In a matchup of the highest combination of USLIA ranked teams so far in the young season, the Arizona men's lacrosse team hosts No. 2 Colorado State tomorrow.

The Laxcats (2-0, 2-0) will step out of Western Collegiate Lacrosse League action to face off against No. 2 Colorado State, which fell in the national championship game to top-ranked Sonoma State.

Not only does UA senior attackman Tom Ghaney think that Colorado State is among the nation's best, but he thinks they should be the top-ranked team.

"Yeah they probably are. They should be No. 1, but the defending national champion is kind of automatically given it," Ghaney said. "It is a huge game for us."

Colorado State, which has had at least one All-American every year since the United States Lacrosse Intercollegiate Associates has named a team, is stacked with top performers. On defense are junior Mark Plonkey and senior Jeff Schmid and in the midfield are sophomore Tim Farquhar, senior Kale Nelson, and senior Jared Katz are All-Americans.

Also, defender Ryan Robichaud was an All-American in 2001. Robichaud missed the 2002 season with an injury. The Rams also have midfielder Clint Chafin, a transfer from New York Tech, which finished second in NCAA Division II in 2002, and is where head coach Adam Hopkins and Laxcat assistant coach Ken Broshart both attended school.

Plonkey was also the 2002 Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Lacrosse League defensive MVP.

"We think our advantage is six-on-six. We don't have the depth and legs that they do," said senior defender Jeff Kinsella.

Not only is this the first game for Colorado State, they also haven't been able to practice that much, so the Laxcats may be at an advantage, where CSU is rusty. The Rams are even taking advantage of traveling to Tucson by having a practice here on Sunday.

"Yeah it is an advantage, we have two games under our belt and they've struggled to get on the practice field because of snow up there," McFadden said.

The first regular season poll has not come out yet, though the Rams received 12 first place votes to No. 1 Sonoma State's 17 in the USLIA preseason poll.

"They hustle a lot and they're really good in unsettled situations, so we basically have to stop that," said midfielder Ryan McFadden.

Senior midfielder Bryan Moore scored three important goals in the comeback, despite being hampered by a strained calf against Loyola Marymount. Moore will play, but will be likely limited a bit.

"It's still pretty stiff, I wouldn't say I'm 100 percent," Moore said. "I'll definitely play, but I'll probably be limited."

The Laxcats feel they will need to limit the Rams' fast breaks and slow the game down.

"They like to kind of run and gun and we like to settle the ball more," Moore said.

A key matchup in the game will be that between All-Americans Kinsella and Nelson.

"Cale Nelson, that's their big gun on attack," Kinsella said.

After its sweep last weekend against No. 21 UCLA and Loyola Marymount, Arizona is now No. 4 in the College Coaches Computer Rating, which uses a modified formula similar to that of college football's Bowl Championship Series.

"A win is just going to help us move up in the rankings, help us be No. 1 in the country," Ghaney said.