Hokies' first draw right around the corner

Sung excited to begin first season

February 7, 2017

BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech lacrosse team is set to start its 2017 season on Wednesday at 4 p.m. against Gardner-Webb in the Indoor Practice Facility. Head coach John Sung will take charge of his first game clad in maroon and orange.

“It will be nice to get our first game under our belt, Sung said. “I am really looking forward to seeing how far our team has come this year.”

Formerly the head coach at Winthrop, Sung started the program from the ground up in 2012. The Eagles first competitive season was 2013 where the team won nine games followed by the 2014 campaign with eight victories. In his final two seasons at Winthrop, Sung guided the program to 37 wins, two Big South Championships and two NCAA tournament appearances. He was named the Big South Coach of the Year in each of his last two seasons.

Sung takes over a program that went 5-13 a season ago, and lost two of its top two players, Meg Macera and Jessi Thon to graduation. Macera, a VaSID Second Team performer, accounted for 28 goals and four assists, while Thon was responsible for 26 goals and another five assists. One of the Hokies’ challenges will be coming up with the same offensive production from other players. Leading the attack will be senior Kristine Loscalzo, last season’s leading goal scorer with 31. Joining her up front this season will be fellow captain Tristan McGinley coming off of a career-high 25 goals in 2016.

Sung is starting his tenure at Virginia Tech by implementing a fast-paced style of play similar to the one that led his Winthrop teams to consecutive Big South Conference Championships the past two seasons.

“We have spent a great amount of time this year on our fitness to help sustain this style of play, Sung stated. “With the introduction of the shot clock, this will allow us to play our up-tempo style offense and also have an effect on the defensive side of the field.”

The Hokies have been selected in the pre season to finish eighth in the ACC, the nation’s premier conference which produced last season’s national champions, the North Carolina Tar Heels. The schedule features seven preseason top-20 opponents.

Virginia Tech begins the season by playing host to four straight games and seven of eight overall. The Hokies will play 10 games in Blacksburg this season, five each at Thompson Field and the Indoor Practice Facility.

For updates on Virginia Tech lacrosse, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_Lax