club picked up its first win of the season when it defeated Boston College 10-9 in overtime. The game was tightly contested, as neither team led by more than two points throughout the night. The Gamecocks held a one-point lead at halftime and led for most of the second half.
With around a minute to go, Boston College scored a late goal that tied the game and forced overtime. In the extra period, the Gamecocks quickly gained momentum when it moved the ball deep into Boston College territory. Nathan Wolfe, a first-year sport and entertainment management student, scored the game-winning goal for South Carolina, giving his team its first win of the season.
"That was a crazy game," Wolfe said. "That's what I came to South Carolina for, crazy games like that. That's a great team over there, and we stuck together the whole time and came together right there at the end."
Tyler Michinard, a third-year sport and entertainment management student, helped the Gamecocks win in overtime when he scooped the ball off the ground and passed to an open teammate, who later found Wolfe for the score.
"I saw the guy coming," Michinard said. "I felt the ball hit my stick, so I picked it up, ran it down, threw it to zero (third year advertising student) Casey Hurley, and Wolfe finished it off with a game winner."
South Carolina competes in the Southeastern Lacrosse Conference, which is part of the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA). The Gamecocks play its first divisional game of the season on Saturday at Georgia, then host Northeastern on Sunday. The club plays its home games at the old football practice fields across from Williams-Brice Stadium.
In the club's season-opener, the Gamecocks traveled to face its conference rival Florida. The Gamecocks fell behind early in the game and lost 15-5. After the defeat, the team rebounded to have a strong week of practice that culminated in Friday's win.
"We just came back with a different mentality during practice," Michinard said. "We hit the ground running, got a little more conditioning in. There was punishments for dropping balls, errors, missed slides. We got a lot more competitive during practice."
The Gamecocks have been successful over the years, as the club won the MCLA Division I National Championship in 2019 and 2022. The club's success has helped it gain the attention of potential future players. One of those was Wolfe, who said the team's reputation played a role in his college decision.
"I knew South Carolina had a great team," Wolfe said. "They (have) a great sport management program and obviously big sports, great school. Kind of all just came together. This is the right spot for me, and obviously this was a great home opener, and (I) want to keep rolling."
Coleman Glazer, a fourth-year political science and criminal justice student, initially didn't make the team as a freshman. But Glazer tried out again as a junior, made the team and has been a key player for the Gamecocks over the past two seasons. The club hosts tryouts each fall to determine its final roster. Glazer said he and his teammates spend time with each other off the field, which helps them built trust and chemistry between one another.
"We're all like brothers," Glazer said. "It's a family. It's a great environment ... We're all super close and we love hanging out with each other."
The Gamecocks end the regular season with a pair of big home games. After hosting Texas for its annual Alumni Weekend game, the club faces off against Clemson at home on April 10. Despite facing a challenging schedule, Wolfe said he believes the Gamecocks have enough talent to win the club's third national championship.
"We've got all the pieces that we need," Wolfe said. "We've got everybody, and we just (need) to tighten it up a little bit. All the plays are there, just tighten it up, sharpen things up. Once we really put it all together, I think we're in for a great year."