Road trips that last for hours, trying to throw on your jock strap while running because you’re late for the game, one smelly ride back.

Those are just a few things the ISU Lacrosse Club puts up with to get their game on. These guys truly have a love for the game.

The club recently finished up its 2002 spring season with the Upper Midwest Lacrosse League Tournament in Roseville, Minn. They emerged from the 11-team field with a third-place finish.

Goalie Mike Schmidt said the tournament reassured the team they were one of the best in the league after an up-and-down season. Iowa State finished with an 8-8 overall record.

The tournament run began against the tenth-seeded Wisconsin-Steven’s Point. The Cyclones, who were seeded seventh for the tournament, throttled Steven’s Point 6-0.

“We let a lot of our newer guys get a chance on the field,” Schmidt said. “We pretty much overran them. We took them out.”

The Cyclones were past the first round, but faced a much more challenging team in the second round – No. 2 Minnesota State at Mankato. Schmidt said the team faced a similar task in last season’s tournament and came out on top. The experience helped as ISU’s defense carried it into the semifinals with a 6-4 win.

“It was just a collective team effort,” Schmidt said. “Our defense was just unbelievable during that game.”

The offense sputtered in the semifinal game versus Minnesota as the Gophers handled the Cyclones 5-0. A consolation game against St. Cloud State was scheduled, but was later canceled after three inches of snowfall, Schmidt said.

The club had to endure several obstacles during the season. Schmidt said the team had a coach, but he lived in Minnesota, where most of the games are held. The team was forced to conduct practices on its own.

When the team went up against St. Cloud State on Feb. 22, Brent Lamm, senior in management information systems, went down with a toe injury. The mishap was worse than expected and Lamm was forced to redshirt for the rest of the season. Schmidt said Lamm stepped in to help coach the team after his injury.

Besides the coaching fiasco, the team has also had to play games in snow and ice storms.

“We’ve been dealing with snowstorms all year,” Schmidt said. “It’s been ridiculous.”

The club gets its funding from the Government of the Student Body and ISU Recreation Services. With the budget problems across the state, the club’s funding was cut this season. Schmidt said there were dues of $160 per player this season – a hefty price to pay.

Despite the sky-high dues, Schmidt said there wasn’t enough funding to allow the team to rent hotel rooms during their stay at game sites.

Jerry Dietsch, senior in industrial technology, said there are a few players who are originally from Minneapolis, Minn., so they found places to stay there.

Schmidt admitted the ride home usually wasn’t too pleasant, because the team often had to hurry back to Ames for class the next morning. This left them no chance to shower after their games.

“Coming back’s a little stinky,” Schmidt said. “Three hours of just stench . to say the least.”

Schmidt said sometimes the team gets to their destination just moments before game time, leaving precious seconds to throw on protective gear.

Schmidt, who tore his hamstring in the first game of the season and only sat out for one regular season game, was named to the all-tournament first team. Not too bad for a guy who played his first lacrosse game as a senior in high school.

His teammates Tim Rourk, sophomore in mechanical engineering, and Nate Harty, senior in construction engineering, were also named to the second team.

Dietsch said the team wouldn’t have had as much success without Schmidt guarding the goal.

“Mikey’s a stud,” Dietsch said. “The kid is a sophomore and he’s the best goalie in the Midwest.”

Dietsch said there’s a special aura about the team, and that he doesn’t worry about the weather or any other unpleasant factors when he’s playing. He loves the game, but he enjoys being around his buddies even more.

“It’s more about the guys you’re playing with than it is about the game,” he said. “Yeah, [the weather] sucks, but you see your teammates out there running around and you give them all you can.”