BARTZIS LEADS LOCKDOWN WILDCATS OVER LOPES
#9 Arizona 34
#20 Grand Canyon 13
Lucas Bartzis' second straight hat trick helped spur the Wildcats to a victory. (Photo credit: Nikki Adams)
February 11- #9 Arizona took the field for the first of two in-state match ups on Saturday night, hosting #20 Grand Canyon with playoff implications on the line for both squads.
With a history of starting strong on attack, it was the defense that stepped up to kick off this match, as a Jon Rogers intercept inside the Wildcats' 22 started a beautiful passage of play with Rogers's effort and Jonah Eldridge's set up putting Scrumhalf Matt Rogers through for the first try of the match. A GCU score in response made it a tense first 30 before the Wildcats depth and patience started to pay off, mauling in a try and and ending the half with an Anton Grigoriou penalty to go up 17-7 at the break.
The second half was about more lockdown defense and an emerging star in the centers in Lucas Bartzis, who scored three tries to secure his second straight hat trick and widen the gap between the sides. "Lucas was a monster, from his run lines, to his nose for the try zone, to his work over the ball, he took over the game for a stretch" said Head Coach Sean Duffy "proud of our Forwards as well as we got some good things going in set piece and in our mauls, two work on areas we had last week."
The Wildcats move to 3-0 on the year with their first conference match of 2019 next up on the schedule in Tempe against Arizona State next Saturday.
Scoring vs Grand Canyon
W 34-13
Tries: Bartzis (3), M. Rogers, McBride
Conv: Grigoriou- 3/5
Pen: Grigoriou- 1/2
Arizona First XV vs Grand Canyon
4. Tyler Hansen
7. Ben Scoular
10. Anton Grigoriou
11. Jon Rogers
12. Lou MacLaughlin
13. Lucas Bartzis
14. Garrett Walker
15. Jonah Eldridge
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16. Zach Biggs
17. Braeden Looper
18. Billy Esposito
19. Zach Heisterkamp
20. Riley Kerr
21. Robert Figley
22. Matthew Start