When midfielder Stew Vassau and defender Hunter Holmes were asked about their favorite moments in BYU’s 21-8 win over Texas on Thursday night, they did not hesitate.
“I think (my) favorite moment was Jordan (Knighton) on the face off, first time playing BYU lacrosse, (and he) gets a goal,” said Vassau.
Holmes added, “Our boy, Mason Esplin, cleared the ball, took a shot, and scored. You don't see that from a lot of pulls, but he's dangerous.”
BYU’s comradery and team chemistry were on full display during their win against Texas. Multiple players made an immediate impact for BYU, with several Cougars recording goals, assists, defensive stops, saves, as well as recovering groundballs and winning faceoffs.
BYU quickly opened the game with a 5-0 run. Texas kept it close in the first quarter and responded with a 4-0 run of their own.
“I think we were all pretty disappointed. Because we got off to a quick start ... and then they scored those four unanswered goals,” said head coach Matt Schneck.
“We had a lapse of focus in the first quarter. We weren't communicating as much as we should have,” said Holmes. “We got a pep talk from our coach, and we started talking a lot more. We were communicating our hot slides, our twos, our threes, and we were playing a lot more secure defense.”
After the first quarter, BYU’s defense only allowed four more points, with Texas only scoring two goals in the second half.
One player that stepped up in the second half was freshman Isaac Hanson. Hanson filled in at goalie after Easton Wilkey stepped out due to injury.
Schneck was pleased with the way Hanson stepped in for Wilkey, BYU’s Preseason All-American goalie.
“(Wilkey) wasn't feeling the best coming out of the second half ... (but) we felt like the game was in control," he said. "We felt confident that we could make that change (at goalie). And Isaac stepped up and just did a fantastic job.”
Hanson had some playing time at the end of the GCU game, which he felt helped him prepare for his start in the second half. But mostly, he gave credit to Wilkey’s encouragement.
“Easton’s super encouraging after every save, every time out. I’m coming off and he’s like, ‘Let’s go,’ and he’s specific. He (gives) specific compliments,” said Hanson. “Easton is the biggest hype man. He is awesome.”
BYU’s offense was electric once again, with ten different players scoring for the Cougars. Vassau credits their offensive success from patience and shot selection.
“Yeah, Texas was tough. I think in this game, we really focused on being patient and getting into the 2nd phase of our offense,” said Vassau. “So, dodging hard, drawing the slide, getting it to the backside, and not settling for those good looks. We try to get those great shots.”
BYU improved to 3-0 on the season, while Texas dropped to 1-2.
BYU will have a short break before facing Nevada on Feb. 27 at 4 p.m. in Provo.