Men's Lacrosse Season Preview
2/11/2022 10:52:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Sacred Heart takes the field Saturday at Hofstra to kick off 2022 season
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Courage, grit, and resolve is the rallying cry for the Sacred Heart University men's lacrosse team as it kicks off the 2022 schedule on Saturday at Hofstra.
With a young roster that is looking to rebound from a 1-12 season a year ago, the Pioneers are getting back to the basics and putting an emphasis on the fundamentals. The relentless attention to detail that stems across everything from practice planning to film work will be evident this season when the team hits the field.
Having a point of emphasis will allow the team to continue to grow and get better every day. Head coach Jon Basti refers to this as their "20%". Fundamentals is at the cornerstone of the 20% rule which will enhance SHU's up-tempo style. It's an economic principle which asserts that 80% of outcomes result from 20% of all causes.
"We took that principle and applied it to all aspects of our team," Basti explained. "It allows you to constantly go back to something, so that no matter what's happening, you can always tell the team 'Okay everyone stop what they're doing and just focus on your 20%,' and if you can do that then you can be successful."
On defense, the team will focus on three things this season: communication, posture, and ground ball play. Basti believes those three areas will guide the Pioneers to become one of the best defensive programs. The three main focuses will also be looked at to be complimentary to the skill sets the Pioneers currently possess.
"We have guys with certain skill sets, and we encourage them to do those specific things that they were recruited to do," continued Basti.
In 2021, the Pioneers ranked fourth in the country in clearing percentage at .901 which is due to the large emphasis that is put on that aspect of the game.
"We play good defense and score goals in transition, but in order for us to do that, we need to clear the ball. It's the most important thing we do," stated Basti. "If we don't clear well, we can't do what we're built to do."
Creativity, athleticism, and toughness is what makes up the Pioneer midfield. For those three characteristics to help SHU, the coaching staff emphasizes mindfulness and doing things with a purpose.
"In this game, you can play free, but you need to think as you play," added Basti. "Every guy on our midfield has a different skill set so we've spent a lot of time as a coaching staff trying to put together a system that's going to benefit [that], and I believe we've done that."
Senior captain Donovan Lacey was a First-Team All-NEC selection as a member of SHU's midfield, but the coaches look to make him a bigger piece in their attacking unit despite leading the team with 42 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers a year ago. On the offensive end, the Brookeville, Md. native accumulated six points off three goals and three assists.
Despite losing three of its top four scorers from last season, Sacred Heart knows it will be able to count on several players to step up. Sophomore Sal Miccio returns at attack after netting 20 goals across 11 games which placed him on the Northeast Conference All-Rookie team. That mark ranked Miccio third on last year's team and 14th in the conference with 1.70 goals per game.
"It's going to be a bunch of guys pitching in from all areas," stated Basti. "We feel that the way our team is put together, we're going to have multiple guys who are going to score goals, including defensive personnel, just because of the way we play our game."
The team is excited to endure a more normal season this year which will allow the chance for the current guys, especially the sophomore class, to experience a full season of college lacrosse. Last season's sophomores, now juniors, missed seven games in 2021 due to COVID-19 protocols and SHU only played three non-conference games, as compared to its full 13-game slate this spring which includes six out-of-league games. In addition, the Pioneers welcome 14 first-year players as well as three transfers from UMass, Hartford, and Nassau County Community College.
Sacred Heart will play on the road for a pair of contests at Hofstra (February 12) and Lafayette (February 19) before hosting a pair of in-state opponents in Quinnipiac (February 25) and crosstown rival Fairfield on March 1 under the lights. The Pioneers are eager to begin NEC play after being chosen to finish seventh in the Preseason Coaches' Poll. The conference slate kicks off March 19 on Campus Field against Hobart.
With a young roster that is looking to rebound from a 1-12 season a year ago, the Pioneers are getting back to the basics and putting an emphasis on the fundamentals. The relentless attention to detail that stems across everything from practice planning to film work will be evident this season when the team hits the field.
Having a point of emphasis will allow the team to continue to grow and get better every day. Head coach Jon Basti refers to this as their "20%". Fundamentals is at the cornerstone of the 20% rule which will enhance SHU's up-tempo style. It's an economic principle which asserts that 80% of outcomes result from 20% of all causes.
"We took that principle and applied it to all aspects of our team," Basti explained. "It allows you to constantly go back to something, so that no matter what's happening, you can always tell the team 'Okay everyone stop what they're doing and just focus on your 20%,' and if you can do that then you can be successful."
On defense, the team will focus on three things this season: communication, posture, and ground ball play. Basti believes those three areas will guide the Pioneers to become one of the best defensive programs. The three main focuses will also be looked at to be complimentary to the skill sets the Pioneers currently possess.
"We have guys with certain skill sets, and we encourage them to do those specific things that they were recruited to do," continued Basti.
In 2021, the Pioneers ranked fourth in the country in clearing percentage at .901 which is due to the large emphasis that is put on that aspect of the game.
"We play good defense and score goals in transition, but in order for us to do that, we need to clear the ball. It's the most important thing we do," stated Basti. "If we don't clear well, we can't do what we're built to do."
Creativity, athleticism, and toughness is what makes up the Pioneer midfield. For those three characteristics to help SHU, the coaching staff emphasizes mindfulness and doing things with a purpose.
"In this game, you can play free, but you need to think as you play," added Basti. "Every guy on our midfield has a different skill set so we've spent a lot of time as a coaching staff trying to put together a system that's going to benefit [that], and I believe we've done that."
Senior captain Donovan Lacey was a First-Team All-NEC selection as a member of SHU's midfield, but the coaches look to make him a bigger piece in their attacking unit despite leading the team with 42 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers a year ago. On the offensive end, the Brookeville, Md. native accumulated six points off three goals and three assists.
Despite losing three of its top four scorers from last season, Sacred Heart knows it will be able to count on several players to step up. Sophomore Sal Miccio returns at attack after netting 20 goals across 11 games which placed him on the Northeast Conference All-Rookie team. That mark ranked Miccio third on last year's team and 14th in the conference with 1.70 goals per game.
"It's going to be a bunch of guys pitching in from all areas," stated Basti. "We feel that the way our team is put together, we're going to have multiple guys who are going to score goals, including defensive personnel, just because of the way we play our game."
The team is excited to endure a more normal season this year which will allow the chance for the current guys, especially the sophomore class, to experience a full season of college lacrosse. Last season's sophomores, now juniors, missed seven games in 2021 due to COVID-19 protocols and SHU only played three non-conference games, as compared to its full 13-game slate this spring which includes six out-of-league games. In addition, the Pioneers welcome 14 first-year players as well as three transfers from UMass, Hartford, and Nassau County Community College.
Sacred Heart will play on the road for a pair of contests at Hofstra (February 12) and Lafayette (February 19) before hosting a pair of in-state opponents in Quinnipiac (February 25) and crosstown rival Fairfield on March 1 under the lights. The Pioneers are eager to begin NEC play after being chosen to finish seventh in the Preseason Coaches' Poll. The conference slate kicks off March 19 on Campus Field against Hobart.
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