Lacrosse prepared to host BYU
The men’s and women’s lacrosse teams will host games against BYU at 1 p.m. Saturday. Both teams feel they will be tested in their games because BYU fields a strong team for both teams.
The men’s team has a 5-4 overall record while the Cougars are 12-3. BYU also competes in Division I while USU is in Division II. The Aggies expect to play well, but don’t see the game as a “must win.”
“It’s not a conference game so it’s not quite as important,” captain Thad Nicholls said. “But of course we will play hard.”
The men’s team, plagued by injuries all year, will not try to bring players back from injury too early in an effort to beat the talented Cougars.
“A lot of guys are still injured and so we want to keep them on the mend,” Nicholls said. “We want to focus on our game next week against Boise State and then the playoffs after that.”
Despite the injuries, Nicholls still believes the team has a chance to win.
“We can definitely play with them,” Nicholls said. “I really believe that on any day any team can beat any other team.”
Offensively the team is led by Nicholls, Paul Larkin, Tyler Berkey and Derald Miller, who have accounted for 59 of the team’s 79 goals on the season.
Jake Morrison and Ben Cole have also provided strong goal keeping.
BYU is also looking forward to the game.
“We played at Utah State in the Fall Brawl Tournament and had a great time,” BYU defenseman Charles Kikumoto said. “So we’re looking forward to going down there. We hear they have a good team this spring.”
The women’s team will be able to warm up for their showdown with BYU at 1 p.m., with a game against Weber State at 9 a.m.
This will be their fourth meeting with Weber, and team president Michelle Taggart hopes it will result in a fourth straight victory against the Wildcats.
On the other hand, she hopes they will be able to reverse the outcome of the team’s previous two losses to BYU. Taggart said BYU is traditionally strong because of the number of players they are able to recruit from the East Coast which usually produces the nation’s best lacrosse players.
The women’s team will be led by Kelsy Schneiter, Kate Claflin and Lindsay Hawkins, who are the team’s main three scorers.
Both teams said they hope to have strong support from the fans.