Season Previews: Can Men’s Lacrosse Break Big Wednesday Hoodoo?

They say once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern. Well, what does that make four?

There will be a generation of elite lacrosse athletes who, every year, come late March, made the short bus trip down the A60 full of nervous excitement and dreams of National glory. And, every year, that same generation took the same journey home filled with despair.

Turning that despair into delight is the prospect facing Mike Armstrong’s men’s lacrosse this preseason, as they look to shake a fourth successive defeat at BUCS Big Wednesday. Their 7-8 defeat to Durham in Loughborough this Spring would be the only blemish on a near perfect season for the Green and Gold, scoring 159 goals whilst only conceding 30

Nearly half of which came in their second game of the season, an incredibly tight 13-12 win over NTU. It was an important early statement against a side that had denied them silverware twice the previous season and who had seemed like their only real threat for the title.

This win gave Nottingham tremendous momentum. They thrashed both Loughborough, 15-2, and Newcastle 21-0, before dropping their first points of the season in a low scoring 8-8 tie at home to the eventual Championship winners.

They were undeterred. In the next five games saw the Green and Gold only conceding 8 goals, whilst netting 77 for themselves, including an emphatic 14-2 win over Durham in the final game of the season.

This late-season momentum carried over into the National Championships. As league winners, they received a bye in the first round, although it likely would not have mattered as they swept aside Loughborough 19-4 before cruising past NTU 14- 1.

Armstrong’s men therefore entered the final as heavy favourites. The first half of the game saw a tense and evenly matched battle, with Notts down 2-1 at the end of the first quarter but coming out 3-2 up at the end of the half.

Whatever Durham coach Dave Coldwell said during the interval clearly worked. Durham found the net 6 times in the third quarter without reply, leaving Nottingham 8-3 down at the end of the third with a monumental task in the final period.

Whilst they mounted a fierce comeback, scoring four unanswered goals, they could not find the equaliser that would have forced Golden Goal.

The 2s also enjoyed an excellent season, finishing second in a league dominated by an unbeaten Warwick side. They reached the Trophy quarter finals after victories over Warwick and Loughborough, before falling just short in a 10-6 defeat to Sheffield Hallam.

The 3s found success harder to come by, winning just one game in Midlands Tier 2 and exiting the Midlands conference cup in the opening round.

The goal for the upcoming season is crystal clear. The league will be important to the team, but they will spend the entire winter with one eye on making it to BUCS Big Wednesday, and another on making it back victorious.

They compete in a very tough league and will need to come close to perfection if they are to win it. They start the season hosting Manchester Met, a team who they thumped 20-0 in the same fixture last year, and they will be hoping for another resounding victory.

Durham ‘s visit to Jubilee on 21 October, for their second fixture of the season, is the obvious standout. It will be important not only for the title race, but also to the mentality of the young squad. Falling short to the same team that ripped the trophy from them may cause irreparable damage.

The league is likely to go down to the final few games, and so their final two fixtures against Loughborough and NTU may become crucial.

Mike Armstrong brings a wealth of both playing and coaching experience to the side. Having represented England for nine years, from 2008-2017, his playing experience and knowledge will not only help develop the players already at the club but also will strengthen the university’s ability to attract the country’s best lacrosse talent.

Armstrong is also currently the England U20 coach, placing him in an ideal position to help bring the next generation of players into the university system.

Matchday 1: 14/10/26 – Manchester Met (H)

Matchday 2: 21/10/26 – Durham (H)

Matchday 3: 04/11/26 – Warwick (A)

Matchday 4: 11/11/26 – Loughborough (H)

Matchday 5: 18/11/26 – NTU (A)

Matchday 6: 25/11/26 – Manchester Met (A)

Matchday 7: 02/12/26 – Durham (A)

Matchday 8: 09/12/26 – Warwick (H)

Matchday 9: 20/01/27 – Loughborough (A)

Matchday 10: 27/01/27 – NTU (H)

Featured Image courtesy of UoN Sport. No changes were made to this image.

In Article Image 1 courtesy of UoN Sport. No changes were made to this image.

In Article Image 2 courtesy of UoN Sport. No changes were made to this image.