ASU Lacrosse: The No. 12 Sun Devils have a tough stretch playing four games in seven days

(Photo: Jodi Vodsika/ASU Lacrosse)

The No. 12 Arizona State Sun Devils maintain a 3-4 overall record and 1-1 record in the SLC South Division. ASU is in the home stretch of the regular season, but the upcoming schedule is will be a grind to the very end.

The Sun Devils play four games in seven days beginning this Saturday in the final home game versus No. 20 UNLV. That is followed up by road contests with No. 6 Colorado on Tuesday, April 12, No. 8 Colorado State on Wednesday, April 13, and the regular season finale with the No. 7 Arizona Wildcats in Tucson next Saturday, April 16.

“Every game, you just look at it as a new opportunity to play,” freshman midfielder Daniel Cava said. “Every time you go out on the field, just give it your all. It’s not going to last forever. We’re all pushing each other in practice to make each other better for the games and so we can work for our seniors and our school.”

In order to overcome the grind as the regular season dwindles to a close, the post-game recovery will be an essential necessity, especially with the back-to-back games in Colorado.

“It’s a lot up to them to eat the right foods, do a lot of hydration,ice baths and stretching,” ASU head coach Todd MacRobbie said. “We taught them a couple of yoga techniques to get them some extra stretches, it’s just a matter of them doing it for themselves.”

For some of the younger guys on the team, this will be their first time going through four games in a week span.

“They’re looking to us to set the example and I’d like to think that our senior class is trying to do that,” senior midfielder Henry Archie said. “We’re just trying to move in the right direction, take baby steps towards progress.”

ASU was originally scheduled to play Colorado and Colorado State last month, but the games were postponed due to inclement weather at the time.

During this upcoming stretch of games, the team will be missing some time in the classroom, but MacRobbie said it shouldn’t affect their schoolwork responsibilities.

“As soon as our Colorado trip got cancelled, we told them to check with professors,” MacRobbie said. “Hopefully, they’ve been doing the schoolwork in advance so it shouldn’t affect them, but it’s really up to them.”

MacRobbie added that the ultimate keys to Sun Devils victories during the upcoming grind of games is reducing turnovers, winning faceoffs and maintaining a high shooting percentage.

“We had a bit of a down stretch, but we’re getting back into it,” Cava said. “The mentality, being positive at practice, working hard and pushing each other…that’s what does the most towards winning.” 

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