OSWEGO LAKE, Ore. – An ugly, penalty-filled, injury-plagued game went poorly for  University  of Providence in just about every way, losing to University of Portland 15-6 in the opening round of the PNCLL Tournament. The two teams combined for 18 and a half penalty minutes in the game and both teams saw one player get ejected.
 
Things started with a bad omen right off the bat. Scrappy long pole Cade Dairy, who was supposed to have an expanded role with starting defender Tommy West not making the trip with UP, was injured in the first minute of play and never returned.
 
The culmination of the penalties, absences, and injuries led to the Argos losing each of the game's four quarters and the team's lowest goal total since March 31.
 
A bright spot for UP was the play of junior goalkeeper Jeremy Smith, who finished the contest with 18 saves.
 
Junior Kobe Johnson also stepped up. The offensive middie took over the role as the team's attackman running from X, with freshman Wyatt Jones also not traveling for the playoffs.
 
Johnson ran X for UP during his sophomore year and returning to that role he led the Argos with 3 goals, his highest total of the season. He scored in three of the four quarters, including the team's first and last goals of the game.
 
The biggest story was Portland's ability to shut down the Argo's leading scorer, senior Josh Smith. For just the fifth time in the last three seasons, Smith was limited to 1 goal or fewer in a game, scoring once in the first quarter.
 
UP was appearing in the PNCLL Playoffs for the second straight season. In 2017, the team's  first ever  postseason appearance, the Argos beat Southern Oregon University 12-9. The Argos end the 2018 season with a record of 5-9 (4-1).