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BYU strikes a blow for “club” lacrosse

BYU strikes a blow for "club" lacrosse

Even though they were just scrimmages, this weekend featured a great moment for the growth of lacrosse.  BYU, a member of the MCLA, played competitively against #17 ranked Denver and came away with a win after defeating Air Force (notes from the event claim that there were no “official stats” being kept for this  game but the final score was reported as 7-6).

Here are some quick hits on BYU’s weekend from Inside Lacrosse:

  • “They may have three MCLA 1st team All-Americans returning this season (Elliot Grow, Britton Cone, Justin Heir)
  • “As a team, offensively, they had really good outside ball movement and are usually looking to drive to cage.”
  • “The Cougars were down 9-6 at halftime and eventually lost to Denver 18-11 in the first game of the afternoon and beat Air Force in the final game, 7-6.”

This was a regular season warm-upfor everyone involved but it speaks to the level of play in the MCLA that BYU was able to keep up with the Division 1 talent. Naysayers will point to the win over Air Force and say that it was just a scrimmage and that’s fine. It’s the overall impression that BYU gave during this event that should be celebrated. Forget the stats, the Cougars looked like they belonged out on the field and PROVED it by going blow for blow with talented players competing at the highest level. It again shows that the “club” moniker doesn’t really fit the top-tier MCLA teams anymore (“virtual varsity” is thePhoto Credit: Tim Head, Mile High Photography https://milehighphoto.smugmug.com term I prefer)

Division 1 teams might even have a thing or two to learn from BYU in terms of game coverage and getting into the 21st century.  The best play-by-play of the weekend was on the BYU Twitter feed, which kept me plugged in to the action even when I was away from my computer via text messages.

Is today a new day for the MCLA? Was this finally the win that will legitimize the entire league?  Or was this just a slap-and-tickle scrimmage that doesn’t mean squat? Let me know what you think.