Lacrosse coach wants faster starts in weekend games

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The CMU club lacrosse team looks to break out of its season-opening slump this weekend with two games in Indiana.

CMU (1-5) plays Ball State (0-7) at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Coach Brad Thomas said the first step toward improvement is getting out to a better start.

“We’re going to increase the intensity of our warm-up,” Thomas said.

Senior defenseman Andrew Tillman said he expects the team to continue to play with intensity, as he feels it did after the beginning of last weekend’s game against No. 1
Michigan.

CMU lost 19-1 Saturday, but it slowed Michigan’s pace after a 9-0 score at the end of the first quarter. Michigan was held to two goals in the second.

Ball State is in its fifth year under head coach Chris Berju. Of its 23-man roster, 17 are underclassmen.

“They’re a much-improving team from years past. Their record doesn’t indicate their play,” Thomas said.

Ball State likes to play within its midfield, Thomas said.

Sophomore midfielder Skylar Simons has 13 goals and two assists in seven games.

“We’re going to make (Ball State) play faster than their use to. If we can execute and get groundballs, we’re capable of winning,” he said.

SUNDAY

CMU faces No. 19 Indiana , which comes in with a four-game win streak, at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Indiana (6-1) has four players with double-digits goals. Its leading scorer is freshman attacker Sam Dillon with 16 goals.

Thomas said the team will use a variety of different looks on defense to slow IU down.

“We’re going to force them into situations where they’re uncomfortable by switching our defense to keep them on their toes,” he said.