JU: Mlax all business heading to Bellarmine
Written by Lee Roggenburg on . Posted in Uncategorized.
thanks to Bridgette Gale, Athletic Media Relations Assistant – Jacksonville University for this press release
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville University men’s lacrosse team heads out on only its third road game of the season Saturday with Louisville, Ky., and Southern Conference opponent Bellarmine University the destination.
And, with the Kentucky Derby coming up the first Saturday in May, it might be nice to tour famed Churchill Downs, home of the Derby, but that isn’t on the agenda.
“We’re not on vacation and we’re not going sightseeing, we’re on a business trip,” coach Guy Van Arsdale said. “That’s how we approach it.”
The Dolphins (4-5, 1-2) have but four road games this season and with so few it would be easy to get thrown off schedule.
“It’s always different to travel, especially when you’re flying,” Van Arsdale said. “The logistics of that alone can put you off your rhythm of what you would do, but we try to keep it consistent and guys know what to expect and we talk about it being a business trip.”
JU had better be ready for business as the Knights (3-6, 1-2) seem to be finding their way. Two weeks ago, they knocked off then 13th-ranked Marquette, 9-3.
“It’s another quality conference opponent. It doesn’t matter who it is in the conference, every game is a big game and we’re all so similar,” Van Arsdale said. “They’re very good in the unsettled and helter skelter game. They have some real skilled scorers and defensively they are very well organized. I think it will be a big opportunity.
Van Arsdale, whose team has lost three consecutive games, said the Knights’ midfielders and sophomore attacker Austin Shanks (24 goals, six assists) have caught his eye.
“He’s a very good finisher and goal scorer,” Van Arsdale said of Shanks, who has a 22-game goal scoring streak going, third best in the nation.
The Dolphins are coming off a tough 9-6 loss to High Point, a game that saw JU give a big defensive effort and saw solid efforts from both juniorDakota Rohlin (Temecula, Calif.) and senior Conor Igoe (Columbus, Ohio) on offense, each of whom had a pair of goals.
Face off for Saturday’s game is 1 p.m.
Bridgette Gale
Athletic Media Relations Assistant
Jacksonville University
(o):(904)-256-7761
(c): (904)-599-0801