Utah Picked to Win ASUN; Regions 9, 10, and 11 Previews
Plus: Q&A with high school coaches, Wasatch Box Invitational Results and more
Welcome in lax fans! This week we dive into the Utah schedule with a season preview. We also break down Regions 9, 10 and 11 for both boys and girls. We also caught up with new high school coaches: Adam Hickman (Syracuse), Mckenzie Hansen (Snow Canyon) and Tyler John (Cedar Valley). This issue is a long one so reading on the Substack App or utahlaxreport.com is advised.
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College
Veteran Utah Team Eyes ASUN Conference Championship
If the 2026 schedule for the Utes doesn’t get you excited, I’m not sure what will. The Utes will play six home games, the most in program history, with some great away trips in the mix as well. All home games will be free of charge this year.
The Utes kick off the campaign this week with a showdown against Delaware. If it’s anything like the game between these two teams last year, it’s must-see TV. The 2025 version came down to the final minutes of play which led to Delaware escaping with a 13-12 win.
Utah will then head to No. 11 Duke on Friday, February 6. The Utes last played the Blue Devils in the 2024 NCAA Tournament which saw Utah fall, 19-7.
The home opener for Utah will be on February 14 at Noon against Denver. The game will be played at Rice-Eccles Stadium and will be a good opportunity to see the Utes in action.
Utah will then take to the skies and head to North Andover, Massachusetts to take on Merrimack on February 21 in a first-time meeting between the squads.
Back-to-back home games will feature Iona on February 28 and Dartmouth on March 7. This will be the first meeting with Iona and second with Dartmouth. Utah fell to The Big Green last year, 11-9.
A midweek affair with Marquette on March 11 will come before the Utes head to No. 14 Virginia on March 21. The UVA game will be played at the site of the 2026 NCAA D-I National Championship game, Scott Stadium, as a double header with the UVA and Syracuse women’s teams.
Utah will begin ASUN play on March 28 at home against Bellarmine. The Utes will take to the road in back-to-back weekends to face Mercer on April 4 and Jacksonville on April 11.
Utah will finish the regular season at home against Queens on April 18 and Air Force on April 25 which will be Senior night. The Utes will graduate 17 Seniors this year.
Leading the offense will be the stalwart Senior Ryan Stines. Stines is 54 points away from becoming the Utah all-time points leader in a career. The supporting cast includes sophomore Luke McNamara, juniors Cade Faulkner and Gavin Howard and seniors Zach White and Will Overly.
Senior Tyler Kloeckl will lead the Faceoff Force alongside senior Bryce Madden, junior Spencer Krueger and sophomore Quinn Power. Transfers Jordan Reed (Canisius) and Joel Mullen (Limestone) will boost the midfield alongside senior Bryce Horton and juniors Jake Likes and Ben Trask.
Utah runs its defense all over the field and has a ton of firepower. Senior and Utah-native Dallin Tanner (Mountain Ridge), senior Nikko DiPonio and juniors Luca Pivetta and Mikey Crane highlight the group. Beyond the frontlines of the D include consistent support with seniors Ryan Sheppard, Trace White (Corner Canyon) and Seamus McCarthy along with sophomores Conner Flannagan and John Klinge. Redshirt sophomore Marco Pascarella will put in many miles for the Utes on the wings and at LSM.
In goal, there is the rock known as Colin Lenskold. Lenny is already the Utah all-time leader in saves with 497.
Captains this year are DiPonio, Overly and Stines. DiPonio was also named a USA Lacrosse Preseason All-America Honorable Mention pick last week.
The Utes were picked as the 2026 ASUN preseason favorite with 3 first place votes and swept the preseason awards with Stines (Preseason Offensive Player of the Year), DiPonio (Preseason Defensive Player of the Year) and Kloeckl (Preseason Specialist of the Year). Those players plus Faulkner were added to the Preseason All-ASUN Team.
The Utah schedule will feature a handful of Utah ties. When Denver comes to town, watch for Chris Caldwell who is from Draper and played high school ball at IMG. Will Overly’s brother, Russell, also plays for Denver so it’s a family affair whenever the Utes and Pios clash. Watch for two Utahns in the Dartmouth game as Thomas Vandenberg (Park City, IMG) and Spencer Reagan (Waterford, Culver) make their return to the Beehive State. Bellarmine midfielder Sam Boylston is the brother of Utah alum Joey Boylston who played defense for the Utes from 2021-2024. When the Utes face Mercer, they’ll take on Park City native Dillion Bush who is in his junior year for the Bears.
