Aggie Lacrosse had a tough opponent for their first road game and less so for their second. They performed a little less well than expected overall splitting their games this past weekend. On Saturday they dropped a close one versus a very good TCU defense and on Sunday they dominated a overmatched Texas Tech team in every phase of the game. This leaves the Aggies sitting at a 3-2-0 record so far in the season with all their easiest games behind them. They are 2-2-0 in conference and barring a tremendous next few weeks are probably out of the running for an at large bid to the national tournament. That said they have the good fortune of still very much being in the running for a spot in the conference tournament and a shot at the conference champions automatic qualifier. A realistic goal for this Aggie team should be a return to conference semifinals.
The Aggies are halfway done with their conference schedule now and barring a disaster against Houston and assuming a split between Arkansas and LSU they should be a lock to return to the conference tournament this season. That said their most critical weekend is upcoming. On March 3rd and 4th the Aggies will trvale to Boulder Colorado to face the #3 and #8 teams in the country, University of Colorado and Colorado State. Although I will sadly not be able to attend for financial reasons this is a chance for Aggie Lacrosse to make a huge statment. Not to overlook the upcoming contests versus Houston and Florida (the teams last two home games so get out there Ags!!) but it is vital the Aggies come to play these next few weeks.
As for the action this week I was impressed by the defensive effort made by the Aggies. The defense really responded after a horrible outing versus tu and played a physical and technically sound brand of Lacrosse versus TCU and Tech. Paticularly I was impressed by the defensive effort made by the midfielders. Aden Whitworth (#18) and Drew Johnson (#4) provided a strong defensive effort from the midfield that had been lacking early on in the season. Similarly Ryan Fennell (#26) bounced back in a big way against Tech and put out a very good half of work against them. Overall for the defense it was a good weekend and such defensive effort will be critical moving forward.
The offense had a tough week against TCU. The abscence of senior Bryce Green (#33) who did not travel with the team and of star attackman AJ Hepting (#24) who traveled but did not dress out seemed to really unsettle the Aggies. Their effort was not helped by a very good effort by TCU on the defensive end of the field. Anytime a goalie makes 22 saves its hard to win period.
Top 3
#1 Defensive Effort
The defense had a great bounce back week after a bad game versus tu. Lots of effort a great physicality.
#2 Midfielders Stepping Up
Drew Johnson and Aden Whitworth (#4 and #18) seem to be the first step towards producing a good effort from the midfield position. With the attrition on the attack men it is vital that the midfield steps up.
#3 Overall improvement
The Aggies improved as a team this weekend in all phases. Continued improvement can yield great results.
Bottom 3
#1 Offensive Confusion
The offense needs to step up against great defenses. Responding versus a challenging defense will be critical in the coming weeks.
#2 Ground Balls
Even versus Tech this team did not do well playing team ground ball drills. They need to improve individual technique and team coordination in these situations. Even Tech got the better of them more than once.
#3 Flat Starts
Cant wait till the second half or fourth quarter to get hot. That's all i'm going to say.
Overall I felt like the Aggies got better this weekend. Clearing was better, fundamentals were better, time of possesion was HUGELY better, and the faceoff team was outstanding all weekend. I really feel that this Aggie team has gotten better in a hurry as a team and has real potential to finish strong.
The Aggies return to action this weekend at Penberthy Fields.
On Friday February 24th against out of conference foe Florida at 7 PM.
Florida is undefeated on the season having beaten a very good LSU team at LSU. They also have beaten an okay Alabama handily. Look for this to be a tough matchup for the Aggies.
On Sunday February 26th the Aggies will face off against divisional foe Houston at 12PM. This Houston team will be playing only its second game of the season so we do not know much about them right now. That said they were 2-8 last season.
Hope to see some of y'all out there this weekend!
The Aggies are halfway done with their conference schedule now and barring a disaster against Houston and assuming a split between Arkansas and LSU they should be a lock to return to the conference tournament this season. That said their most critical weekend is upcoming. On March 3rd and 4th the Aggies will trvale to Boulder Colorado to face the #3 and #8 teams in the country, University of Colorado and Colorado State. Although I will sadly not be able to attend for financial reasons this is a chance for Aggie Lacrosse to make a huge statment. Not to overlook the upcoming contests versus Houston and Florida (the teams last two home games so get out there Ags!!) but it is vital the Aggies come to play these next few weeks.
As for the action this week I was impressed by the defensive effort made by the Aggies. The defense really responded after a horrible outing versus tu and played a physical and technically sound brand of Lacrosse versus TCU and Tech. Paticularly I was impressed by the defensive effort made by the midfielders. Aden Whitworth (#18) and Drew Johnson (#4) provided a strong defensive effort from the midfield that had been lacking early on in the season. Similarly Ryan Fennell (#26) bounced back in a big way against Tech and put out a very good half of work against them. Overall for the defense it was a good weekend and such defensive effort will be critical moving forward.
The offense had a tough week against TCU. The abscence of senior Bryce Green (#33) who did not travel with the team and of star attackman AJ Hepting (#24) who traveled but did not dress out seemed to really unsettle the Aggies. Their effort was not helped by a very good effort by TCU on the defensive end of the field. Anytime a goalie makes 22 saves its hard to win period.
Top 3
#1 Defensive Effort
The defense had a great bounce back week after a bad game versus tu. Lots of effort a great physicality.
#2 Midfielders Stepping Up
Drew Johnson and Aden Whitworth (#4 and #18) seem to be the first step towards producing a good effort from the midfield position. With the attrition on the attack men it is vital that the midfield steps up.
#3 Overall improvement
The Aggies improved as a team this weekend in all phases. Continued improvement can yield great results.
Bottom 3
#1 Offensive Confusion
The offense needs to step up against great defenses. Responding versus a challenging defense will be critical in the coming weeks.
#2 Ground Balls
Even versus Tech this team did not do well playing team ground ball drills. They need to improve individual technique and team coordination in these situations. Even Tech got the better of them more than once.
#3 Flat Starts
Cant wait till the second half or fourth quarter to get hot. That's all i'm going to say.
Overall I felt like the Aggies got better this weekend. Clearing was better, fundamentals were better, time of possesion was HUGELY better, and the faceoff team was outstanding all weekend. I really feel that this Aggie team has gotten better in a hurry as a team and has real potential to finish strong.
The Aggies return to action this weekend at Penberthy Fields.
On Friday February 24th against out of conference foe Florida at 7 PM.
Florida is undefeated on the season having beaten a very good LSU team at LSU. They also have beaten an okay Alabama handily. Look for this to be a tough matchup for the Aggies.
On Sunday February 26th the Aggies will face off against divisional foe Houston at 12PM. This Houston team will be playing only its second game of the season so we do not know much about them right now. That said they were 2-8 last season.
Hope to see some of y'all out there this weekend!