Top-heavy schedule doesn't weigh down Stevenson
In a span of eight days, Stevenson was challenged by three top-10 teams and emerged with victories each time.
On Wednesday, the Mustangs (8-0) will meet their fourth top-10 opponent in top-ranked and reigning national champion Tufts (3-0), and according to coach Paul Cantabene, the players embrace the hectic schedule.
“I don’t think the schedule wears on the guys because our guys just want to play the best teams possible,” he said Monday. “It doesn’t matter when we play them. They like being challenged. The only thing that is probably a little challenging for us is that this is going to be our ninth game and it’s going to be Tufts’ fourth game. So we’re kind of more into the season. But I don’t think it really wears on the guys. I think they’ve been handling it great. I think the biggest thing that has helped us is that guys came into the season in such great shape. So I think that’s worked out well for us.”
In addition to beating No. 4 Cortland, No. 9 Roanoke and No. 10 Lynchburg since March 12, Stevenson has also taken care of No. 7 Haverford. Cantabene hopes that those tests will benefit the players during tense situations.
“We’ve been through some situations where games have been on the line, and we’ve been through some tough parts where things haven’t always gone our way,” he said. “So hopefully, we’ve learned those lessons and gained experience and hopefully, we have a little bit of an edge there. But at the same time, they’re a pretty good team, and they’ve been through a lot of situations as well.”
Playing host to the 2010 NCAA title-winning Jumbos might be the ultimate challenge for the Mustangs, but Cantabene pooh-poohed the notion that this game was more important than any other on the team’s schedule.
“I don’t think we circled it or anything, but it’s a game they know about just because we thought if we could’ve gotten by Salisbury [in the NCAA tournament semifinals] last year, that would’ve been a good matchup for us. We’re eager to prove that we should’ve been the team to represent the South, but at the same time, we didn’t make the plays we needed to. But it’s just a great game to play, and I think our guys are excited to play the game.”
