The Arizona men's lacrosse club team experienced a tough blow last season losing against Sonoma State in the national quarterfinals.

This season has started anew, and the Wildcats enter with a No. 5 national ranking and a predicted third-place finish in the strong Western Collegiate Lacrosse League.

The Laxcats play their season opener today against Missouri at 7 p.m., followed by a match Saturday against No. 14 Loyola Marymount at 1 p.m. at Murphey Stadium.

Arizona head coach Ken Broschart said the team has worked strenuously in the offseason, sometimes waking up as early as 7 a.m. for conditioning, with double sessions being scheduled to maintain high endurance.

"We're the hardest working team out there," Broschart said.

The Laxcats have also worked off the field organizing team events.

Broschart said the team has made great use of facilities at the Student Recreation Center, where it gathers to review game tapes.

"This season, the team has committed to a model of a family. We play more of our players than any other team," Broschart said.

Although team unity has been emphasized to a great degree, Broschart said the team is well aware of what it takes individually to win a national championship.

Broschart has repeatedly nailed the "2-5-50" form into his player's heads.

He maintains that two hours a day, five days a week and 50 weeks out of the year represent what it takes to be an All-America-type lacrosse player.

Incoming freshman Shane Morrison and sophomore Travis Hall are both players who bring new life to the team.

The 2005 schedule brings several exciting matchups at home, including games with No. 3 Brigham Young and No. 6 Michigan.

The Laxcats will also travel to face defending national champions UC-Santa Barbara.

Broschart said the team would try to work as a system together on the field, while minimizing mental errors.

"This weekend should be challenging. Neither one of these teams are pushovers," said senior Dave Sherman. "We just need to make sure we stay focused after our first victory."