The 2022 NAIA season is finally getting itself into full swing and this past weekend gave us a little taste of what’s to come this upcoming season. Many teams are rounding into form by playing teams from both the MCLA and NCAA Division 3.
This past weekend featured the best of the NAIA squaring off against the best of the MCLA in two separate matchups. Reinhardt took on Georgia Tech, and Lawrence Tech battled Grand Valley State. We got a good glimpse of how the level of competition compares between both leagues.
NAIA VERSUS MCLA: NAIA WEEKEND RECAP
Reinhardt (13) – Georgia Tech (10)
For Reinhardt’s new Head Coach, Tyler Yelken, this was a massive opportunity to make a statement. Even though there is a new coaching regime, Reinhardt is still Reinhardt.
Reinhardt, the NAIA preseason No.1, and Georgia Tech, the MCLA preseason No.4, battled in a tightly contested game that was within one score for the vast majority of the contest.
The Eagles relied heavily on their depth to carry them to victory. This tight contest may be one of the hardest for the Reinhardt program this spring. Unless we see some other teams elevate their level of play, this is an early sign of Reinhardt repeating as National Champs.
Lawrence Tech (11) – Grand Valley St. (13)
In the second contest between top teams in the NAIA and MCLA, we saw a different result for the leagues. Lawrence Tech squared off against Grand Valley State. Grand Valley is a perennial competitor at the top of MCLA Division II and was ranked No.6 in their preseason poll.
While the final result saw Grand Valley come out on top, there has to be a lot of optimism coming from LTU. A large number of Blue Devils players were held out of this game due to COVID protocols and they still managed to keep it close thanks to a late rally.
After having both their 2020 and 2021 seasons cut short due to COVID, I’m sure LTU is hoping this isn’t a sign of a similar outcome this year. If they can remain healthy, this team should be a team to watch out for coming out of the WHAC.
Tennessee Wesleyan (22) – Point (3)
Tennessee Wesleyan kicked off their Appalachian Athletic Conference slate with Point University. The Bulldogs dominated every facet of the game, not just in score, but also in shots, face-off wins, and ground balls.
Point University hired Jordan Coates to breathe some new life into a struggling program, and while we wish them the best, that is going to take some time. One bright spot for Point is Jassiem Jose, who through 3 games, has 8 goals.
Player of the Weekend:
Gavin Greco (A) TWU: Greco put in 4 goals on an efficient 5 shots and added 1 assist and 3 GBs.
Tune in weekly as I recap that past weekend’s NAIA action. Look for more in depth analysis to come as we get more access to livestreams, film, and stats.
If you crave more NAIA Lacrosse, check out the NAIA Lax Updates podcast on YouTube. Jon Vance and Tucker La Belle give their insight on this past weekend and look forward to next. They also have a great discussion on where the NAIA is headed.