GREAT FALLS, Mont. – Argo lacrosse's 2017 season has already been historic, with the first win over a ranked opponent, biggest win in program history, and most wins in program history, but the chance to go to the postseason for the first time would be the cherry on top. Those playoff hopes hang in the balance this weekend for UGF with the team playing its final two PNCLL games of the season in a two-game home stand.

UGF has the best record in program history at 5-3, but thanks to a close loss to Gonzaga early in the season the team is currently out of the playoff picture with a league record of 1-2.

While the Argos are almost done with league play, the overall conference picture is still very muddled. The top three teams from the PNCLL Division II North will make the playoffs, and right now UGF is fourth in the standings. They will need the help of a few stunning losses from either Montana (7-5, 3-0) or Gonzaga (5-3, 3-1), both of whom hold head-to-head tiebreakers over UGF, to move ahead, or they'll need to sit and wait to see how #21 Western Washington's season plays out since the Vikings (3-1, 1-0) have only played one league game so far.

The upcoming weekend will sort a lot that out, with UGF hosting Western Washington on Saturday, April 8 at 1 p.m., before the Vikings travel to Missoula, Montana to play Montana the next day. After playing WWU, the Argos will host the bottom team in the PNCLL North, University of Puget Sound on Sunday, April 1 at 10 a.m.

Quick Notes:

• Thanks to a history 9-8 win against #8 Montana State University in the Copper Cup last weekend, the Argos are receiving votes in the Under Armour MCLA Coaches Poll for the first time in program history. UGF received 13 points in the voting, making the unofficially the 30th ranked team in the country.
• Last year, UGF's playoff hopes again hinged on a game against Western Washington. That was the team's last game of the year and the Argo lost to the Vikings 11-2. That is the only time the two teams have played.
• The Argos beat Puget Sound last year, 9-4 in Tacoma, Washington. That win gave UGF a then program record of 4 wins on the season.
• In UGF's last two-game home stand went incredibly well. The Argos played back-to-back games against Johnson & Wales University and University of Wyoming in the first two lacrosse games ever on Argo Field and won both by a combined score of 37-9.
• Junior attack Josh Smith is coming off of being named to the MCLA Under Armour Weekly Honor Roll for his role in UGF's upset of MSU. It is the first time in school history an Argo lacrosse player has earned national recognition of any kind.
• Smith is currently 2nd in the PNCLL DII, in total goals (30) and 10th in points per game (4.000).
• Despite spending most of his time on the defensive half of the field, sophomore Chase Clark is 27th in the PNCLL DII in points per game (3.000).

About Western Washington:

• At #21, the Vikings are the only PNCLL DII North team ranked in the Top-25.
• WWU's offense started off the season on fire, scoring at least 17 goals in each of its first three MCLA contests. That cooled off in the team's most recent contest, a 19-3 loss to MCLA DI, Simon Fraser.
• Senior attack Tate Brumsickle leads the PNCLL DII and its 7th in the MCLA DII in points per game (6.667). In three contests he has scored 12 goals and has 8 assists.
• The Vikings could vulnerable between the pipes. Freshman Max Hanson is the only goalie to face shots this season and he currently ranks last in the league with a save percentage of 0.444.
• The Vikings have been a perennial postseason presence since 2012, making the league playoffs every year since then, including two national tournament appearances. The team's most recent national tournament trip was in 2015.

About Puget Sound:

• The Loggers lost a close 9-8 game to start the season against Portland State. Since then the team hasn't been within better than 7 goals of an opponent by sound of the final whistle.
• Junior middie Mark Officer leads Puget Sound in just about every offensive category including goals (6), assists (5), and points per game (1.833).
• Puget Sound's last win came on April 14, 2016 against Portland.
• The last time UGF and UPS met, Argo Josh Smith scored 5 goals for UGF in route to a 9-4 Argo win.