UA Roundup

Women's golf team in Florida for three-day event

The second-ranked UA women's golf team is in the Sunshine State this weekend competing in the SunTrust Lady Gator Invitational.

The tournament, which consists of 54 holes over three days beginning today, is being held in Gainesville, Fla., on the University of Florida Golf Course. Louisiana State won the tournament last year. UA did not participate in the event.

Arizona is coming off a second-place finish at the OSU/SMU Regional Challenge earlier this month. Nine of the SunTrust Invitational's field of 19 teams were ranked in the Dec. 10 edition of the Rolex Rankings including Georgia (sixth), Louisiana State (eighth), Auburn (14) and Alabama (22).

The Wildcats are led by junior Krissie Register, who is ranked third in the country, and Marisa Baena (18). The invitational will be Baena's second since coming back from a shoulder injury.

After this weekend's event, the women will compete in the San Jose State Invitational, which will be held in Fort Ord, Calif., March 8-10.

-From Staff Reports

California Golden Bears in town for bragging rights

The Laxcats season doesn't get any easier as the team hosts the California Golden Bears, a team that has surprised everyone this year and is ranked third in the WCLL poll, Saturday night at 7:30.

"It is going to be a barn burner because several players on both teams will be playing for the bragging rights of Northern California," Laxcat head coach Mickey-Miles Felton said.

UA juniors Dan Price and Max Webber plus freshman Nate Schmidt all hail from Northern California and have friends and former teammates who play for the Bears.

UA (3-2) is ranked sixth in the polls and is coming off a weekend split in Los Angeles. They will once again be going with the "Sweet Sixteen" as senior captain Chris Greco is still sidelined with an injury.

Cal and UA have both played the tough group of athletes from Sonoma State. The difference is that Cal pulled out an impressive 12-10 victory over the Cossacks while UA fell 15-11.

- Dan Rosen

Rugby hosts huge weekend

What happens when one of your teammates suffers a terrible injury on an illegal play and then you go on to lose the game?

You get very hungry and anxious to play, and that is how Arizona Rugby will be this weekend when it takes on two rain-soaked California schools.

The Wildcats (6-3, 2-2) will host the UCLA Bruins (0-1) today at 2:45 p.m. and the Long Beach State 49ers (1-0) Sunday at 11:45 a.m. at Estevan Park in two of the biggest games of the season for the Wildcats.

UCLA has proven to be one of the Wildcats' oldest rivals and it holds a 12-9 all-time advantage. UA however has won two in a row versus the Bruins and is looking to build on its dominating 46-7 victory in Westwood, Calif., last season.

"They are rebuilding their program but they play very disciplined and scrappy," Arizona head coach Dave Sitton said. "They will be a much improved team than a year ago."

The 49ers have had the Wildcats' number throughout the series holding a 19-6 record against UA. But nine of those losses were by two points or less.

"We have found all kinds of marvelous ways to lose to them," Sitton said. "But we have won two in a row including last year's 14-7 league title-clinching game."

- Dan Rosen

Women's lacrosse team hits the road

After having three of their first five games canceled due to bad weather, members of the Arizona women's lacrosse team are back on the road again, traveling to San Diego this weekend.

Arizona (2-0) will take on San Diego tomorrow and Southern Cal and Sunday, respectively.

UA senior captain Jessica Deal said San Diego is one of the top teams in the Western Women's Lacrosse League.

Arizona's last road trip to Santa Barbara, Calif., was rained out. Both teams the Wildcats were slated to play - Santa Barbara and Westmont College - were scheduled to come to Tucson last weekend, but Westmont had to cancel its game after bad weather kept the team at home.

The Gauchos weren't so lucky, losing to Arizona by the final score of 11-9.

- Chris Jackson