The Weekender: Closing Time
Opinion
| Arizona State
| Cal Poly
| Chapman
| FAU
| Georgia Tech
| GVSU
| Miami (FL)
| Montana
| Montana State
| New Hampshire
| South Carolina
| UC Davis
| UC San Diego
by Jac Coyne | MCLA.us
LA CROSSE, Wis. – This year’s “true” senior class has been through the wringer.
They had their last high school lacrosse season wiped away, along with their graduation. No hat tosses or grad parties. Just mouth diapers and distancing.
If they even made it onto campus for their freshman year of college, they spent as much time figuring out their Zoom background screen as learning anything of value.
SCHEDULE: FRIDAY | SATURDAY | SUNDAY
No group of young men has had to normalize disappointment like the Class of ’24.
For a lot of those student-athletes in the MCLA, we are coming up on closing time. Just over a month to go in this season. Granted, there are plenty of others who have been shoehorned into this year’s graduating – or eligibility-ending – roll. Grad students, redshirts, etc.
And if you enrolled in the fall of 2020 and are planning on using all your playing availability, we’ll see you in ’26!
But for those who are transferring into the real-life portal devoid of organized lacrosse, there are still 42 days until the final day of the MCLA season. For a lot of you, it will be less than that.
This is crunch time. This is the last opportunity to play competitive lacrosse.
I checked in with some MCLA coaches to see what they would want to pass along to the players entering their lacrosse end-game.
“Be fearless in your approach and leave no doubts about your effort on and off the field,” said Brigham Young coach Matt Schneck, who played both football and lacrosse for the Cougars. “Enjoy every moment and be grateful for the incredible opportunity.”
Leaving it all on the field – giving maximum energy for every minute left – was a theme.
What is the MCLA Division I Game of the Week for the period ending March 31? #mcla24
— MCLA (@MCLA) March 25, 2024
“Live in the moment and make the extra effort to go above and beyond, because there is only a finite amount of time you have to play real competitive lacrosse,” said Florida Gulf Coast coach Vinnie Valentine. “Once it's all said and done, the last thing you want is to feel like you had more to give.”
“Work as hard as you can while you still can,” added Rhode Island coach Charlie White. “Being away from the game for two years has given me a different perspective on things. Giving it your best effort whenever you're on the field, whether that be practice, shooting around or in a game setting, you're never going to regret going 110 percent. You want to be able to step off of that field knowing you gave it everything you had while you still had the chance to do so.”
Being able to find a bit of solace is also important as a player moves on to the next challenge.
“I was very happy with how my college career ended,” said Boise State coach Adam Smith. “It may not have been the way I had always dreamed of – hoisting a national championship trophy in Orange County or even a PNCLL championship in Boise – but I left the game at peace. I knew I had given everything I had to give to the game as a player.”
In addition to leaving the gas tank empty, enjoying the lacrosse brotherhood was also a big part of the final countdown.
“Take more time and just be around the team,” said Florida Atlantic coach Stavros Neocleous. “As a senior or a grad student, your days are filled with upper-level classes, job applications and the many other obligations that come with graduating college. Many times, that means you’re taking time away from your ‘extracurriculars.’
What is the MCLA Division II Game of the Week for the period ending March 31? #mcla24
— MCLA (@MCLA) March 25, 2024
“It’s not always feasible to add more time playing the sport, but finding other ways to spend your time with your teammates will be the things you remember.”
“Slow down and enjoy every moment. Take it all in,” added Texas coach Kyle Hartzell. “In college, we are moving fast and those four years go by so quickly. Enjoy every moment on and off the field.”
Said Colorado coach Tyler Burgasser: “Be present and be the best teammate you can be. Appreciate the time with your buddies and competing as a group.”
To be fair, there are some pitfalls with the close of the season. Cal coach Ned Webster blew out his knee during his final season at Notre Dame, bringing back some not so fond memories.
“Don't think the torn ACL-sufferer can help on this one,” he said, grimly.
Likewise, think twice before handing the hair clippers to a teammate like Smith did.
“Don't let your teammate – Nick Nizolli – give you that haircut prior to the playoff game that is going be in your graduation photos,” Smith laughed.
Because of the two pandemic redshirts, eligibility numbers can be sporadic, but it in no way lessons the importance of the seniors’ last weeks.
“We haven’t had many seniors the past couple years at ASU, but the message is always very similar: up to this point, these are the best years of their lives,” said Arizona State coach Justin Straker. “Don’t waste your energy on things that take away from the moments shared on the field. Every practice and every game should be cherished.”
“Embrace the challenges just as much as you embrace the wins,” added UNC-Charlotte coach Nick Nedvesky. “Enjoy the journey instead of focusing on the end result. Wins and losses will come and go and nobody will remember the amazing play you had in the fourth quarter of a big game.
“They are much more likely to remember the moments shared in the hotels, in the vans and in the times when it's just nothing but you and your teammates exploring a new city. Embrace the little things, because those are the moments and opportunities you will remember and miss the most.”
“Love every single minute of it because you will not have this level of camaraderie and competition as a player ever again,” said St. Thomas coach Jason King.
