After the long, snowy winter break, the Lamas came back to training with lots of good intentions and big plans for the start of the Spring season.
However, due to the loss of key players the team was decimated to a fraction of the Fall squad. To name a few, Matthez Schwartz, Jason Monroe, Casey Gill, Matt Gallo, Paul Staal, Daniel Khachab, Adrain Hoffstädter, Clemens Blettgen, Mauro Jülich, Moritz Tengelmann, Dominik Hamacher, and Daniel Thomas all left the university and also left a deep hole in the Roster that could not be filled in the 3 weeks leading up to the start of the Spring season.
After consultations with the Nederlandse Lacrosse Bond (NLB) and the Lady Lamas, who were facing similar troubles, the Board of the Lamas decided to not participate in the NLB Divisie Ost anymore. The decision was not easy but it was agreed by everyone that not having a sufficient number of referees and players would frustrate not only the players in Maastricht, but across the Dutch league.
Nevertheless, the remaining players showed resilience and good moral keeping up the intensity in the training sessions. Over the course of February and March, the Lamas have integrated new players and become a more international and integrated team.
The spirit in the new team is remarkable for a difficult time for the organization. The rebuilding of a competitive team is the Lamas’ first priority on the field. Off the field, it will be vital to create a more stable and balanced board structure that will have sound financial judgment throughout the year so that all participating members get the best experience from being a member of Maastricht Lacrosse.
It remains to be seen, where the team will stand come next September but if the emerging sun over Maastricht is any indication, the future of Maaslax looks bright.