The Reverb: Gator Culture
by Jac Coyne | MCLA.us
LA CROSSE, Wis. – After a long, 12-year hiatus, Florida finally made it back to nationals last spring. It was a relatively short visit, but an important one for a team grinding toward the top of the charts.
As with any program that finally breaks through the ceiling, the next part – sustaining that success – can be particularly daunting. Initial success is usually achieved on the backs of players who are about to graduate from the program.
RESULTS: FRIDAY | SATURDAY | SUNDAY
There were certainly questions entering 2023 about the Gators ability to reproduce their '22 outcome considering the attrition rate.
“Obviously, losing All-American caliber players to graduation presents a challenge from a performance standpoint,” admitted Florida coach Garrett Hanrahan. “We had three defensive All-Americans graduate in Parker Beeson, Tyler Schaffer and goalie Matt Corazon, so it’d be reasonable for onlookers to wonder if we could sustain an elite caliber defense in 2023.”
Before they left, however, those players provided Florida with one of the most important things a successful MCLA program can have: a culture.
And it was not just the guys with All-American plaques. Some of the graduates were emotional tone-setters while others were devoted bench players who helped raise the practice level and gameday enthusiasm.
“Each and every one of those guys is missed, and we thank them for giving this year’s crop of elder statesmen a shining example of what devotion to the team looks like,” said Hanrahan.
It’s difficult to assess a team before Valentine’s Day arrives, but the early results are promising after the No. 10 Gators went on the road and knocked off No. 5 Clemson, 11-4, and Georgia, 15-9.
The question marks on defense were quickly answered. Kenny Geremia, Cole Fox, Cole Woods, Dionee Cortes and Cross Jahnke have joined forces with transfer Liam Storkerson and rookie Zach Mintz to create a formidable rotation of long poles. Junior Jadon Terzi had a solid weekend in the cage.
The Clemson game was particularly impressive.
“Every position group made their mark on the game; no one had to pick up anyone else’s slack,” said Hanrahan. “Defensively, we gave up four goals, which is stellar against anyone. We cleared the ball well. We rode hard. Our goalie stopped 67 percent of the shots he faced. Our faceoff unit won 61 percent of draws. Our EMO scored four goals. We shared the field offensively, playing six attackmen and five middie lines. We had seven goal-scorers on 11 goals.”
It's an impressive list, as was the trap-game victory against Georgia.
But those two wins and a $1 will get you a hot dog. There is a long road ahead, starting with a friendly against North Florida on Friday and a showdown with an always-talented Boston College outfit on Sunday.
The Gators are going to stick to the script that has bred considerable success the last two seasons.
“The keys to success and challenges to overcome are no different than what any past team has faced,” said Hanrahan. “We must show up every day and genuinely strive to be better than we were the day before, whether that’s on the field, at the wall or in the weight room.
“We must hold each other accountable when we fail to live up to the standard. We must make team-first decisions on and off the field. Each of these requires maturity, honesty, and foresight.”
MY TOP FIVES
We’ll get this out in the open early: if a team hasn’t played a game, it ain't making my fives. It’s 2023 now; ’22 is just a memory. There’s no layaway credit. As a result, my rankings will be extremely volatile. And extremely correct.
Division I
1. Florida (2-0) – Stifled Clemson and cruised past UGA on the road. Tidy.
2. Dominican (1-0) – Went down and handled USC in L.A. pretty easily. Look out.
3. UC Santa Barbara (1-0) – Gauchos appeared efficient in win over a sturdy Cal outfit.
4. Virginia Tech (2-0) – Scored a lot of goals on a 'Bama business trip. Solid.
5. Georgia Tech (2-0) – Rallying for a win over Auburn before downing Vandy? Meh.
HOLD THAT TIGER: LSU beats UCF on their home turf 16-14 in a thriller #hold #that #tiger pic.twitter.com/hepouhQybl
— LSU Lacrosse (@lsumenslacrosse) February 5, 2023
Division II
1. St. Thomas (1-0) – The offense could be prolific judging by the opener against Minny.
2. Georgia Southern (1-0) – A ranked win will always get you some cred.
3. UC Davis (1-1) – Hung around with Stanford before roasting Humboldt. About right.
4. Cal State San Marcos (0-1) – Time will tell how good UCLA is, but the Cougs showed up.
5. UNC-Charlotte (0-1) – NC State is quality. The 49ers will be just fine (for now).
1 week from today @GoGameOnSports @TexasAggieLax @OUMensLax pic.twitter.com/HBHQVUXnYp
— Lone Star Alliance (@LSALacrosse) February 5, 2023
SNEAK PEAK AT THIS WEEK
You know the season is starting to percolate when Brigham Young makes its California foray. The Cougars face UCLA, USC and Concordia in the span of four days to instantly give us a feel for what Matt Schneck’s outfit has in store.
Boston College is making its snowbird trek to Florida for a couple of games while the champs open their season against James Madison in Columbia, S.C.
Division II is still starting its engines, but there’s a big one in Vegas when College of Idaho visits UC San Diego. Both teams appear to be stacked with talent.
Your 2023 Lumberjacks pic.twitter.com/4O4jf7U7LF
— NAU Lacrosse (@NAULacrosse) February 5, 2023
SLIDES & RIDES
- What should we make out of UC Santa Barbara’s 10-5 victory over California? Are the Gouchos that good or are the Bears in a rebuild? The last time Cal was held to five goals was five years ago in a home loss to eventual national champion Michigan State, 13-2. Conversely, UCSB only held one opponent (Nevada) below five goals last year. I'll have to have to see this one play out some more.
- The contest between Santa Clara and Nevada had to be postponed due to a fatal crash on I-80 between Reno and Santa Clara. Prayers for the family involved…Florida Atlantic has picked up its prolific scoring pace, hanging 18 on North Florida.
- Head coaches, get those nominations for Warrior Player of the Week and PEARL Goalie of the week to [email protected] ASAP. Also, scores are due an hour after the game and stats – which include denoting everyone who dressed – are required 72 hours after a contest.