Growth tops new coach's agenda.

Byline: Steve Mims The Register-Guard

Jen Larsen wants to teach the Northwest about lacrosse.

"I think the game is attractive to people on the field and also to fans," said Larsen, who was introduced as Oregon's first women's lacrosse coach Tuesday. "It is something that I have found helps the sport grow as quickly as it is now. It is expanding more than people realize on the West Coast. California is a great area for lacrosse, there is a lot of interest in Colorado, and there are pockets starting up everywhere."

Larsen, who has been an assistant coach at North Carolina for the past three years, will do her part to expand the game in Oregon.

"Once people are introduced to the sport, I think they will be more excited about it," Larsen said. "I don't know how long it will take, but hopefully not too long. I will be running clinics and camps and doing all I can to educate coaches so they are getting the best instruction right away and helping kids learn an exciting sport."

In February, Oregon announced its decision to become the first Northwest school to play women's lacrosse. Oregon will join California, Stanford, Saint Mary's College, UC Davis and the University of Denver in the Mountain West Lacrosse League in the spring of 2005.

"Recruiting-wise, this is a fine institution to draw recruits, and I believe the best talent will dream of being an Oregon Duck," Larsen said.

"It is something we have to introduce them to. I think we will have to draw from the whole country, especially from the East Coast, where lacrosse is prominent. I also want to expand and get Oregon natives to be members of this team."

Larsen, 29, played for Virginia when the Cavaliers won the 1993 NCAA lacrosse title. She also played field hockey.

She began her coaching career as an assistant at Georgetown from 1996-98 before moving to Duke as an assistant for two seasons.

Larsen has spent the past three years as an assistant in charge of recruiting and defense for North Carolina, which reached the NCAA Final Four in 2002.

"Our search and our pool of candidates was unbelievable," Oregon athletics director Bill Moos said. "We had current head coaches, many assistant coaches from major college programs, and our four finalists were very impressive. The one we have selected rose above them quite dramatically in my opinion."

To start up a program, Larsen will follow the lead of her former boss.

"My biggest mentor is Jenny Levy from North Carolina. She started nine years ago in the same position I am in now," Larsen said. "I was not there with her, but I know a lot of the stories. She is someone I will call once a week to see that I am on the right track."

Currently, 16 Oregon high schools offer girls lacrosse. Oregon has a club lacrosse team, and Larsen said she plans to invite players off that team to try out for the Ducks.

"The biggest priority is recruiting," Larsen said, "getting the word out about Oregon and getting student-athletes on this campus. I am going after top talent right now, I want them to get out and spread the word."