For Arizona's men's lacrosse team, tomorrow's match at ASU is more than just the regular season finale.
"We're treating it like a playoff game," head coach Kenny Broschart said. "Just gnawing away in the playoffs."
The Laxcats (11-3, 5-1 Western Collegiate Lacrosse League) return to the Phoenix area having come full circle from their season opening 9-4 loss in the Valley of the Sun mid-February to Colorado State.
Since then, Arizona has continuously placed itself in the win column. Its current seven-game winning streak is the team's longest since an equal effort that ran from Feb. 16, 2002 to March 1, 2002.
"We're definitely more together as a team," Broschart said. "We're definitely starting to play on all cylinders."
The same could arguably be said for the Laxcats' foe this weekend. ASU (7-6, 3-3) enters with wins in each of its last three games, all solid victories over Arizona's most recent opponents. Attackman Jeff Pilon has keyed the charge, scoring 19 combined points against Southern California, UC San Diego and St. Mary's.
Still, the Laxcats aren't sold on the Sun Devils.
"We want to finish on a strong note," senior midfielder Jeems Lochridge said. "We'll probably end up running up the score on ASU."
The light at the end of the tunnel is fast approaching for Lochridge and the rest of Arizona's senior class. Fellow tri-captain Tom Wiley and midfielder Jared Peter also suit up for the final time in a regular season game tomorrow.
But Broschart doesn't expect to play favorites when doling out playing time.
"We're treating it like it's a playoff game - a true, all-out game," he said.
Regardless of how this match turns out, Arizona will start its WCLL playoff schedule April 24 at home against Chapman, which the Laxcats defeated last month on the road.
"We're going to have a tough first game, but I think we can get through that," Lochridge said.
Broschart said Lochridge and the rest of the Laxcats should expect an appropriately retro game plan in Tempe.
"We're just trying to find our niche and do the things we have do: clean up all the little mistakes that we've made throughout the season, trying to refine everything," he said. "Go back."