(Photo: Jodi Vosika/ASU Lacrosse)
In just their second home game of the season, No. 2 Arizona State hosts unranked University of Texas in Glendale, Ariz. on Monday night.
The Sun Devils are coming off a very close win against No. 16 Liberty. The Longhorns, on the other hand, were dealt their fourth straight loss at hands of No. 7 Grand Canyon.
History between Texas and Arizona State dates back to 2009, when the Sun Devils were first scheduled to play the Longhorns. However, that game never took place due to ASU’s program being suspended for that entire season.
The teams have played twice, both games in 2012. Texas took the regular season game, an ultra-defensive clash, by a score of 4-3. ASU came back that same year to beat Texas 12-6 in the opening round of the MCLA National Championships.
For the vast majority of the season, the Sun Devil defense has been sturdy, giving the team a nice balance. However, their last five games have all been decided by three points or less.
The Sun Devil offense has been on fire this season. Senior attackman Dan Davis leads the team with 19 goals. Attackman Rhett Rodgers and midfielder Cooper Pickell follow with 12 and 10 goals respectively.
The team’s offense runs deep, which came in handy against teams such as Liberty and Colorado whose pace is just as fast as ASU’s. So far, 15 total players have put points on the board.
Texas’s record currently stands at 2-6. The team’s wins give them control of the LSA South, since they defeated conference opponents Houston and Louisiana in back-to-back games.
The Longhorns’ season hopes have slowly begun to dim, as they have completely dropped out of the polls. Texas originally laid claim to the No. 15 slot in the preseason, but after one week of action (during which UT went 0-2), Texas was out of the top 25.
The Longhorns have historically held winning records at this point in the season in past years. Their drops in polls and losing record sharply contrast with the team that earned its way into the MCLA Tournament last year.
In its six losses, Texas has been outscored 83-20.
Texas attackman Noah Starr leads the team in overall scoring with a total of 18 points, seven of those being goals. Attackman Marshall Allen is next in terms of scoring, also with seven goals and 12 overall points.
The team has a number of players who have scored this season; however, Starr and Allen are the sole players to hit double digits in the points column.
Arizona State is a team that demands control and usually forces their opponent to play at their pace, a trick that Texas has fallen into in the past.
Based off the lackluster performance given by UT in the 17-2 loss against Grand Canyon over the weekend, Arizona State should have no problem ripping into Texas’ offense and clinching a win.
You can reach the reporter on Twitter @Kaci_Demarest or by email via email at kaci.demarest@gmail.com
