The Trojans will close out their season tonight with an away game against #6 St. Michael’s. The Crusaders are 13-3-0 on the season and hold two wins over top 15 teams in the state. Anderson is looking to finish off another perfect regular season as they currently sit at 12-0-0.
The game should be an interesting one as the Trojans have never faced SMCS. The Crusaders are routinely among the best in Texas and finished inside the state’s top 10 in both of the past two years. Despite being among the premier lacrosse programs in The Lone Star State, St. Michael’s didn’t advance past the quarterfinals either season.
The Opponent: The Crusaders are led by junior Attacker Bridget Baile, a two-time All-State honoree. Last season, Baile led all Central Texas D1 players in assists last season with 55 and added 32 goals. She quarterbacks the SMCS offense and will be a huge matchup for whichever Anderson defender is presumably face-guarding her. You may have seen her dominate for St. Michael’s over the last four years, but what you probably don’t know is that she got her start with the Trojan Youth Lacrosse program. The Crusaders’ other top player is senior Fiona Tanis. The 5’10 midfielder is committed to Mercer University in Georgia which competes at the D1 level in the Big South Conference. Tanis along with Baile will look to ignite a spark in their offense tonight, and the pair will surely be a big test for Anderson’s defense ahead of the playoffs.
Anderson: On offense for the Trojans, look out for Annie Small and Harper Jones. The duo is averaging a staggering 10.2 goals per game combined in Anderson’s last five contests. Small and Jones also take the majority of faceoff duties for the Trojans and have 56 and 49 draw controls respectively. Anderson’s strength goes much deeper than just their top few players. If Anderson is going to win tonight, they’re going to need contributions from the entire lineup.
Looking into this game, it was important to look at the other three games that I deem were against comparable opponents. Certain players raise their play against the best competition, and Anderson will need some of that tonight. Against the Woodlands, Olivia Andrus gave the Trojans a big goal, against Westlake, Audrey Thompson put a pair of shots into the back of the net, and against ESD, Veena Patel scored twice. Tonight, my pick is Laney Owens. Her 31 assists lead the team, but she has just two goals on the season. Tonight, look for her to sneak one past the Crusaders’ defense as they’ll be expecting her to pass the ball when she has possession in the o-zone.
Matchup to Watch: It’ll be best on best tonight when Annie Small and Fiona Tanis face off. The midfielders are both stars of their respective teams and Division 1 commits. The pair will go head to head in what should be a fierce game overall. Small lets few opponents get the better of her, and I don’t expect Tanis to have her best night against the Trojans. The size of Tanis at 5’10 won’t be an issue either as “Small” is 5’11 herself. My prediction: Anderson shuts down Tanis and Annie gets her 12th hat trick of the season.
The last time the Trojans played at St. Michael’s, they beat Rockwall in the D2 state championship game. Look for them to repeat that dominance tonight against the Crusaders. Anderson is a deeper team, and have the offensive firepower to run over any team in their way.
My Prediction: Anderson 17 – St. Michael’s 11
