On Saturday, March 9, the Southern Utah University men’s lacrosse team traveled to Las Vegas to face off against the University of Nevada, Reno. SUU prepared all week to improve on both sides of the ball.
“We emphasized the importance of securing the ball and getting used to greater pressure from the defense. I saw a lot of improvement this week on the offensive side,” said defenseman Kieran Richards.
SUU entered the game with high energy, looking to improve from their previous games.
UNR scored a point following the first faceoff, but shortly after, SUU freshman attackman Jesmir Verdiell dodged down the alley to find the back of the net and tie the game.
In the first quarter, SUU lacked communication and allowed UNR to score a few goals to take the lead 5-1. However, momentum for UNR halted when the SUU defense came together and held them to five points for the rest of the quarter.
“From there, we were able to keep up the pace on defense for the remainder of the game,” said Richards.
The Thunderbird energy transferred to the offensive side of the ball when freshman midfielder Elijah Lowe scored on a fast break. Sophomore attackman Mac Call scored another goal to bring the score to 5-3.
Unfortunately for Southern Utah, UNR found more rhythm near the end of the half and led 9-3 at halftime.
SUU started with the ball in the second half but turned it over and allowed UNR to score. The offensive aggression for SUU decreased throughout the half.
“We had multiple opportunities to score, but our offense did not come through. Field awareness is a huge part of the game, and neglecting that will always put a team in trouble,” said Richards.
UNR took advantage of the turnovers and brought their lead to 15-3.
Late in the fourth quarter, Call scored once again off an assist by freshman midfielder Rilen Tucker, who caught a 50-yard pass from the goalie. The game finished with a final score of 15-4.
“We have lots of room for growth, and we will definitely do our best to make that growth happen quickly,” said Richards.
Up next
SUU has two weeks to prepare for their next double-header weekend against the University of Wyoming on Friday, March 29, and Montana State University on Saturday, March 30. MSU is currently ranked No. 3 in the league.
Author: Caden Houchin
Photographer: Jesus Verdiell
Editor: Anden Garfield
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