Squaring off against top-ranked opponents can be a great way to forge a group identity and test a team's strength.
The test came back negative Saturday afternoon, as No. 3 Brigham Young stomped the ASU men's lacrosse club 22-6 at the ASU band practice field.
BYU was ASU's second hurdle in three consecutive games against top-five opponents. The Sun Devils fell last weekend to No. 4 Sonoma State. They faced No. 5 Michigan on Monday night. Results were unavailable at press time.
"We've seen the best, so we know where we are and where we need to be," ASU coach Jon Minder said. "It boils down to a matter of execution. We need to translate things that we've been working on off the field into the games."
ASU (1-4) fell behind early and never was able to bridge the gap. The Sun Devils trailed by seven at halftime after allowing nine goals and converting just two of 15 shots.
"We were hustling and we put in the effort, but we were working hard and not smart," Minder said. "We can't afford to do that against a team as good as that."
ASU's offensive production picked up in the second half, as the Sun Devils scored four goals on 12 attempts. However, BYU torched ASU for 13 goals.
"We collapsed in transition defense a number of times," Minder said. "We kept giving up easy goals, and that's not a recipe for success."
Freshman midfielder Kevin De St. Aubin paced ASU with two goals and an assist. The Sun Devils also got contributions from Justin Denaux, Austin Gray, Paul Komar and Nick Cicchetti.
ASU's schedule doesn't get any easier.
The Sun Devils have played three of the nation's top-five teams. They're scheduled to face three more ranked teams, including No. 1 UC Santa Barbara.
ASU's postseason hopes remain intact. Winning the Western Collegiate Lacrosse League championship would give the Sun Devils an automatic postseason berth. All three of ASU's remaining conference games will be on the road, including a pair against top-20 teams.
The Sun Devils will attempt to pick up where the men's ice hockey club left off when traveling to No. 6 UA next month.
"We've got to regroup, come back and execute on the field within our system, and that's the bottom line," Minder said. "The players know what they are supposed to be doing on the field. It's just a matter of getting out there and doing it."
Reach the reporter at michael.fowler@asu.edu.
