It won’t be the first Friday game at Duke’s Koskinen Stadium for Elon University women’s lacrosse coaches Josh Hexter and Virginia Crotty.
But this time they won’t be leading the Blue Devils onto the field, they’ll be making history on the opposing team’s bench with the Phoenix.
Elon will be playing in its first ever game on the women’s lacrosse field, coming less than a year after the university announced that the sport would be added to its varsity lineup.
Josh Hexter took the head coaching position with the Phoenix after eight very successful seasons on the Blue Devils coaching staff. A former associate head coach and a key component to the program’s success, he assisted in leading the Blue Devils to three ACC regular season championships, one ACC Tournament title and five appearances in the national semifinals. Under Hexter’s leadership, Duke’s offense was consistently ranked as one of the best in the country. But Friday night, that attack is the enemy and it’s his job to take them down, not lead them to victory. Hexter certainly knows how to drive an attack and has brought his expertise and competitive spirit to the Phoenix players over months of practice.
Assistant Coach Virginia Crotty, a former Blue Devil attack and team captain, also knows that field like the back of her hand. To her, it probably feels like just yesterday she was out on Koskinen Stadium’s beautifully groomed Bermuda grass, firing balls into the back of the net. After playing under Hexter for four years, now she’s coaching beside him on the other end of the field. It’d be impossible to return and not reminisce on the glory days, but for an athlete of that caliber, the scent of competition is sure to overpower any nostalgia.
For these two coaches it should be a warm welcome and a sentimental return, but those warm, fuzzy feelings won’t last long. The tension will rise as the blow of the whistle at 3 p.m. nears. Once the clock starts rolling, these coaches, although both have strong ties to the opposing program, have something to prove. They’ve been working tirelessly for over a year to get the Phoenix on its feet and have to be itching to finally show off what they’re building in this Elon women’s lacrosse team.
Yes, it’s an ambitious first match-up for the young team, which is made up of 21 freshman, two sophomores and only two seniors. They’re taking on an incredibly talented and experienced No. 6 Duke team that returns 22 players including nine starters. But Elon should be ready to embrace what’s ahead for the new program.
And the Phoenix do have at least one advantage: the element of surprise. The new squad is unknown by any coach, team or fan across the country. And when you don’t know what’s going to be thrown at you, you can’t possibly prepare for what a team will bring.
Elon also has nothing to lose, which in sports means everything. There is no fear or pressure. The Phoenix is the underdog and has the chance to make history. And what better place for Hexter and Crotty to do it than on their old stomping ground.
With two coaches who know the competition better than most, that’s definitely a plus. There’s no conflict of interest. There’s just competition. And the Elon women’s lacrosse team seems up to the challenge.