Lacrosse falls to BSU due to loss of key players
With four players missing from the game, the Utah State University club lacrosse team failed to meet its expectations as it lost 11-8 Saturday against Boise State University.
Going into the game the Aggies felt confident they would be able to handle BSU in Boise and have a season without a loss, coach Jeremy Miller said, but that was before he realized he would be missing some players.
During the practice before the game USU lost Jonathan Atwood to an injury, and soon after found out goalie James Morrison and attacker Jason Lambert were ineligible.
Less than a minute into the first period the Aggies suffered the loss of their fourth player, captain Albe Garner, who broke his collarbone after making a hit.
After losing Garner, USU struggled to get into the game, Miller said.
“It was a slow, slow start,” he said. “Most of our players were concerned about the injured player [Garner] … and the drive was long.”
BSU got an early lead by scoring in the first two minutes of the games, followed by a USU goal only a minute later by captain Thad Nichols, who was assisted by defender Nathan Daniels.
The Aggies ended the first period 3-2, not feeling the intensity they had played with in previous games, Miller said.
Being led by the defense, Daniels and Ben Cole, the intensity of the team picked up and USU began to fight back, Miller said, but things just weren’t going their way.
“We weren’t ready and playing up to our standard,” he said. “We were trying to battle with our offense. We gave the ball up a lot.”
The backup goalie for the Aggies, Cole, ended up making 18 saves, Miller said, and was credited for keeping the Aggies within reach.
But the Aggies’ offense did have a few shining moments from attackers Tyler Berkey, who had four goals, and Paul Larkin, who gave Berkey four assists, but it wasn’t enough for a USU victory.
“It was an upsetting loss,” Miller said. “We had a lot of things to overcome and we just weren’t able to pull it off.”
But the Aggies are confident their next game against BSU will be dramatically different, Miller said.
“We’re in good spirits. We bounce back well,” he said.