2026 Utah Schedule
1/31 @ Delaware
2/6 @ Duke
2/14 v. Utah - Rice-Eccles Stadium
2/21 @ Merrimack
2/28 v. Iona
3/7 v. Dartmouth
3/11 @ Marquette
3/21 @ Virginia
3/28 v. Bellarmine
4/4 @ Mercer
4/11 @ Jacksonville
4/18 v. Queens
4/25 v. Air Force
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High School
We’re kicking off region previews this week with Region 11, 10 and 9. The rest of the regions will be published in the coming weeks!
Boys Region 11 Preview
Bear River Bears
2025: 15-5 (8-4), lost in 4A Semifinals to Judge, 13-3.
The Bears are looking to take hold of Region 11 after going 8-4 in region last year. Head Coach Matt Pulsipher is excited to get into the swing of things in his second year at the helm. The Bears are coming off its best season ever that resulted in a semifinal run.
Preston Wilkinson (Jr.) led the team last year in goals and points and will run the Bears offense this year alongside Tucker Nielson (Sr.), Emmett Christensen (Sr.) will anchor the Bears defense. Will the underclassmen at Bear River rise to the challenge?
Green Canyon Wolves
2025: 10-10 (7-5), lost in 4A Second Round to Payson, 14-11.
The Wolves enter the year with Troy Oldham leading the way. Oldham is in his 12th year of coaching and 7th at Green Canyon.
“I’m excited to see our guys compete and play as a team,” said Oldham. “These 2, 3, and 4 year varsity players have a strong desire to compete at the highest level, they are motivated and have been putting in the time to improve across the board. They love the game, and it shows in how they practice and treat each other.”
Captains for the Wolves are Hayden Reeder (Sr., Attack, BYU commit), Spencer Mitchell (Sr., Defense, BYU commit, Team President), Sawyer Rainey (Sr., Midfield), Miles Robinson (Sr., Defense) and Bryson Pabst (Sr., Midfield).
The Wolves are top heavy with 13 Seniors and 12 Juniors which typically bodes well for programs looking to make a deep playoff run.
Logan Grizzlies
2025: 2-17 (0-12), lost in 4A First Round to Mountain Crest, 12-8.
The leading scorer for Logan is back in Ethan Wright. The senior tallied 37 goals and 9 assists to lead the team in points last season. Sophomore Morgan Briggs will be the man in the goal. Kedin Avila (Jr.) will take the draws for the Grizzlies.
Mountain Crest Mustangs
2025: 11-9 (4-8), lost in 4A Quarterfinals to Snow Canyon, 8-7.
The Mustangs return a trio of firepower in seniors Camden Atkinson (47 points), Tag Peterson (44) and Davis Cooper (36). Kylan Atkinson registered a 64.6% save percentage last year and will look to improve in his junior season. Senior Sawyer Nielsen will anchor the defense.
Ridgeline Riverhawks
2025: 6-13 (3-9), lost in 4A Second Round to Judge, 14-3.
The Riverhawks are looking to make it back to the semifinals, like they did in 2023 and 2024, after a tough loss in the second round last year. Head Coach Aaron Quiggle is in his 4th year at the helm and is excited about the large group of seniors on this year’s team.
Drew Johnson (Sr.) and Jeff Woodland (Sr.) led the team in points last year. The duo combined for 104 points. Diego Shea (Sr.) will anchor the defense. Jayden Andersen (Sr.) and Wes Emmett (So.) will get the Riverhawks off the ground at the faceoff X. Senior Barnes Quiggle will take the reps in goal.
Sky View Bobcats
2025: 13-7 (8-4), lost in 4A Quarterfinals to Bear River, 15-11.
Craig Mueller has taken over at Sky View after Bryant Cannell stepped away to coach his kids youth lacrosse teams.
“From a personal standpoint, I want to challenge myself and see what I can bring to a high school program,” said Mueller. “My strengths are culture and community building and I want to see that all come together with our players and families.”
Mueller is no stranger to lacrosse in Cache Valley having coached several years at the youth level and starting the Northern Utah LC (NULC) program.
