Arizona's men's lacrosse team opened its first homestand of the season with a bang this weekend, defeating Oakland and Texas Tech 19-14 and 21-5, respectively.
The Laxcats (4-1) won in spectacular fashion against the Aggies yesterday, retrieving a team-record 104 ground balls while scoring in double figures for the third consecutive game. Sophomore attackman Greg Polheber tallied six points, while running mate Adam Paris notched three goals and an assist.
"We dominated," Polheber said. "We got over 100 ground balls, and that led to offense."
After surrendering four goals in the second period, Arizona held the Aggies scoreless in the second half. Freshman attackman Harrison Crawford spurred the team with two goals in the third, completing the hat trick with 13:21 remaining in the game.
"It was awesome," Crawford said. "We finally played to our full potential and came together. The score line was a pretty good indication of that."
Arizona scored the game's first four goals, buoyed by two Jeems Lochridge wristers. But Texas Tech attackman Scott Gallagher thwarted a shutout with a goal nine minutes into the first period.
Gallagher led Texas Tech (2-5) with two goals.
"We knew going into (the Oakland game) that we were going to win," said Polheber, "but then coming back and pretty much blowing out Texas Tech shows a lot of character. We could have just gone out there soft, but instead we stuck to our game and won."
The victory came less than two days after a close win against the Grizzlies. Oakland (1-1) entered the game on the heels of a probationary ruling by the United States Lacrosse Men's Division Intercollegiate Associates Board of Directors, who banned the Grizzlies from 2004 postseason play for permitting an ineligible player to compete.