Rearview: Off and Running

 Photo by Anna Scipione

By: E.J. Freeman | MCLA.us    

ATLANTA - After a false start last week with numerous cancellations, we did it. The Run to Richmond is fully on. There were still a few cancellations, but the theme this week was about the games that got played rather than the ones that did not.

After my Friday discussion of the benefits of MCLA road trips, we had a cross-country trip putting my theory to the test.  Our poll on X finished with the slight majority of voters siding with me when it comes to the benefits of MCLA travel so at least I'm not alone in my opinion.  Georgia left Athens around 4:30 Friday morning before traveling to San Diego and playing a strong Aztec team in a game that started at 10 p.m. local time back home in Athens (not exactly the kind of itinerary I had in mind). A loss in that game would not have surprised anyone given the circumstances. An inspired start before running out of gas would have made sense, but instead the Bulldogs seemed to get better as the game went on. An impressive show of resilience from the Dawgs.  The Dawgs may have been a little too pleased with themselves, as it took them a while to separate from USC the next day. Coming away from SoCal with two wins is what matters for the Dawgs. Rory Cavanaugh is still on a heater, leading the charge for the Bulldogs. The ability to win on the road will be important for Georgia, as they only have one home game remaining on the schedule, which feels like a crazy thing to type before we’ve even gotten to Valentine’s Day.

On the other side of Friday night’s game, San Diego State turned around and played another tough game against UC Santa Barbara on Saturday. The Aztecs once again found themselves on the wrong end of the ledger, losing 9–7 to the Gauchos.  An impressive first game for the Gauchos.  The Aztecs now find themselves 0–2, but still have plenty of chances to build their résumé with Cal, Cal Poly, Colorado, Colorado State, and their SLC schedule remaining.

There were two conference games on opposite coasts that had some similar themes. Cal led 6–3 after three quarters against Cal Poly. A three-goal lead certainly is not insurmountable, but typically feels safe when the trailing team has only managed to score three goals through three quarters. The Mustangs said, “Not so fast, my friend,” as they scored five of the last six goals of the game, including the game winner in overtime, to win 8–7.  A few hours earlier, Georgia Tech and Florida State followed a similar script, but with more goals. The Jackets led 11–6 in the third quarter, but the Seminoles kept chipping away at the lead before tying the game and forcing overtime. The Seminoles won the opening possession and scored the game winner on their first shot, taking the 16–15 win.

Down in Florida, Tampa and Miami played a shootout, with the Spartans handing the Hurricanes their first loss, 20–17. Both goalies were under siege, coming up with double-digit saves along with the high goal output.

Tulane went to Texas State and got a nice win to start the season, taking down the Bobcats 15–13 behind nine points from Austin Dulay. The Green Wave start on the right foot in the LSA South.

The Seahawks of UNC Wilmington were decisive in their victory over Virginia Tech Division II, winning 18–7 and never trailing. The DII Hokies played Dayton on Sunday, and the Flyers won 14–13.

Picker Results

Thanks to J.J. Arminio for stepping into the hot seat this week. J.J. went 2–3 with his picks. A developing trend here is that the team the picker is affiliated with has not won a game they have picked so far.

Guest Picker Leaderboard:

Dylan Hess 4–1

J.J. Arminio 2–3

Fan Vote Upset of the Week

It seems the folks in College Station flooded the ballot box for their game with South Carolina, pulling 65% of the vote. The Gamecocks won the contest on Saturday, 17–8. Congratulations to the Gamecocks for proving the voters wrong.

Quick Sticks

After an 0–2 trip to South Florida last weekend, Georgia Southern picked up a win over Wake Forest in Charleston.

North Dakota State and Iowa State tangled in an inter-divisional UMLC showdown, with the Cyclones taking down the Bison 9–6.

Texas Tech and Rice played in a shootout, with the Red Raiders winning 18–15.

North Florida traveled to Charleston and picked up two wins over The Citadel and Charleston.

Clemson moved to 3–0 beating Auburn and Central Florida and is averaging 17.67 goals per game. If you want to beat the Tigers, you better be able to keep pace.

The reigning DI champs opened the season and shrugged off the losses of Keaton Mohs and Braden Landry, scoring 18 goals against N.C. State.

Head coaches, be sure to send your nominations for Warrior Player of the Week and Pearl Goalie of the Week to info@mcla.us