AUBURN - So far, being a fledgling junior college men's lacrosse program that's stuck between two powerhouses - Monroe Community College to the west, Onondaga to the east - has been more curse than blessing for Cayuga.

But it doesn't stretch head coach Matt Smith's imagination too far to envision a turning of the tables in the near future.

"Auburn is the only high school in Cayuga County with lacrosse, so I've got to go in everybody else's backyard," said Smith, who coached Auburn's junior varsity team for seven years prior to becoming Cayuga's first men's lacrosse team in 2003. "Onondaga's getting every kid who doesn't get into a four-year school going there. They had 55 or 60 kids trying out for their team.

"We're the alternative, to come here and get to play now. It's all about playing and getting the exposure."

Smith would like to sit and wait for players to spill over from the nearby powers and fall into his lap, but instead he's been an active recruiter.

This year he has a player from Maryland and three from Georgia, which he deems "an untapped area right now."

The Spartans have had discernible relative success in their first two years, going 6-4 in 2003 and 6-6 last year, and both times sneaking into the sixth and final spot of the Region III playoffs. This, despite fielding rosters dotted with players without high school experience. Smith's entire starting defense last year didn't have a single ex-high school player.

"College lacrosse is a different animal, especially being a new program," said Smith, who works full-time as a history teacher at Weedsport Central School. "We have to take kids and make them mature fast. In some aspects, high school coaching was easier, because you had kids who had been playing all along. Here, you're prone to more surprises. You have to be more flexible."

But rather than nurse his team with the lightest competition he can find, Smith chooses to seek out some of the toughest possible opponents, even including trips to schools in talent-rich Maryland - the Spartans played at Anne Arundel C.C. last season, and this year they'll play at Harford and Howard colleges.

Another case in point: Cayuga played an early-season opening game on March 10, at nationally-ranked Alfred State, losing 12-3. But the game was another chance to bring the Spartans added exposure.

"After that game, I told our guys, 'We've got only 19 guys. Let's look at the successes. We weren't huffing and puffing. We work hard at getting ourselves mentally and physically ready, and we can hang with teams."

Only three of the 19 Spartans are sophomores. Two of those three are locals: Auburn's Brian Rhodes and Jordan-Elbridge's Kyle Clifford.

Both of them said they looked forward to returning for another season at Cayuga, even knowing the challenges ahead of them.

"I think we're looking good," said Rhodes, an attackman. "We made the playoffs last year, and we're improving."

"We're definitely a hard-working team," said Clifford, a midfielder. "We just go until we've got nothing left."

Former Auburn Maroon Jay Lattimore is one of the 16 freshman Spartans. Lattimore played for Smith on the Auburn JV team, and wants to springboard from Cayuga to a four-year school where he can play lacrosse. Smith has already sent players on to play at Virginia Military Institute, SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Geneseo.

"If you work for Coach Smith, he'll work for you," said sophomore goalkeeper Corey McMahon, from Central Square. "It's a mutual respect thing. He helps out a lot. He'll make calls for you, send out tapes of you, try to get you interviews."

Next up for the Spartans is the home opener March 26 (to be played at SUNY Cortland) against Monroe, which finished last season ranked fifth in the country. Another chance for the growing pains Smith seems to relish.

Staff writer Andrew Walter can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 258 or

citizensports@lee.net