Coming off a resilient performance against Edina last week, Crush faced Armstrong in their third game of the season April 17. They secured a victory with a final score of 15-8, but not without noting areas to improve.
Senior captain Thomas Shope said the team’s defensive performance and overall communication on the field was solid.
“It went really well,” Shope said.“There were definitely some things we could work on, but overall we’re moving it well, and we were suffocating on defense well.”
According to senior captain Noam Halpern, the team’s slow start in the game highlighted the need for increased energy from the beginning.
“The game was a lot of fun,” Halpern said. “We came out the gate a little slow, we were beating them, but we definitely had a lot more in us and then we really turned on in the second half.”
According to senior captain Parker Knudson, sustaining energy throughout the game is important for success.
“The first half was a little slow. Not too much energy. But the second half we came out and Henry Salita got us hyped up and then we cooked,” Knudson said.
Halpern said the need for heightened enthusiasm from the beginning of the game is necessary to secure victories more efficiently.
“We need to ramp up the energy earlier on in the game and we can take it away earlier,” Halpern said.
According to head coach Spencer Hagen, the team’s focus is on continuous improvement and the process.
“The goal every time we are together is to get a little bit better,” Hagen said. “We like to focus on the process and then let the results take care of themselves.”
Knudson also said his objectives are focused on improving individual performance and aiming for championship success.
“My personal goals are just cleaning up turnovers that are thrown and then getting back to Nationals,” Knudson said. “Hopefully, at least get to the state championship and win for the first time.”
Hagen said senior Nate Benishek’s standout performance in the recent game was impressive, given his freshness to this team.
“Nate Beneshek played really well today. In just his third game with us, he stepped up and made impactful plays on both offense and defense,” Hagen said.
According to Shope, maintaining camaraderie within the team culture and supporting one another throughout the season is crucial.
“Obviously, a goal could be winning state and going to nationals,” Shope said. “Another goal that we need to keep in mind is that we want to keep a positive team culture.”
According to Hagen, the team’s approach to integrating new athletes and teaching the game effectively involves modified coaching.
“This year, we have some strong athletes who are new to the sport,” Hagen said. “We’re putting a lot of work into teaching the game and bringing everyone up to speed quickly, which has been different but fun.”
Crush will next squabble at 7:30 p.m. April 25 against Mounds View at the Park Stadium.
