PROVO — The BYU men's lacrosse team will compete for the eighth time in a row this week in the U.S. Lacrosse Intercollegiate Associates National Championships despite a frustrating performance in its conference championships. Entering the tournament as the No. 6 seed, the Cougars will face No. 11 seed Florida State in the first round on Tuesday in St. Louis, Mo. as one of eight teams to receive an at-large invitation.
BYU lost its semifinal game in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference Championships against Colorado 10-9 in overtime April 30, playing as the visiting team on their home turf in Provo.
"We've never been there (overtime) before," head coach Jason Lamb said. "I just wanted them to be smart on both ends of the field."
The Cougars never trailed in the game but couldn't gain more than a two-goal edge, failing to break it open in the second quarter with three extra man opportunities.
"I put the failure on our offense to take possession time effectively," Lamb said. "We got caught between playing great and playing conservative."
BYU goalie Tyler Storer kept the Cougars in the game with an assortment of quick-hands saves, including one that came within inches from the goal line in the final minute of regulation.
Colorado had the first scoring opportunity in the overtime period after gaining control of the initial faceoff, scoring on their first shot attempt after a timeout from midfielder Brandon Bailey. The Buffaloes went on to lose against top-seeded Colorado State in the championship game the following night by the same score.
Heading into the tournament, Lamb said the team is physically ready and optimistic about their chances to win their third national championship.
"If we get the breaks and keep playing hard, I think things are going to go well," he said. Getting past the first round will not be easy, though.
Lamb said Florida State has worked with coaches from the best teams in Division I in the offseason and have an explosive offense.
"This is their first trip, so you know they're going to be jacked up," he said.
Senior defender Taylor Cotterell said the team has been pushing much harder in practice with more intensity to prepare for the tournament.
"We have more mental toughness and focus on doing the little things now," he said.
The 16-team tournament bracket creates a potential second-round rematch of BYU and No. 3 seed Colorado, with the winner set to face No. 2 seed Colorado State in the Final Four.
BYU has played two other teams in the tournament earlier this year outside of the RMLC, beating No. 7 Michigan and losing 10-8 against No. 1 seed UC Santa Barbara.