Favored Virginia Tech Hokies Win 13 - 8. Rough 2nd and 3rd quarters doom Texas. 1st Round MCLA National Tournament in Richmond, Virginia
Favored Virginian Tech Hokies Win 13 - 8. Rough, scoring drought 2nd and 3rd quarters doom Texas Horns. 1st Round MCLA National Tournament in Richmond, Virginia. The 2026 Season has now ended for the Horns Lax team. What an enjoyable ride!
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🥍 Game Review: Texas Horns vs. Virginia Tech
MCLA Tournament – Alumni Watch (via MLCA Stream)
“May the 4th Be With You” Edition
By George Vance McGee
A Tale of Four Quarters
Streaming from home via the MLCA ($35 spent), I got a full look at Texas taking on a highly ranked Virginia Tech squad. What unfolded was truly a tale of four quarters—one full of promise, and the rest… well, a different story.
1st Quarter – Texas Comes Out Firing
Texas opened with their most composed and promising start of the season. Running a wide, almost six-man spread half-court offense, the Horns looked confident, prepared and physically able to pull off the upset.
TX's Cartwright opened scoring with a crease finish off a sharp pass. Texas led early, 1–0.
Then came a major turning point.
Texas faceoff specialist #4 Griffin Shafer went down after a midfield hit and did not return. A huge loss.
Virginia Tech answered to tie it 1–1, but Texas responded.
#51 Scanga scored off a Jack Eigen assist → Texas 2–1.
Defensively, Texas executed a 10-man ride to perfection, forcing a turnover to close the quarter.
End of 1st: Texas 2, Virginia Tech 1.
Low scoring, but Texas looked ready for an upset.
2nd Quarter – Momentum Shifts
Texas extended their lead.
Scanga scored again → Texas 3–1 (their largest lead of the game).
Then came a controversial moment.
#14 Jack Tennant was called for a questionable yellow flag penalty hold, creating a man-down situation.
Virginia Tech capitalized → 3–2.
From there, the momentum flipped hard. Virginia Tech tied it 3–3, then took the lead 4–3. Texas began to stall offensively—turnovers and missed opportunities piled up. The underdog Horns couldn’t capitalize when it mattered.
Virginia Tech pushed ahead to 5–3.
But just before halftime, Jack Eigen delivered a powerful dodge goal to keep Texas alive.
Halftime: Virginia Tech 5, Texas 4.
Still a game. Still hope.
3rd Quarter – The Wheels Come Off
This was the turning point—and unfortunately, it wasn’t close.
Texas goalie Cian Levine started strong, stacking saves and keeping Texas in it. The broadcast noted he had 20+ saves—a huge effort.
But Virginia Tech’s offense was relentless. Every player on the field for VTech felt like a scoring threat—attackmen, midfielders, inside finishers. Their offensive depth and firepower showed.
There was a ridiculous no-look, behind-the-back crease goal—Steph Curry-esque flair—along with constant scoring from multiple positions.
The scoreline avalanche for the Hokies followed: 6–4, 7–4, 8–4, 9–4, 10–4, 11–4, 12–4.
Texas’ offense completely disappeared—limited possessions, unforced passing turnovers, no rhythm.
The 3rd quarter was brutal.
4th Quarter – Playing It Out
Virginia Tech continued to dominate, pushing it to 13–4.
Faceoffs were a major issue—Virginia Tech controlled possession consistently.
Texas did show some late fight. Scanga scored to make it 13–5. Jack Tennant, a long pole, added a goal to make it 13–6. Eigen, still grinding, scored late, and the final Texas goal came off an attack assist.
Final Score: Virginia Tech 13, Texas 8.
Game Summary
The final score suggests a closer game than it really was.
1st Quarter: Texas executes, leads, looks dangerous.
2nd Quarter: Horns Momentum begins to slip away.
3rd Quarter: Total domination by Virginia Tech Hokies Lax.
4th Quarter: Mostly filler time
If Texas had maintained their first-quarter composure and offensive structure, this could have been a very different outcome.
Looking Ahead – Keys for 2027
To take the next step, Texas needs midfield faceoff specialists as the top priority—you can’t score without the ball.
They also need more offensive firepower. Goal Scoring, 1 on1 dodging athletic prowess and Assist with Pass & Catch Production from both attack and midfield must improve. Unforced offensive side of the field turnovers must be limited. I'd prefer a shot on cage, over a turnover anytime.
Continued program support matters: showing up to Caven Field home games, supporting the team financially, encouraging recruits to try out, and pushing Texas high school players to consider playing at Texas if they can gain admission—which is increasingly difficult. Is the University of Texas at Austin genuinely a "public ivy" in 2026? Thoughts?
Let's all continue to have fun & effuse the joy and collectively Grow the game of Lacrosse.
Final Thoughts from GVM your TX Horns Lacrosse Alumni Reporter 2026 Season in his inaugural volunteer season...
Despite the first-round MCLA tournament loss, it was an honor covering this Lone Star Alliance Championship Winning team—players, coaches, parents, and fans. I enjoyed it so much! Volunteering can be fun.
This 2026 team had heart, big wins, and moments of real excellence. Caven Field on-campus is a glorious beautiful, well located venue to call home.
Horns Up Always. 🤘
— George Vance McGee
TX Alumni Lacrosse Reporter
georgevance@gmail.com
Pretty much called it right. Eigen and Wiley are graduating. Rose and Wallace are out
ReplyDeleteof eligibility. Some people that started the year are no longer on the
team. Some people that came in mid season do not appear to be on the team
anymore. Some players have been injured for two years. There is a summer
to determine who will be the coach. The program needs attention.
Thanks for the insight Temple. Horns Up, Always! --GVM
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