The UMass Boston Lacrosse Team will be taking part in the Northeast Classic Lacrosse Tournament – “Face off Against Cancer” to benefit the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute on Saturday, Oct. 12 in Braintree at Thayer Academy’s turf fields. The Beacons will take on numerous Division II and III teams from the Northeast including Southern New Hampshire, St. Michael’s College, and New England College.
“We’re allowed 15 fall practices and one game day in what we call our non-traditional season, so it’s basically a time to get everyone together, start putting in some of our expectations as far as the team goes and welcome the new students to the school and the new program as well. So we always do play one game or a day of games in the fall, and this is a great opportunity for us,” said head coach Tyler Low.
He added,”The tournament has been going on for a few years, and in the past we’ve done more low-key things like scrimmage local teams and things like that, and for us, with the direction the program is going in, it’s a great opportunity to kind of get involved in a more competitive situation in the fall. And it’s definitely great to be a part of an event that supports a cause like that as well.”
According to Low, the team is about three weeks into fall practice, and so far, they’ve looked very good. 
“Right now its about establishing where our expectations are, and getting people acclimated to the pace of college play,” Coach Low explained, “especially the new players.” 
He went on, “We really do use it as kind of a team building thing as well. … It’s really about setting the tone for the spring.” 
The tournament will also feature an Adult Club Tournament on the Oct. 12, as well as a Division I tournament and a 13-and-under tournament the following day. The gates will open at 7 a.m. on Oct. 12 and 8 a.m. on Oct. 13. The games are set to begin at 10 a.m. Tickets are $10 for each day. 
There will also be a silent auction for prizes that include Patriots tickets and a VIP pass to the Dana-Farber Institute’s pre-game tailgate, vacation packages, and golf outings, among many other goodies. All proceeds will go to Dana-Farber.
“We’re very excited about it,” Low said. “UMass-Boston Athletics as a whole is very, very community-driven, so for us to be a part of this, and to do our part to give back is something we’re very excited about.”
For more information, visit www.northeastclassic.org or follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cat.classic.1.