SAU women’s lacrosse ready to launch new era under first-year coach Hunter

LAURINBURG — The St. Andrews Knights women’s lacrosse team is ready to show its hunger for success this season as the Lady Knights kick off their 2024 season on the road.

One of the most prominent changes the program undertook in the offseason was the hiring of Coach Daniel Hunter. After accepting the position at St. Andrews, he relocated to Laurinburg from Denver. His most recent coaching position was head coach of the Metropolitan State University of Denver men’s lacrosse club, where he coached from July 2016 through the 2018 regular season. Before his stint at MSU Denver, Hunter coached the men’s lacrosse club at the Colorado School of Mines from 2005-08.

Even with the experience he already has, the St. Andrews position has put Hunter on a significant learning curve, as it is his first position coaching a female team. After his hiring back in November, he has spent a considerable amount of time familiarizing himself with the new rules, regulations and strategy of the women’s game.

“It’s a huge learning curve,” Hunter said. “(The women’s game) is a very different game (than the men’s game). The fundamentals are similar, but there’s so much different in terms of legal checks, what’s legal, what’s not, the three-second rule, the way that the field is painted. Everything is very different.”

To fully commit to his new role, he committed to watching women’s lacrosse games live, analyzing YouTube clips and reading content from a variety of different sources. After three months of investment, Hunter is optimistic about his team’s potential this year.

“Since day one, the girls have been really invested,” Hunter said. “They’ve been doing one-on-one workouts with me; they’ve been hitting the wall out there by the swimming pool working on their stick work and they’re looking a lot better. They’re picking up really good habits. From the film that I watched from last year, we were turning the ball over a lot … all that is coming along.”

Last season, the Lady Knights posted a 1-6 record overall and in Appalachian Athletic Conference play. Their first test this season will come on Saturday when they open up their season on the road against an NCAA team — Chowan University. It will be a suitable litmus test to determine their strengths and weaknesses going forward.

Their first NAIA competition will come the following weekend at home on Feb. 23, against Warner University, followed by their first conference matchup on March 2 against Georgetown.

Even though Hunter knows on paper his job is to win games and build a successful program, he is also staunchly committed to building lasting connections that are still intact after the students’ playing days are over, reminding his players what really is important.

“Most important to me…if these girls are forming relationships that are going to last beyond here…that for me is the ultimate goal; that they recognize that relationships are far more important than the game.”