Laxcats beat ASU, enter playoffs

The Laxcats (7-6 overall) beat ASU 14-10 in front of a divided crowd and gave head coach Mickey-Miles Felton his 78th victory in 84 tries against their rivals from the north.

UA, who came out a bit lackadaisical against a pumped up ASU team, was trailing 3-1 after the first quarter. They managed to squeak out a 7-6 halftime lead.

The Sun Devils then held the Laxcats scoreless in the third while they put two past sophomore goalie Cameron Gingras (14 saves). The fourth quarter, however, was all the Laxcats would need.

"Once the game was on the line we definitely stepped up and our experience surfaced," Felton said. "The fourth quarter belonged to the Laxcats."

Ignited by a hat trick in less than two minutes by senior midfielder Max Webber, UA went on to a 7-2 advantage in the final quarter to secure the victory and bragging rights in the desert.

"Max Webber can be described as being on fire, and it couldn't have come at a better time in our season and his career," Felton said.

Also helping Webber (4 goals and 2 assists) fire shots into the back of the net for the Laxcats was senior Chris Stinson, whose statistics were identical to Webber.

Senior midfielder Chris Greco, playing his first game in two months, scored a goal and added an assist as well.

"It felt pretty good to get back out there with the guys," Greco said. "Even though I'm not 100 percent, I figured I might as well give it a go for the team with the playoffs coming up. It is also my last chance as a senior."

UA's next contest will be a do or die situation when the team hosts Loyola Marymount Saturday in the quarterfinals of the Western Conference Lacrosse League playoffs. The Laxcats defeated LMU this season 14-10 in Tucson.