If you’ve got to hit a rough patch, it’s at least nice to know it’s coming.

Old Rochester Regional’s varsity lacrosse team lost 13 seniors last year and started practices with a snowstorm, so the squad knew it was going to be a challenging season.

“We have a lot of new players from JV and kids who have never played before,” said Head Coach Erich Carroll. “It’s taking a little time for them to get used to the game – the speed of the game, just the game in general.”

The team started the season with two jamborees, playing abbreviated games against several teams. “We did very well at one and highs and lows at the other, which is to be expected,” said Carroll.

Caroll and his team are under no delusions about how hard it will be to match last year’s 12-5 season.

“We had lower expectations than last year, but we came out 3-0, which was nice,” said Senior Max Houck of the team's first jamboree.

To date, the team has three conference wins and two losses. “We hit a little bit of a skid, but we all knew it was going to happen. It was just a matter of bracing for it and being ready to come through it,” said Houck.

Back at practice, Carroll said his first priority is to get game experience for the new players. Second to that is developing chemistry as a team.

“Eventually we will gel together as a team,” he said.

In addition to Houck, the team’s seniors are lead scorer Cam Severino, mid-fielder Chris Marchisio, and mid-fielder Peter Krause. Carroll said sophomore Hunter Cooney, a defensive mid-fielder, is also a standout.

Besides his returning starters, Carroll said he’s encouraged that most of his team is involved in other sports. “It’s definitely a benefit,” he said. “We’re getting a variety of kids coming out for the team – soccer, football, cross country runners.”

Carroll, who grew up playing lacrosse, hopes to instill the love of the game in his newest players.

“It’s a great game. It’s sort of like full contact basketball on a soccer field.”