PNCLL Tournament Page | PNCLL Tournament Brackett

GREAT FALLS, Mont. – Argo lacrosse has known it was going to the PNCLL playoffs for the first in program history for the last two weeks. What the 21st ranked team in the nation didn't know was who it would face and when. Now those questions are answered and the team's first round opponent will be defending PNCLL Champion, #25 Southern Oregon at 5 p.m. on April 28 in Vancouver, B.C.

UGF (9-3, 3-2) enters the tournament as the 3-seed from the PNCLL DIV II North, while SOU (8-4, 4-1) is the 2-seed out of the PNCLL DIV II South. The two programs have never faced, but have shared some common opponents. Both teams face Central Washington and Western Washington in 2017, and if results against like opponents are an indicator, which is a significant if, the Argos should be the favorite.

Against CWU, both UGF and SOU came away with victories of a similar margin. The Raiders defeated Wildcats 11-6, while the Argos won 12-9. The games against WWU tell a different story. In a March 11 game against Western Washington, the Vikings came out on top of Southern Oregon, 17-12. While the Vikings scored with ease against the Raiders, they struggled mightily against UGF's stellar defense, falling to the Argos 9-3 on April 8.

The winner of the game will move on to play #23 University of Montana (11-5, 5-0) in the second round. UGF's 14-5 loss to the Griz in the 2017 Copper Cup on March 31 was the low point of the Argo season. Since that loss, UGF has been an entirely different team, winning five straight games to end the season including three wins over ranked teams and the program's first appearance in the PNCLL Under Armour Coaches' Poll. UGF has never beaten Montana.

If the Argos make it past both Southern Oregon and Montana, they will find themselves in the PNCLL Championship, playing for an automatic berth to the MCLA National Championship Tournament. The PNCLL final will be played on April 30 at Noon MDT.

The tournament favorite is probably undefeated #15 College of Idaho (11-0, 5-0), but UGF wouldn't have to face the Yotes till the finals.

QUICK NOTES:

• UGF's 9-3 record is easily a program best regular season record. UGF's previous best was 4-8 in 2016.
• This is UGF's first time in any postseason tournament.
• During UGF's 5-game winning streak, the team has given up an average of 5.4 goals per game, including holding its opponent to just 1 first half goal in four of those five contests.
• The Argos are averaging 13.27 gpg in 2017 and are giving up 8.18 gpg.
• Sophomore goalkeeper Jeremy Smith is tied for the fewest goals allowed (84) in the PNCLL DII by any keeper to play the majority of 10 or more games.
• UGF's two leading scorers, junior Josh Smith and sophomore Chase Clark, are in a three-way tie for 14th in the PNCLL DII in points per game (3.833 ppg). The other player in that tie is Southern Oregon's Connor Mason.
• Smith ranked 10th in the MCLA DII in total goals with 42 on the year, scoring in every game but one. He had 43 goals as a sophomore.
• UGF's other points leader, Chase Clark, leads the Argo in assists with 13, and is second in goals with 31. He also plays defense and leads the team with 34 caused turnovers and is second on the team with 38 groundballs.
• The game will be a battle of two hugely efficient faceoff men. UGF's freshman Dante Duran 65.7 percent of his faceoffs, while SOU's senior Harley Humphrey has won 66.9 of his. The one advantage the Argos could have over the Raiders at the X will be, the ability to throw a second strong faceoff man on the field. Humphrey had taken almost 80 percent of his team's faceoff's, while Duran is often spelled by sophomore Joshua Gavin who has won 58.5 percent of his attempts.

ABOUT SOUTHERN OREGON:

• SOU is in the PNCLL playoffs for the seventh time in program history.
• Southern Oregon is the reigning PNCLL Champion, beating Gonzaga 10-6.
• In the Raiders first trip to the MCLA National Tournament in 2016, the team lost to Dayton 18-3.
• The Raiders are on a 3-game winning streak during which they've score over 18.5 goals per game.
• SOU averages 12 gpg on the year and gives up 9.91 gpg.
• Four SOU players have accounted for just shy of 80 percent of the team's goals. Freshman attack Connor Mason leads the team with 36 goals, junior attack Spencer Pregal has 32, senior midfielder Ari Feldman has 25, and sophomore midfielder Garrett Greenway has 22.
• Pregal was named to the most recent MCLA DII Under Armour Honor Roll thanks to a 4 goal, 5 assist performance in the team's last game of the season, a 15-9 win over Western Oregon.