(Photo by Campbell Dunn)

TUCSON, AZ - On the strength of a 17-save performance by sophomore goalie Wyatt Hill, the Arizona men's lacrosse team opened the 2019 season with an 8-7 victory over a tough Santa Clara program on Saturday.

The 'Cats struck first with senior Colton Lloyd finished off of a great feed from midfielder Peyton Boyd. It would then be a back-and-forth affair all day.

The score was tied at three apiece at halftime.

In the third quarter, momentum swung in Santa Clara's favor. The Broncos took a two-goal lead heading into the final period.

During the fourth, the Wildcat defense made its presence felt, fighting off both a two-minute non-releasable penalty and a one-minute two-man disadvantage.

Hill stood tall between the pipes throughout the contest, however, finishe with 17 stops and a 70.8 save percentage.

Attackman Mason DePaola (3g, 1a) paced the Arizona offense with four points. Peyton Boyd (2g, 21) tallied three points while Lloyd (1g, 1a) and Quinn Carrigan (2g) would each add two points.

"This was a big win for our program," said Arizona coach Matt Blamey. "Santa Clara is a talented and well-coached team. We had some guys step up and make plays when they needed too and our defense stood tall at end of the game. It's a long season, but it's always great to start 1-0."

Next up the Wildcats will host the Trojans from USC at David Sitton Field. Faceoff is schedule for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9.