GREAT FALLS, Mont. – A lack of proper attention to details, combined with a talented opponent, cost Argonaut lacrosse in an 18-5 loss to undefeated Montana State University.
 
The Bobcats got off to a hot start, taking an early 4-0 lead. That run was ended by a strong run down the right alley by junior Josh Smith (28) that he finished with a shot into the upper right corner of the net. The junior's effort pulled UGF within three but the team wasn't able to use that momentum to build a run of its own.
 
Instead, the Cats continued to score goals despite some good stick checks from the Argo defense. Throughout the game, the UGF defenders managed to force the ball out of the stick of MSU's offensive players but the Argo's inability to gather the ensuing ground balls negated the defensive effort. Even when the team did corral loose balls the team struggled to clear it into their offense zone.
 
"We did some nice things on defense. We were able to get the ball on the ground but we couldn't get the ground ball up and we couldn't get the ball up the field," UGF head coach Fred Boekel said. "Playing zone is tiring and when the ball is in your half of the field the entire game, eventually you run out of gas."
 
That moment may have come in the third quarter. During those 15 minutes the Cats scored five goals and held the Argos scoreless to put the game well out of reach. While the game's outcome was already decided by the fourth quarter, UGF still battled back with the team's best offensive period of the Copper Cup weekend.
 
"They still had their starting attackers in with five minutes left so they really didn't let up on us," Boekel said. "I'm proud of our guys from the stand point that we finished with a couple of goals."
 
Two of those goals came from Smith who scored his second consecutive hat trick. The other came from junior attacker Arturo Gonzalez (29) who scored his first goal of the season.
 
The Argo's fifth goal came in the second quarter from junior middie Albert Williams, when he picked up a ground ball in front of the MSU crease and finished into the upper right corner.
 
The loss brings the Argo's record to 1-6 on the season. They have five more chances to earn the team's second win of the season, with the first coming on April 9 at 3 p.m. against Utah State University in Bozeman, Mont.