Griz set to face three Top-10 squads
by TYSON ALGER – Montana Kaimin
The term “busy weekend” has a different meaning for the UM Lacrosse team. Starting today, the Griz will take on three of the nation’s top club lacrosse teams in the next three days. Now throw in two 13-hour bus rides to and from Boulder, Colorado and now you have a busy weekend.
Senior mid-fielder Tucker Sargent has had his fair share of these weekends in his Griz lacrosse career and has a strategy to get through those long bus rides.
“I just try to sleep a lot,” Sargent said.
Sleep is something that the Griz should take advantage of.
With the weekend’s lineup consisting of Colorado, Texas A&M, and Colorado State, all of whom are ranked in the top 15 in the country, a short benched Griz team can’t afford to be tired.
“Three games can take a lot out of a team,” Coach Ryan Hanavan said. “We’ve been doing a lot of conditioning to get their legs underneath them for all three games.”
Hanavan noted that members of the team have been striving for better fitness, from players eating healthier to partaking in yoga.
Strategically Sargent said that the Griz will be looking to control the possession game. Sargent noted that generally the Griz attack with a “run and gun” style offense, but slowing the pace down will be something that will help the team sustain a steady attack throughout the whole weekend.
That being said, Sargent said the Griz can’t afford to take a step back in intensity against teams that the Griz are considered to be weaker than, according to the standings.
“We’re underdogs in all three games,” Sargent said. “But I really don’t see it that way, we’ll hold our own.”
Playing against teams such as CU, who has been perennial lacrosse powerhouse, is something that coach Hanavan said his team gets up for.
“We’ve played teams like this before,” he said. “We have our own talented players who are excited. We want to target these teams.”
A successful weekend could help propel the Griz into the national rankings.
“Really a win against any of these teams would go a long way towards getting us up there,” Sargent said.
The Griz, who are expected to arrive in Colorado early this morning, take the field against the Buffalo tonight at seven. They then face off against the Aggies Saturday at 1 p.m. before taking on the Rams Sunday at 11 a.m.
After the final game of the weekend the Griz will once again hop onto the bus and venture the nearly 900 miles back to Montana. But then again, this is all part of a normal weekend for the Griz, who Sargent said are accustomed to being on the road.
“By now I could drive to China and back and not even notice.”
