The Dartmouth men's lacrosse team has been working hard in the offseason to improve on last season's disappointing 4-11 record with a new coach, a new defense and a new mentality.
The change in the program began last June when Andy Towers was named the new varsity head coach.
This summer, Jon Torpey came from the University of Denver to join Towers as assistant coach in charge of defense.
The shift in culture is already evident under this new coaching staff, co-captain Chris Root '10 said.
"Towers is turning the program around," Root said. "[Towers and Torpey] are two of the most intense people I have ever met."
At the beginning of the term, the lacrosse team was met with new running and lifting tests.
The running test included six 150-yard shuttle runs in 25-yard intervals, which were to be completed in less than 26 seconds each and with just one minute and 30 seconds rest in between each run.
Most of the team managed to pass the tests, which stands as a testament to the hard work and commitment the players are putting in this fall, co-captain Andy Gagel '10 said.
"Being dead tired after practice is going to pay off after a couple months," he said.
Towers said he has taken notice of the team's new dedication, as compared to years past when he was an assistant under former head coach Bill Wilson.
"The effort has been over the top," Towers said. "The pace of play is better than it ever has been while I have been here."
The team is also buying into the new, more intense mentality the coaches have brought with them.
When asked how the team was taking to the program this year Torpey and co-captain Ari Sussman '10 gave identical responses.
"There is a 100-percent buy-in from the team," they both said.
In the few practices the team has had so far, the level of competition has also increased, Gagel said.
Towers even posts weekly depth charts to encourage players to give all they have every practice, Sussman said.
"Everything is a competition," Gagel said. "If you lose, you sprint."
Towers said he is hoping the intensity and workouts will help prevent some of the injuries that hampered the Big Green last year.
"We had a couple preventable injuries last season," Towers said. "We are looking to eliminate those."
The team is currently working to master Torpey's new defensive system, which he described as an aggressive pressure defense.
Co-captain Towny Swiggett '10 said that, while the team is just beginning to learn the basics of the system, he can already see the importance of the addition of Torpey to the Dartmouth program.
The Big Green will continue to focus on practice and workouts throughout the fall, rather than playing scrimmages.
Because Ivy League rules limit the amount of games one team can have, Towers chose to schedule meaningful games during the season, rather than schedule scrimmages during the fall, which would not help the team advance to the NCAA tournament.
The outlook towards the season seems good for the Big Green. Like Dartmouth, other members of the Ivy League went through many changes this offseason, as revered Princeton head coach Bill Tierney left for a position at the University of Denver and Cornell, which lost to Syracuse last year in the national championship game, graduated many key players.
Towers, said he believes this year marks an opportunity for other programs besides perennial powerhouses Princeton and Cornell to step up.
"This is an incredibly exciting time to be coaching in the Ivy League," he said.
Torpey also said he believes Dartmouth has the talent to make a statement this year, something that partly influenced his decision to leave his position as assistant coach at Denver.
"I recruited a lot of [the current Big Green seniors] to Denver," he said. "I thought they were some of the best in the country at the time, and still are."
After last season's 1-5, last-place finish in the Ivy League, the players are looking for improvement.
"The bar is being set at a way higher level," Swiggett said.
Gagel and Root said they have an Ivy League championship in their sights.
Towers has still higher aspirations. His goal for this year is "a national championship."