Utah State loses to deep Utah Utes team
The USU lacrosse team fell to the Utah Utes 16-3 on Wednesday afternoon.
Utah jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, and USU was never able to recover. Utah midfielder Mack Schwoebel led the Utes with a hat-trick.
“We just came off a really hard game against BYU, and they are the defending national champions, and they just really took it to us,” USU head coach Jon Atwood said. “That really deflated our team. It was a really hard game – we were playing in the rain – that definitely carried over to tonight’s game. During that first quarter, I think they were still shaking off what was remaining of that last game.”
The Utes put up 16 shots in the first quarter, and USU managed six.
“They were super aggressive,” Atwood said. “We had a hard time adjusting on defense. We figured it out real quick, because we held them to one goal. It was just a really bad first quarter.”
Utah added six more goals in the third quarter and two in the fourth quarter.
“Against Utah we didn’t even have a ton of opportunities on offense, because we had trouble clearing the ball and getting it into our half,” USU midfielder Matt Taylor said. “We’ve got to be able to possess the ball a little better, so we can give our defense a break and capitalize on opportunities that we get.”
USU got on the board in the second quarter with a goal and scored a goal in the third and fourth quarters as well. Midfielders David Chipman, Keaton Cluff and Taylor also scored for USU.
“We don’t have the depth roster wise,” USU goalie Tyler Andrews said. “We’re running with 16 people, and we’re going against a team that have 30-40 on their roster. It’s just harder to keep up with them in the third and fourth quarters.”
Andrews made 27 saves on 65 shot attempts on the night.
The Aggies now prepare for a matchup against another in-state rival in Utah Valley University.
“We played them in the fall, and we were winning,” Andrews said. “We kind of had a mental breakdown and ended up losing. We should have won that game. If we come out with the intensity we had in Colorado, then we should be able to win. We need to be able to work as a team.”
A quick start is also a key for the Aggies.
“I think we just need to start right in winning the faceoff and the transition game,” Taylor said. “We just need to get it to the offensive end so we can put up some points against UVU.
“I’m excited for the UVU game. We want to take it to them. We don’t want to end the season with the loss. We’re moving on the next one, and we want to end the season with a bang.”
USU and UVU will tangle at 5 p.m. Friday on the Tower Field.
– ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu