The BYU lacrosse team lost its first game of the season on Saturday against the Arizona State Sun Devils.
BYU started its Arizona trip undefeated with a record of 6–0, but up to that point not many teams had challenged the Cougars’ tough offense and defense. The trip started Thursday in Phoenix against an old NCAA team, Grand Canyon University.
Though GCU had a record of 3–2, its two losses came from top teams, and the Cougars were in for a battle. The teams exchanged goals and traded the lead throughout the entire game, but BYU pulled out the win in its closest game of the season. The final score was 13–12. Seniors Jake Ferrin and Mickell Walker both contributed by scoring a hattrick a piece.
“We knew they would be a good team,” Ferrin said. “They were about what we expected. I thought we played well, and in the end of the game we came together with that last push to win. It was a good game.”
The Cougars took the day off from games Friday, and they held clinics for local high school and middle school lacrosse players. BYU coach Matt Schneck then prepared his team for the game against No. 6 Arizona State.
Arizona State has one of the top offensive teams in the MCLA. The Sun Devils have more than 104 points on the year and are led by senior attackman Payson Clark, who has scored more than 30 points so far in the season.
The game started slow, and by the end of the first quarter the score was only 2–1 in Arizona State’s favor.
In the second quarter the Sun Devils picked up the heat and outscored BYU 6–1. At the half BYU trailed 2–8. The Devils kept the pressure on the Cougars as they continued firing shots and scoring three more. With only a quarter left in the game, BYU was losing 2–11.
Just as it did against Grand Canyon, BYU played hard in the fourth quarter and racked up five goals, but the deficit made a comeback just out of reach. The Cougars lost their first game of the year in a 12–7 loss.
However, the trip is not over yet. BYU continues its games in Arizona with a final game against the University of Arizona. Arizona has a record of 5–3 and is a team not to be taken lightly. BYU will have another tough game before it returns to Utah.
BYU will face the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., at 7:00 p.m. Monday.
