(Photo: Jodi Vosika/ASU Lacrosse)
Last year, the ASU lacrosse team lost key players to graduation, such as Ian Connell, Justin Straker, and Logan Quinn. However, freshmen Sage DeVault, Tommy Carrasco, and Nathan Blair are looking to fill those shoes as impact players.
DeVault, an attackman, comes to the team from Tesoro High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, California. Between his two years on varsity, DeVault posted 64 goals in 37 games played.
During his senior season, he was the team captain, which equipped him with vital leadership experience. Although he’s still at the “bottom of the food chain” at ASU, DeVault hopes his skills from his high school experience are able to shine through with his debut in collegiate lacrosse.
As far as skills go, DeVault has a holster full of them. His most valuable attribute?
“I have good stick-handling that can help our team get to the next level,” DeVault said.
Midfielder Carrasco hails from Novato High School in Novato, California. Carrasco played three years on varsity throughout his high school career. Through that time, Carrasco has piled up 57 games played and notched 53 goals with over 200 shots on goal.
He’s expected to start on the top midfield line alongside All-American seniors Kyle Denis and Cooper Pickell.
“My dodging has been pretty good, especially with Kyle and Cooper,” Carrasco said.
Blair, a defenseman out of the Northern California region, is one of eight ASU walk-ons this season. The Sacramento-based player’s high school, Bella Vista, boasted a 14-4 record last season and made it to the first round of the state tournament.
Head coach Joe Thon pointed to Blair as a key part of the defensive strategy for the upcoming season.
“Blair will probably be starting at close defense for us,” Thon said. “He really came out of nowhere. I didn’t hear about him from the previous coach, didn’t know he was interested in playing for us. He came to walk-on tryouts and made a name for himself.”
Thon also mentioned that over the fall Blair focused on footwork and strength training, benching 315 pounds three times.
The first-year head coach said it best: “He’s a beast.”
With a deep selection of freshmen at almost every position, Thon has a reloaded arsenal that has the potential to glide back into the national tournament in 2015 to avenge last season’s bitter finish.
“A lot of the older guys have a big chip on their shoulder,” DeVault said. “They want to get the championship this year because we’ve been so close every year. Everybody has a fire in them.”
You can reach Kaci Demarest on Twitter @Kaci_Demarest or via email at kaci.demarest@asu.edu.
