HEADLINE: Column: No need to sweat Lake Show’s weekend woes

By Jay Bushen

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Revenge is a dish best served cold in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) ranks — and defending Division II champion Grand Valley State found that out the hard way over the weekend.

Flash back to 2014: GVSU ended its postseason run with a pair of victories over St. Thomas and St. John’s on its way to capturing its first-ever national crown at Chapman Stadium in Orange, Calif.

Flash forward to 2015: GVSU was tasked with beating those same teams again in its second and third games of the season. 

Only it didn’t go as well.

After No. 3 St. Thomas handed the No. 2 Lakers a 12-9 defeat on Friday, runner-up St. John’s delivered an 18-10 thumping to the reigning champs — who fell to 1-2 in the fledgling 2015 campaign.

What does that mean for the Lake Show?

Surprisingly, not much.

Here’s why:

(1) Those were really good teams.

GVSU is a targeted team, and it will be all season. That’s just the nature of winning a national title in any sport on any level. St. Thomas and St. John’s, a pair of perennial powerhouses, were playing with added fire — not just chips on their shoulders. Like entire bags of chips on their shoulders. Factor in the less-than-desirable elements and GVSU’s early season miscues, and it’s not all that astonishing.

(2) It happened last year.

A comb through the 2014 schedule sums up the setback best, in my humble opinion. Why? Because the Lakers lost to the same two teams in succession early last season, and they were GVSU’s only losses of the year. GVSU was outscored 27-19 in those 2014 losses. GVSU was outscored 30-18 in the losses over the weekend. No need to gnash the teeth, Laker nation, at least not yet.

(3) Tom Izzo.

Not to get off topic, but my bracket was busted over the weekend. By who? A team that entered the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament on a hot streak, Michigan State (I had Louisville). What does this have to do with the GVSU men’s lacrosse club? A lot. The Lakers entered the 2014 playoffs on an eight-game win streak — and didn’t lose again. We see it time and time again in sports: Teams with momentum are dangerous in the postseason. Not sure why, but it happens a lot.

(4) There’s a happy ending.

GVSU didn’t come back from Chicago empty handed. The Lakers notched a 7-6 victory over No. 6 North Dakota State on Sunday, effectively bouncing back from the pair of setbacks. I wasn’t at the game, but North Dakota State had to have been chomping at the bit — and GVSU didn’t cave. That shows mental toughness, and mental toughness goes a long way (just ask Izzo). Moreover, who did GVSU bounce back against in 2014? The Bison of North Dakota State, that’s who.

Long story short, the Lakers should be fine with time. This team is loaded with returning talent, and has the people in place to bring home another MCLA crown in 2015. We’ll call it a hiccup for now, eh?