CLUB Notes

By staff reports
Arizona Daily Wildcat
April 23, 1996

Laxcats bow out in quarters

A successful season came to a painful close for the No. 2-ranked Arizona men's lacrosse team, in the quarterfinals of the Western Collegiate Lacrosse League playoffs at Tucson Magnet High School Saturday afternoon.

The Laxcats (12-3) lost 8-5 to Chapman (Calif.) University, a team Arizona defeated 15-14 in sudden-death overtime in March in California.

Arizona was behind all the way and didn't get its offense going until the fourth period. In that period they outscored the Panthers 3-2.

At 3:51 in the first period, the Laxcats cut Chapman's lead to 2-1 on a David Wilner goal. It looked as though Arizona would end the period with momentum, but the Panthers had different plans, scoring a goal with six seconds left in the first period to lead 3-1.

The Laxcats had a man advantage three times in the first period and two times in the second period and didn't take advantage of the opportunity.

"They just plain outhustled us. They wanted it more than we did," sophomore Dave Ames said.

Arizona was shut out in the second period and trailed 5-1 at the half, the biggest deficit the Laxcats faced all season, going into the intermission.

In the third period, Arizona was a man up five times and still didn't score.

The Laxcats had good looks at the goal, but couldn't get the ball past Chapman goalie Matt White, who turned away 10 attempts in the third period. White finished with a game-high 22 saves.

Arizona played strong lacrosse in the fourth period, but the surge came too late. Arizona scored more goals in the last period than they did the whole game.

UA senior goaltender Justin Nels had 17 saves in his last game.

Seniors Bill Steelman and Derek Clinton each had one goal in their final game as a Laxcats. Dan Price and Josh Sfara also scored one goal each.

It was a day when Arizona didn't get the breaks.

"We lost to the better team today," Arizona head coach Mickey-Miles Felton said.

"We played with the equivalence of a six-man basketball team," Felton said, referring to the limited amount of players available.

Chapman, who wasn't ranked in the top 10 in the W.C.L.L. last year, went to the final four and lost in the semifinals. White was the most valuable player in the tournament.

"We have to look at all the accomplishments and successes of the season. I'm proud of these guys and their growth in lacrosse," Felton said.

- Joseph M. Molina


Water polo takes 3rd at Western States

The Arizona men's water polo team concluded its season over the weekend with a third-place finish at the Western States Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M.

The Wildcats (16-6) went 3-2 in the tournament, which featured several Division I teams as well as club squads.

The tournament was the final appearance for the team's seniors, and coach Tracy Lassen said the squad came together to send their graduating teammates out in style.

"We played it for (the seniors)," Lassen said. "This was their final shot. There were a lot of emotional times in the tournament, and the guys were real happy with the way we played."

Arizona's losses in the tournament were by the slimmest of margins, and both came in sudden-death overtime.

Friday night, the Wildcats played San Diego Shores, a veteran club team comprised of former collegiate water polo players. Shores took the game two minutes into the sudden-death period, firing in a goal to win 9-8. Jason Fine had four goals for Arizona.

The next day, the Wildcats jumped all over Colorado, defeating the Buffaloes 12-2 behind the offensive play of outside drivers Fine and Jeff Ono, who netted five goals.

Lassen said Arizona's attacking and finishing during that game, and throughout the tournament, was the best he'd seen all season.

"This was a team trip where everything just clicked offensively," he said. "We all put it together and everybody was on the same page, every shot, up and down the pool."

Against Division I Air Force - which went on to win the tournament - the Wildcat firepower fell just short. Arizona took the Falcons to sudden-death overtime before losing 12-11.

After beating Old Pueblo Masters 14-4, the Wildcats faced the Lone Star Club for third place.

Brian Kimbell and Brian Rott led Arizona to a 6-4 victory over the Texas team.

Lassen said despite the loss of seniors like Scott Mencke, next year should be another good one for the program.

"We lose some important players this year, but there are some strong freshmen coming in, and most of our A team is coming back," he said.

- Ron Parsons

(NEWS) (OPINIONS) (NEXT_STORY) (DAILY_WILDCAT) (NEXT_STORY) (POLICEBEAT) (COMICS)