Picture a Wednesday night during the second week of classes: Are you stuck watching your roommate play Doom on your computer again?

If you would like to add a little excitement to your life, get off your rear and head over to Harder Stadium at 7 tonight to watch the #2 UCSB men’s lacrosse club team take on USC.

The Gauchos have proven that they deserve to be considered one of the top programs in the nation this year with their stellar 13-1 start. Sonoma State handed Santa Barbara its only loss, 9-5 on March 9.

“The Sonoma State loss was midway through the season,” senior co-captain Ben Schooler said. “We thought we should have won; we didn’t play up to our standards.”

With the most important game of the season on Sunday at Chapman University, UCSB has stepped up the level of competition both at practice and in games. Recent wins on April 5 and 6, against Loyola Marymount and Texas showed Santa Barbara’s depth.

UCSB also proved it could compete nationally during its road trip to Utah. The Gauchos demolished the University of Utah 15-3 on March 22 and Brigham Young University 9-7 two days later.

“We have a pretty balanced team,” UCSB Head Coach Scott Demonte said. “For what lies ahead, we will go as far as we want to take it. We have the potential to be a really good team.”

With the Southern Conference Championship of the Western Collegiate Lacrosse League on the line this Sunday, the players have a chance to prove that they belong on top. If the team ousts Chapman, UCSB will win its first ever league championship.

“Every year we keep improving a little bit,” senior co-captain Will Crow said. “We’ve taken baby steps to get where we are.”

The last month of the season will be an exciting ending to an almost perfect year. Santa Barbara has almost met its goals and plans to keep the momentum flowing through these last few weeks.

“We’ve had one of the best starts since our inception,” Schooler said. “We beat Arizona for the first time in four years, and we beat Cal at Cal for the first time in almost 15 years.”

The team has worked hard to maintain its focus and concentration, which should give it an extra edge over the competition in the postseason. On April 19, UCSB will play its final home game – a playoff game. The team the Gauchos will face has yet to be determined.

“When we come back on May 11 [from the national tournament], we hope to have the national trophy in our hands,” Crow said.