The ASU lacrosse team is coming into the 2022 lacrosse season with hopes for another run at the Pac-12 championship, with this year's being held in Tempe.
Coming off the best season in program history, finishing 10-6, the Sun Devils are looking to continue to improve as a young program, with the team only being five years old.
“It’s giving us a little bit more confidence than we’ve had in the past,” graduate student captain Emily Glagolev said.
While last season’s successes are encouraging, the Sun Devils are focusing on what’s to come rather than on the past. They have emphasized taking the season day by day, not dwelling on the past or looking too far ahead. The team looks at practice as a daily opportunity to improve.
“If you put in an effort every single day, you’re getting better and better,” graduate student attacker Taylor Pinzone said.
ASU will face a tough schedule this season, including multiple matchups against top ranked teams across the country. Pac-12 opponents like USC and Stanford will be a familiar challenge, but the Sun Devils will take on several out-of-conference powerhouses like University of Michigan, Northwestern University and University of Florida. However, ASU looks to take the same mindset into every game this season.
“Not looking at any one game as more important than the other is super important,” Glagolev said.
ASU’s packed schedule might be seen by other teams as too daunting, but the Sun Devils are ready and excited for the challenge and opportunity to continue to improve. This season will give the Sun Devils plenty of opportunity to showcase their talent and elevate the program to the next level.
“It’s a chance to prove to ourselves continuously throughout the year that we belong at this level,” head coach Tim McCormack said.
Pinzone joins the Sun Devils this season from Northwestern and will look to bring leadership and experience to the program for her fifth and final year of NCAA eligibility. With nationally ranked teams on the schedule, Pinzone’s Big Ten experience will be an asset to the Sun Devils.
READ MORE: Graduate student Taylor Pinzone brings abundance of experience to ASU lacrosse
“The biggest thing that Taylor brings is something that’s kind of uncoachable, which is playing in big time scenarios,” McCormack said.
The Sun Devils welcomed 12 freshmen to the program this season who will get a chance to contribute early on. The newcomers have bought into the core values of the team and put in the effort to get better every day.
The Sun Devils will open the season on the road against No. 9 Michigan on Friday Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. MST.
Reach the reporter at kfield4@asu.edu and follow @kathrynfield_ on Twitter.
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Kathryn Field is a sports editor at The State Press. Kathryn has previously worked as a full time reporter at The State Press, covering women’s basketball and lacrosse.
