After allowing an average of 5.8 goals a game last season, the returnees of the Upper Arlington High School boys lacrosse team knew they had a problem.

"(Before the season, we asked ourselves) how are we going to build a better defense?" said senior defender John Hardesty, whose team is off to a 3-0 start before facing Dublin Coffman last Wednesday. "It's early in the season, and we still have a lot to learn, but we're playing great so far."

In their first three games, the Bears have only allowed three goals while averaging 13.6. Three is the lowest numbers UA has given up in the first three games in the last five years. During that time frame, UA won four state titles and finished second once.

Defensive coordinator Brian Burke said the playing experience of Charlie Houk, Hardesty, Joseph Benedick and goalie Daniel Kloos got last year paid off.

"(Giving up three goals) in the first three games is hard to imagine," Burke said. "Since the beginning of the season, the kids took it upon themselves to work well with one another.

"But with the way our schedule is set up we're going to be playing teams with a little more firepower than what we have seen so far. We're going to have to continue to improve and get a lot better."

After facing Dublin Coffman last Wednesday, the Bears visit Thomas Worthington on Saturday and play host to Hilliard Davidson on Wednesday.

Both games will be challenging. Davidson, a 12-8 finisher last year, is off to an 8-0 start after defeating South Bend (Ind.) St. Joseph 12-8 on April 8.

The Cardinals have not beaten Upper Arlington since a 12-7 victory in the 1996 Division I state final. However, three of the last four meetings with the Bears have been decided by fewer than four goals, including UA's 9-8 win in the second round of the regional tournament.

Under first-year coach John Galipault, the Cardinals are to 4-2 after defeating Cincinnati Moeller 6-5 in overtime last Friday.

"(Galipault) has been there for a long time as a player and as an assistant coach," coach Ted Wolford said. "He knows the history of the rivalry very well. The series may not be even but it is one that we all talk about when we prepare for this game."

"Since way back when, the UA-Thomas game has always been big," Houk said. "They're going to come out firing. We have to come out hard and ready to play."

•Girls coach Kim Rocheleau is happy the Bears have averaged 18.5 goals in the first two games.

What the second-year coach is really pleased with is the shots the Bears didn't take in an 18-3 win over Watterson on March 29 and a 19-2 win over Dublin Scioto on April 8.

"This group is very selfless," Rocheleau said. "It's awesome to watch someone give up a chance to score to pass to a teammate who is in a better position.

"I don't have to tell them to act like a team. This group is very team-oriented."

Four out of Upper Arlington's next five opponents will be from outside of central Ohio. The Bears play host to East Rochester, N.Y. on Friday and take on Cleveland Heights in the Hannigan-Galipault tournament at 4 p.m. Saturday at Thomas Worthington.

East Rochester, 0-2 after losing to East Irondequoit 16-2 on April 8, defeated UA 9-3 last year. Cleveland Heights, 1-2 overall after defeating Hudson Western Reserve Academy 16-12 on April 8, hasn't played UA since losing to the Bears 12-7 in the 2005 state championship.

After visiting Dublin Coffman on Tuesday, the Bears will travel to Illinois to play Wilmette (Ill.) Loyola Academy on April 23 and Winnetka (Ill.) New Trier on April 24. Loyola defeated New Trier 8-5 in the Illinois state final last year.

"Our goal is to get back to the state championship," Rocheleau said.

"That game is huge preparation for that."

Upper Arlington's Alex Powers heads upfield April 7 against the defense of Sycamore's Will Sloss during the Golden Bears' 11-1 victory.

The Golden Bears' Tim Yuhas prepares to take a shot against Sycamore goalie Jeff Wolkoff.

At a glance

Below are the recent results and coming schedules for the Upper Arlington boys and girls lacrosse teams:

BOYS

March 31 -- Defeated Hilliard Darby 18-1

*April 2 -- Def. Dublin Scioto 15-1

April 7 -- Def. Cincinnati Sycamore 11-1

*Last Wednesday -- Played Dublin Coffman

*Saturday -- At Thomas Worthington

*Wednesday -- Home vs. Hilliard Davidson

Of note: The Bears were 3-0 overall and 1-0 in OCC-Central before last Wednesday.

GIRLS

March 29 -- Def. Watterson 18-3

*April 8 -- Def. Scioto 19-2. Becca Niles had four goals. Megan Knoop and Adriane Ghidotti added three goals.

Friday -- Home vs. East Rochester, N.Y.

Saturday -- At Hannigan Tournament (Thomas Worthington)

*Tuesday -- At Coffman

Of note: The Bears are 2-0 overall and 1-0 in OCC-Central.

*OCC-Buckeye game