Living in the moment is difficult to do. There is always something over the horizon when you are a 20-something about to graduate college, making it difficult to appreciate the now.
But maybe after the next practice or at halftime of one of these final games, take a deep breath, look around and think to yourself, ‘Damn, this is fun.’ And put a smile on your face.
“Just know how special this time is,” said Georgia Tech coach Ken Lovic. “The work you put in. The friendships you created. And the memories that’ll last forever. Lacrosse will never be the same as it is now for you.”
GAMES I’M FOLLOWING
No. 15 Arizona State at No. 4 Chapman, 1 p.m. – Friday
Chapman managed to get doubled up by Virginia Tech and still move up a spot in the rankings, ostensibly because of the win over Liberty. They’ll get a chance to prove they are No. 4 with a convincing win over ASU. After navigating the non-conference portion of the schedule, the Sun Devils are tasked with likely having to go 3-3 in the SLC to earn a spot in the four-team playoffs. Sparky will have to at least split this weekend – they have SDSU on Saturday – to remain in the at-large hunt.
No. 20 Montana at No. 3 Montana State, 7 p.m. – Friday
This is one of the better non-conference rivalries in the MCLA, but the shine is off the contest a little bit this year. The Bobcats are on a six-game winning streak against the Grizzlies, and that has come against some of Montana’s better teams. The record would suggest the Griz are in a bit of a rebuilding project, so MSU is a massive favorite, especially at home. But funnier things have happened.
Cal Poly at New Hampshire, 7 p.m. – Friday
Thanks to the Mustangs win over Boston College on Wednesday, this could be a tidy cleanup to a productive East Coast swing. If Poly can get the sweep, the actual wins may not resonate a ton with the committee, but flying the width of the country on spring break will certainly earn some bonus points. On the flipside, the Wildcats have played a decent schedule, but will have to run the table – including the CLC title – to get in the at-large discussion (the CLC doesn’t have an AQ). Anything’s possible.
Georgia Tech at South Carolina, 3 p.m. – Saturday
Who wants the first-round bye in the SELC playoffs? The winner of this one is pretty much a lock (not guaranteed, however) to start their playoff run in Jacksonville as opposed to a home-site first-round game against Auburn. This contest feels like less of a rivalry game and more of a jealously contest. South Carolina has two national championships while Tech has only an appearance in the finals – which they lost to the Cocks in ’22. No disrespect to the other contenders, but this is a likely SELC finals preview.
Florida Atlantic at Miami, 4 p.m. – Saturday
With only two teams advancing to the SELC tournament out of each subdivision, these league games can get sticky. Just one league loss and you’re up against the wall. While I think the real tester is going to be the FGCU-Miami game next weekend, the Owls can’t be messing around with the Hurricanes. They need to be sharp, because even though they are locked into Round Rock they’ll be staring at a double-digit seed if they don't make the SELC tourney.
UC San Diego at UC Davis, 7 p.m. – Saturday
The loss to Saint Mary’s was a kick in the teeth to Davis and their long-shot at-large dreams, but they could get some clout back by taking down the Tritons. After a busy February, UCSD has been leisurely making its way through March with only two games in the first 29 days. It’s unlikely that the Aggies can handle the Tritons firepower, led by Austin Ortel, but the UCSD can’t be sleepwalking.
Congrats to @UCSBLax head coach Mike Allan, who picked up his 200th career MCLA victory on Tuesday against Colorado State. The total includes stints at UCLA and with the Gauchos, along with two national championships! #mcla24 pic.twitter.com/3BlQQehSmn
— MCLA (@MCLA) March 27, 2024
SLIDES & RIDES
- Is anyone else getting the feeling Grand Valley State might be big trouble for D-II this spring? It’s been somewhat difficult to tell to this point with the number of Division I teams they are playing, but the 23-1 dismantling of St. John’s was disturbing. Yes, the Johnnies are in a bit of a rebuild, but have they been held to just one goal before? The Lakers have a couple of directional Michigan schools before we find out just what GVSU has under the hood with Rhode Island, St. Thomas and Dayton.
- As usual, Easter Sunday is a slow day in the MCLA – there are just three games on the docket – but this year it falls on March 31, which traditionally marks the beginning of the conference horseraces. There are still plenty of non-conference contests ahead – South Carolina is heading to Boston next weekend – but this is when we start to sort out the league brackets.
- Congrats to UC Santa Barbara coach Mike Allan for reaching the 200-win milestone. He joins Brigham Young’s Matt Schneck, who also hit that mark earlier this spring. Like the Cougars, the Gouchos are methodically putting together a resume that should get them to Round Rock regardless of whether they own an AQ or not.
- Speaking of congratulations, big ups to Cal Poly sophomore Ryan Sanders, who eclipsed the 100-point mark with his eight-point (5g, 3a) masterpiece against Cal. In addition, Florida Atlantic’s Drake Summers has etched his name in the Owls’ record books by amassing the most points (166) in program history. Good work, boys!
- In addition to nominating individuals for Warrior Player and PEARL Goalie of the Week by Monday at noon, head coaches should also include March Player of the Month candidates, as well. Fire the noms to [email protected].