Written by: Danny Talbert
Due to inclement weather, today's match against Birmingham-Southern has been moved to Sunday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. at Birmingham-Southern. Below is the updated match preview.
Following a 1-1 win-loss start, the Panthers look to learn from their preseason scrimmages and apply the knowledge gained to their season opener. The first regular season match for 2023 is now at Birmingham Southern, at 6 p.m. on Sept. 3.
Coach Dickson believes that overall the two scrimmages went as expected. Both teams they played were tough matchups and it showed during the competitive games. He mentioned that he plans on taking the information learned in the two scrimmages and applying it immediately. He stated, "One thing we need to work on is spacing and communication." Getting back to these basics will be key in beating the tough Birmingham Southern team. One thing that stood out to Coach Dickson was how well conditioned the team was during the scrimmages. He said that it showed him that the guys put in the work during the offseason.
Like the Panthers, Birmingham-Southern also had a phenomenal season in 2022. During last year's campaign, they won the Southern Athletic Association Tournament and went on to play in the NCAA Championship Tournament. LaGrange College and Birmingham Southern played a tight match last year in which we lost 4-3. Coach Dickson on last year's game said, "In the last matchup, we scored two quick goals but then we gave up one right after… we will probably start with a high press to get after them right away again." As he alluded to, giving up the easy and quick goal to them last year changed the outcome of the game.
This should be a great matchup against two competitive teams.
