(from a Montana lacrosse release)

MISSOULA, Mont. – The Montana lacrosse team made its first regular season home appearances inside of Washington-Grizzly Stadium over the weekend in a pair of games against Idaho and Washington State.

Boasting a No. 6 ranking in the latest New Balance Division II MCLA poll, the Grizzlies looked to put on a show for their home fans in the Garden City. Behind two outstanding offensive performances that saw Montana score 35 goals combined, the Grizzlies would do just that in a pair of wins.

Action kicked off on Saturday afternoon as Montana squared off with Idaho in a PNCLL clash. The Grizzlies wasted little time taking control of the contest, scoring 14 goals in the first half alone before cruising to an 18-1 victory over the Vandals.

Senior midfielder Parker Swank tallied a team-high four goals in the victory. Attackmen Peter Caran, Miles Hess and Eric Frazer also did the bulk of the damage scoring seven goals combined. Caran and Hess would both tally two goals apiece, with Frazer finishing with three goals.

The offensive onslaught picked up right where it left off on Sunday in action against Washington State. The Grizzlies offense took control of the game in the second quarter behind a seven-goal barrage and would never look back in a 17-10 victory. The win for Montana was the first time they had defeated an MCLA Division I opponent this season.

Leading the way offensively for the second consecutive day was the duo of Frazer and Hess, who would combine to score eight goals. Hess led the way with a team-best five goals while Frazer tallied three goals to go along with three ground balls and an assist.

Missoula Hellgate product Jayce Jarvis also set the tone for the offense as a faceoff specialist, coming away with 17 faceoff wins and five ground balls.

After scoring 11 goals in his last three games, the Oregon native is now the team leader in goals scored this season (15). However, when reflecting on the weekend of action, Hess attributed most of the success of the team to other’s playing around him.

“Our faceoff guys were able to get the ball for our offense very consistently which was a really key factor in our success,” Hess said. “Frazier also knows how to ping the corners with his outside shot, which is something I really enjoy. I prefer dodging over taking long range shots, so that skill set compliments my style of play very well.”

Montana (5-2) will now turn their sights to a pivotal PNCLL clash opposite the College of Idaho on Sat., March 12. The Yotes will make the trip to the Garden City boasting a (4-0) record coming off a 21-4 victory Sunday over Western Oregon.

The Yotes’ are also ranked No. 8 nationally in the latest MCLA Division II poll. Action from Washington Grizzly Stadium is set to begin at 1 p.m.

Stream all the action live on www.grizlax.com.