(Argo Athletics Media Release)
TACOMA, Wash. – For the first time since March 3, University of Providence lacrosse played an unranked MCLA Division II team, and for the first time since that game, the Argos came away with a win, taking down Puget Sound University 16-2. The game featured UP’s highest goal total of the season and lowest goals allowed total while putting UP in a good position to make the playoffs.
For the past six games, the Argos have played road games against ranked teams. Some of the games were close, some weren’t, but all were losses for UP. All of those streaks came to an end, as did the team’s habit of strong starts and bad second halves.
Against the Loggers, the Argos seemed to play well in the first quarter, taking a 3-0 lead, but it actually proved to be a slow start relatively. All 3 goals in the first quarter were unassisted, with senior attack Josh Smith scoring the first 2 of what would eventually be a program record of 9 goals.
After junior Chase Clark scored the game’s third goal towards the end of the first quarter, Smith put on a show in the second. Only 3 goals were scored in those 15 minutes. Not only were all of them UP’s, but all of them were Smith’s. Of those 3 goals, 2 were unassisted with the other being the game’s first assisted goal off a pass from freshman Wyatt Jones.
UP’s habit of playing its worst in the third quarter continued, but in this game, the team’s worst still wasn’t bad. Puget Sound scored for the first time in the game early the period. Smith’s sixth goal of the game made up for the goal. Then, two Argos not named Smith scored.
The first of those 2 goals came from sophomore middie Dante Duran with his third goal of the season. That was followed by a score from junior middie Kobe Johnson with his fourth goal of the season.
Before the third quarter ended, PSU scored a second goal, and Smith scored a seventh, this one assisted by Johnson.
The fourth quarter was all Argos, with the team’s attack getting more and more diversified. Smith still scored 2 goals in the quarter, but this time he was joined by three other teammates on the scoresheet. The first goal of the quarter came from freshman Sam Budd who scored the second goal of his career.
Senior Rick Cook scored second and third goals of his career, and Duran added a second goal in the game.
Part of UP’s dominance in the game came from a nearly flawless effort at the faceoff X. The Argos won all but 1 of the faceoffs in the game, giving the team a huge advantage in terms of possession. Because of that advantage, and some solid defending, UP only gave up 5 total shots on goal, and junior goalkeeper Jeremy Smith saved 3 of them.
With the win, UP’s full season record goes to 2-7, but that number gets a lot better in conference at 2-1. The Argos currently sit tied for second place in the PNCLL DII North. With the top three teams on that side of the conference qualifying for the PNCLL Playoffs, the team is in pole position to make the postseason for the second straight year.
