Weekend Watch: Tech Boom?
Opinion
| Georgia Tech
| MSUD
| South Carolina
| UNC-Charlotte
| Wake Forest
| BYU
| Colorado
| Colorado State
| FGCU
| Florida State
| Kennesaw State
| Loyola Marymount
| UC Davis
| Washington
(Photo by Kevin Schoonover)
by Jac Coyne | MCLA.us
LA CROSSE, Wis. – They’ve got a solid record. A 7-2 mark is nothing to sneeze at.
They’ve got a quality ranking. No. 9 is a nice location in March.
But...there's something missing.
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Is it me, or does this Georgia Tech team seem a little different than the Yellow Jacket outfits we’re used to seeing? Almost like they are still trying to figure out their personality?
“We are,” conceded Georgia Tech coach Ken Lovic. “We have a nice influx of some new guys who have taken on a lot more than expected with some key folks missing.
"It takes some time.”
Lovic has built a very specific brand in Atlanta. He taps into the analytical nature of his engineer-minded student-athletes to create a squad that minimizes mundane mistakes.
Due to all sorts of reasons – including, well, the last two years – that clinical approach has taken some time to replant itself.
“We have probably not been as disciplined in some key areas, like clearing as well as we have in years past,” Lovic said. “To me, that is our biggest killer – giving our opponents extra possessions.”
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The strain created on the defense by giving the opposition extra looks has been exacerbated by the absence of veteran players on the offensive end.
Senior attackman Devin Raun has been dinged for much of the season. Raun had 29 points in six games last spring and has one point in five games so far this year. Sam Eck is another experienced player who has been hampered by injuries.
No one cries about injuries – it’s going to happen in a physical sport like lacrosse – but it can’t be ignored when looking at the Ramblin’ Wreck. But news is improving.
“We should be as close to healthy as we have been all year,” Lovic said. “We still have a few guys down. We all deal with injuries, but with a smaller roster than most, it impacts us more intensely.”
Getting back to full strength could not have come at a better time, as Georgia Tech heads to No. 10 South Carolina on Friday night for a clash with conference and national implications.
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And anyone who has played a Friday night game in Columbia knows it’s not for the faint of heart. The atmosphere gives the Gamecocks a huge home-field advantage that can intimidate even the most level-headed engineering eggheads.
Further complicating the trip: unbelievably, Lovic and the Wreck have never experienced it before. The scheduled game in 2017 was rained out and the trip in 2021 never happened.
“We know the passion of those guys,” said Lovic of South Carolina. “We have faced them a lot over the last number of years, so our guys know what to expect. Like we always tell them – let's focus on us. Either way, it should be a great night of lacrosse.”
GAMES I’M FOLLOWING
MSU Denver at No. 22 Wake Forest, Friday – 5:30 p.m.
The Roadrunners are taking an impressive road trip to the southeast and the Demon Deacons are the first of two ranked opponents on the docket. MSU Denver is just outside the Top 25 right now, but a win over Wake – and perhaps another against No. 20 UNC-Charlotte on Monday – would be crucial to postseason aspirations.
No. 22 Florida State at No. 21 Colorado State, Saturday – 1 p.m.
The loser of this one might take a poll hiatus for the coming week as both are coming off debilitating losses. The Seminoles got trimmed by Northeastern at home while the Rams ran into a Longhorn buzzsaw in Austin. It’s only mid-March, but this is also a game that will probably come up during selection meetings. Both should let it all hang out.
No. 2 Concordia-Irvine at No. 1 Brigham Young, Saturday – 1 p.m.
The two top-ranked teams in the country meeting up? Usually a game of note. Barring a blowout either way, I’m guessing these two will likely be in the top two or three on Wednesday, but it should help the committee when it comes to seeding time. It might also go a long way in determining who will be the First Team All-American goalie, as we’ll get to see two of the best.
Washington at Colorado, Saturday – 6 p.m.
I just need to see a bit more of these two teams. Each seems talented, but I’m not sure if we’ve seen their best yet.
No. 10 Florida Gulf Coast at No. 3 Kennesaw State, Sunday – 1 p.m.
One could make the case that these ranking should be flipped. The Eagles have a ranked win already against Missouri State while this is the Owls only ranked contest of the season (until the postseason, anyway). I believe Kennesaw needs this one far more than FGCU. I could see the Eagles being plugged in as the favorite.
No. 17 UC Davis at No. 16 Loyola Marymount, Sunday – 2 p.m.
LMU getting rolled by San Marcos – and still remaining above the Cougars in the poll – was one of the more surprising outcomes out of D-II last week. Davis is underwater at 2-3, but all three losses are to D-I teams (Cal, Stanford, Noma). The Lions better be careful, because the Aggies might be the top D-II outfit on the Left Coast.