Griz lacrosse returns to Big Sky Country this weekend when the Grizzlies host the University of Oregon Ducks and Oregon State University Beavers in a pair of free-admission contests laden with playoff implications despite the year’s youth.
Head coach Ryan Hanavan said his team is excited for the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League action coming to Washington-Grizzly Stadium this weekend. “It’s always nice to play the first home games of the season. We have two tough games in front of us but we’re looking forward to having the crowd to support us.”
The Griz will attempt to leave the weekend with a 4-0 in-conference record after recording road wins against Washington State University and the University of Idaho on February 7th and 8th. Standing in the way Saturday will be preseason top-12 Oregon, a squad coming off tough losses to MCLA heavyweights Minnesota-Duluth and Brigham Young University last weekend. The Ducks were the last team to face the Griz in Missoula last season, eliminating Montana in the semifinal round of the PNCLL playoffs in front of some 700 fans last May.
Lending additional motivation to the upset-minded Grizzlies is the team’s recent announcement to dedicate their 2009 campaign to support the father of freshman long-stick midfielder Trevor Johnson in his ongoing bout with cancer. Larry “Mark” Johnson’s initials will appear on the team’s helmets and Griz players will wear neon laces in their cleats from the HEADstrong foundation, a cancer charity created in the memory of Hostra University defenseman Nicholas “Head” Colleluori, who was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in his sophomore year of college. More information on Nick and the foundation can be found at www.headstrongfoundation.org.
Both games will take place in Washington-Grizzly Stadium and be video broadcast LIVE on GrizLax.com, the official site of Montana Lacrosse.
