The Day Begins With Questions and Ends With Answers

Questions: Was the rain going to continue to come down or would it stay up, would the field be accessible, would the officials show, would we dirty our new white uniforms, would we win our first conference game?

Answers: The rain stopped, the sun visited here and there, the game started on time, the field was great, the uniforms got dirty but that’s why we have Shaffer Cleaners on our team and we won 9-5.

The Arizona Laxcats put another block on our journey to rebuild the present. Sure we could’ve played better, and we will. When the game against Southwestern Lacrosse Conference (SLC) foe, San Diego State University ended, The Laxcats were ahead and accomplished 2 important milestones. 1. We beat a team that beat the Cats last season, and, 2. We improved our record to 4 wins and 1 loss with more then two-thirds of the season remaining. In 2009 the Cats only won 4 games the entire season. Big Blocks!

We maintained control most of the afternoon scoring first and taking a 4 -1 lead into the second quarter. Tanner Chitwood (2g1a) opened the scoring on a perfect feed from Mike Hook (1g3a), 2 minutes and 23 seconds after the officials blew the first whistle. Two minutes later Hook was back on the field scoring on his own.

The Aztecs cut the lead in half when Alex Ochs (1g2a) dropped one in behind Cooper Robbins (12 saves) but Frankie Connell (3g) took matters into his own hands by scoring our next 2 goals unassisted on his way to his second hat trick of the season and the score never got closer.

The Laxcats and Aztecs both scored 2 goals apiece in the second quarter as we headed for a 10 minute halftime break and a 6-3 advantage.

In the third and fourth quarters, the ball moved up and down the field continually stopping only behind the net minders 5 times. Aztecs goalie Billy Double had 10 of his 23 saves and Robbins recorded 7 in the half.

Face-offs were a factor as Laxcat Mike “Tots” Totero continued to show his expertise winning all 9 today. Tots is now 19 for 19 in his last 2 games. John Soloman also won 6 as an injured Evan Youngstrom could only watch from the SDSU sidelines.

AZ Goals: Connell 3, Chitwood 2, Seamans 2, Hook 1, Beauchamp 1.
SDSU: Evans, Neidner 1, Ochs 1.

AZ Assists: Hook 3, Price 2, Chitwood 1
SDSU: Ochs 2, Olson 2

Goaltending: AZ- Robbins 12, SDSU- Double 23

Groundballs: AZ- 51, SDSU- 32

Shots: AZ-44, SDSU-26