Lacrosse club has tough weekend at Gem State Invitational
If the Utah State men’s lacrosse team learned anything from its first tournament of the season, it’s that college lacrosse is a whole new ball game.
The Aggies traveled to Boise, Idaho, this weekend, and for the 14 players new to the team, the Gem State Invitational was an eye-opening experience.
“I think our younger players were shellshocked by our first game,” said Utah State head coach John Atwood.
The Aggies’ three-game stint to start the fall ball season kicked off Friday, with a matchup against Boise State University and then completed the weekend with games against the University of Idaho Saturday and Montana State University Sunday.
Utah State went 1-3 on the weekend, picking up a win against Montana State to close out the tournament on a high note.
Although the team struggled early, Utah State stepped up its play to end the weekend with a win.
Utah State’s first game against Boise State was rough. The Aggies lost to the Broncos 11-4.
“Game one was very telling,” Atwood said. “It was definitely a reality check for our 14 players who hadn’t played college lacrosse before.”
Despite the struggles, the Aggies made adjustments and put together a much better showing against the University of Idaho.
The Aggies stepped on both ends of the field looking much stronger, and this time around the Aggies cut the deficit to four, losing to the Vandals 10-6.
Atwood said despite the loss, there were many positives to take from the weekend’s second game.
“We were able to move the ball better on offense,” he said. “We found a way to come up with more goals. Overall, we played a lot better.”
Utah State headed into the final game of the weekend with nothing to lose and came out on top of Montana State 9-8. The young Aggies finally settled in as a team and found a way to win.
“We’re trying to acclimate them to the college level of play,” Atwood said. “It’s a lot faster, it’s more hard hitting.”
Once the Aggies settled into their style of play, the team found some space to make things happen.
“By the last game, everybody was over their jitters,” Atwood said. “We came together as a team. Everyone contributed.”
The Aggies managed to put more points on the board, and the defense stepped up to give Utah State a chance for the win.
“It was a whole team effort,” Atwood said. “Every single player contributed in some way.”
Utah State’s offensive showing in Boise was fueled by the play of Kevin Mann and Matt Taylor.
Both Mann and Taylor contributed for USU with multiple goals on the weekend. Mann is in his first year with the Aggies, while Taylor is starting his third year.
On the defensive side, Utah State goalie Tyler Andrews stepped up for the Aggies.
“Andrews played out of his mind the whole weekend,” Atwood said. “He was by far the best goalie up there.”
The Aggies are on the road again next Friday against in-state foe Weber State.
– meredith.kinney@aggiemail.usu.edu