Atwood shaping Aggie lacrosse up for 2012 season
The Utah State lacrosse team is playing a numbers game heading into its first matchup of the season.
“We went from 14 guys in the fall to 21 now,” Utah State head coach John Atwood said. “Our main goal is to get a core group of guys that can compete and work together well.”
After taking a season off, the Aggies are back on the field and ready for their season opener against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
When Atwood took over the team last year, he made the decision to drop out of the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference to save his players from losing eligibility.
This year, USU is back in the conference, and Atwood said he’s ready to build up the Aggie program.
“We’re still trying to establish a foundation,” Atwood said.
The Utah State midfielder Keaton Cluff said the team is up for the challenge.
“One of our main goals is just to build it back up, get fans out watching us and recruit
more students for future years,” Cluff said.
Atwood said finding chemistry on a young team has been Utah State’s biggest challenge.
“We have 21 guys who are playing together for the first time,” Atwood said. “Overall, we just need more time together on the field.”
Even in the preseason, Atwood said he saw changes in his team.
“They are coming together and finding their chemistry,” Atwood said. “They are starting to gel very nicely.”
Utah State midfielder Matt Taylor said this is due in large part to the Aggie coaching staff.
“Our coaches are teaching fundamentals better,” Taylor said. “We’re starting to learn how to play better together, and we have more structure than we have in the past.”
In the Aggies’ scrimmage last week, Atwood said about 75 percent of their goals were assisted — evidence the emphasis on teamwork is paying off.
“That’s a great, great number,” Atwood said. “We are really happy about that.”
Taylor, a three-year veteran to the squad, said the Aggies are much stronger than they have been in past seasons.
“We’re a lot more fundamentally sound and a lot more structured,” Taylor said. “We know our offense, and our defense a lot better.”
Junior Tyler Andrews is also in his third season for the Aggies and will start at goaltender.
“He’s very knowledgeable between the pipes,” Atwood said. “He works very hard.”
Andrews has a solid supporting cast defending down low. Atwood said the Aggie defense’s biggest strength is its chemistry.
“They like each other, they are hanging out together,” Atwood said. “They are communicating on the field very nicely.”
The Utah State offense is anchored by sophomore Kevin Mann as well as freshmen Devin Chipman and Keaton Cluff.
“Our strength is our passion and our commitment,” Cluff said. “We don’t have a whole lot of skilled players come here like BYU or other good teams, but we put our heart into it.”
The Aggies take the field at 8 p.m. against the UNLV Rebels at the Stan Laub Indoor Training Center.
– meredith.kinney@aggiemail.usu.edu