Catching Up with Scott Teeter

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville women's lacrosse head coach Scott Teeter reflects on his team winning multiple community service awards at the Louie's, how they are handling the current situation and looks ahead towards next season.

On what the players are doing during this unprecedented time.

I think our athletes are a little bit anxious, and maybe even a little bit stir crazy, but they're working out and doing as much as they can. But, they really want to get back on the playing field. They want to get back to seeing their friends, their teammates and doing what they want to do to get better on the lacrosse field. We have weekly meetings, so it's good to catch up with them and that's when we go over certain tasks.

On what assistants Renee Poullott and Kaylin Morissette, along with Director of Operations Patty Norton are up to.

They are putting in the work and plugging away, doing everything behind the scenes to build the 2022 recruiting class. They're watching a lot of film, breaking down our systems and the strengths and weaknesses of our players. They're really working hard to move our program forward.

Some of you may have seen on social media that Patty Norton, our director of operations, is retiring. So, we wish her the best and congratulate her. I really can't thank her enough for what she did. She's been with the program since day one when UofL added lacrosse. When myself, along with Kay and Renee, first came in a few years ago, we could not have made it without her.

On winning the Cardinal Cup and the Kentucky Farm Bureau CardsCARE Team Awards at the Louie's.

Those are two great honors that we aren't going to take lightly and overlook them. It shows that we're building the program in the right direction and we're on a fast track upward. For us to win those awards over established programs and over coaching staffs that have been here for a long time, it's great to see. It's great to see that we're building our program in a positive way. That we've got great character individuals that are not just great lacrosse players, but they're great people. They're great for the community and they're great people to build around. It also just shows our commitment to community service, supporting others and taking care of academics. We put those things to the forefront and they are all things we can control. But, winning those awards makes me humble and I'm really proud to be their coach.

On where they stood in regards to making the NCAA Tournament when the season was canceled.

You can arguably say that we were about a top 30 team (nationally) with a lot of opportunity ahead of us. If you look at the remaining games that we had on our schedule, the majority of our games were against ranked teams. When you have that many opportunities ahead, eventually you're going to win one. And when you win one, you win two, and that's what you need to get into the NCAA Tournament. You need a marquee win and having an above .500 record, and we were on pace for that. And that's one part of our goal, to make sure that we're tournament eligible when Selection Sunday comes.

On the play of Rachel Florek.

She really worked her tail off, not just on the lacrosse field, but in the weight room and the classroom. She's constantly on the field by herself putting extra work in and it really helped her raise her play to the next level. We knew she had it in her, she just had to be challenged and she's running with it. She's the backbone of our defensive system. There were a lot of games that we would not have been in, or would not have won, if it wasn't for her. She was one of the best goalies in the ACC and the nation.

On Hannah Morris' progression this season.

After struggling a little bit during her freshman season, she led our team in goals and points last year. She was turning into our main scoring option. She put in the time and the work and really bought in and got her game moving in a positive direction. I really think the sky is the limit for her.

Looking towards next season.

The plan is to take the next giant step. With this season being cut short, our goals kind of stay the same. The goal is to get to the NCAA Tournament. Once we get to the NCAA tournament, that goal changes, but as of right now, that is the goal. You can't win a national championship unless you are in the tournament. We're seeing a lot of growth and development in our players. And we're also bringing in a freshman class that is going to help us fill our needs. So, now our program is getting better and we're moving at a fast rate. I'm very excited about next year. I'm very excited about fall ball because we get to keep our same team together, plus the freshman class. We're going to have battles at every position. And that depth will give us more options. If we come together and play as one, I think the sky is the limit.

On dealing with the current situation.

I think you can kind of relate the situation right now to sports. In sports, you haven't won the game until it's over. So, I think the message right now is, that things are starting to turn the corner and open up, but we still have to be smart. We still have to listen to the medical experts and professionals, our state and local leaders, and follow their advice. We have to make our decisions wisely and don't do things too quick. That's probably the biggest message that I can give. If we want to get back on the lacrosse field and back to watching sports, we all have to do our part and be responsible and smart.

For the latest information on Louisville lacrosse, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Twitter account at @LouisvilleLax or on Facebook at facebook.com/UofLLacrosse.

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