Nixon Bohm (Jr.) led the team in points last year. Ryan Bates (Sr.) will anchor the midfield while Logan Arrington (Sr.) is back in goal for the Bobcats.
Boys Region 11 Preseason Poll
1) Green Canyon (4)
2) Sky View (1)
3) Bear River (1)
4) Ridgeline
5) Mountain Crest
6) Logan
Girls Region 11 Preview
Bear River Bears
2025: 21-0 (12-0), Region 11 Champion. 4A State Champions - defeated Waterford, 8-6.
The Bears are looking for another championship, their fifth in a row, this year, but they face some tough competition with new teams entering the 4A division.
The team no longer has Shelby Wilkinson, but still retains many of their top scorers, including sophomores Mollie Call and Jeanine Webb. As a freshman, Webb actually had the highest shot percentage on the team with an impressive .79. Can she do it again this year? We will see!
Head Coach Jeremy Webb says also to look out for senior midfielder Brooklyn Briel who is currently tied for fifth in the state rankings with teammate senior Ella Criddle.
Green Canyon Wolves
2025: 3-13 (3-9), lost in 4A First Round to Hillcrest, 9-8.
Senior Jadie Hoopes hit the century mark last year, and this year hopes to build on it this year as she closes out her high school career. She will be joined by senior Layla Burris, who led the team in assists in the 24-25 season. Junior Senta Lundquist is expected to be back guarding the goal.
Logan Grizzlies
2025: 8-11 (6-6), lost in 4A First Round to Mountain Crest, 12-10.
She’s only a sophomore, but Greta Colton could have a great year this year after learning the Grizzles with assists last year, and coming in second in average goals per game. She will be joined on the field by senior Lexi Mumford who also had a great 2025 season, with a .54 shot percentage.
Mountain Crest Mustangs
2025: 4-13 (3-9), lost in 4A Second Round to Canyon View, 13-8.
Senior Sophie Jensen had 33 points for the Mustangs last year and could top that number this year. She and fellow seniors Tylee Henrie and Bela Wilde are expected to lead a strong team coached by Jaycie Rindlisbacher.
Ridgeline Riverhawks
2025: 10-7 (9-3), lost in 4A Quarterfinals to Waterford, 14-2.
Coach Craig Bond is looking forward to continued team and player growth for the Riverhawks this year. Kya Berry is a senior this year after leading the team’s shot percentage with a .80 in 2025. She will be joined by junior Eme Welker, last year’s top scorer, and senior Amalia Villa, who had a total of 15 points last season.
Sky View Bobcats
2025: 10-7 (8-4), lost in 4A Quarterfinals to Bear River, 16-3.
Sky View graduated 11 players in 2025, which means they will be doing some rebuilding this year. Coach Lyndsie Thacker-Dietrich says she is excited to see how the new team does.
The Bobcats do still have junior Raney Smith, who averaged 2.5 points per game last year and led the team in assists, and senior Rylee Russel,l who had a shot percentage of .571. Goalie Bella Sidwell will back in front of the net this year, looking to improve on last year’s .54 save percentage.
Girls Region 11 Preseason Poll
1) Bear River (6)
2) Ridgeline
3) Sky View
4) Mountain Crest
5) Logan
6) Green Canyon
Boys Region 10 Preview
Highland Rams
2025: 13-8 (3-5), lost in 5A Quarterfinals to Brighton, 10-5.
The Rams are in a new region in a new classification and excited to make waves. Head Coach Neil Blaney is in his 15th year at Highland and is looking forward to getting new players acclimated.
Luke Dansie (Sr.) is the shut down defender for the Rams while senior Luke Robison will follow in his brother’s footsteps in goal. Joe Bird took the majority of faceoffs for the Rams last year but underwent ACL surgery in the fall. On offense, James Campbell will lead the attack.
Jordan Beetdiggers
2025: 6-14 (1-4), lost in 4A Second Round to Bear River, 17-2.
Year 3 of Head Coach Aaron Rasmussen’s tenure will see a solid squad returning for the Beetdiggers.
“We’re excited about the group we’re bringing back this season,” said Rasmussen. “We have 12 Seniors who will lead our program. We’re looking forward to competing with new region foes, taking on the challenge of our weekend trip to St. George, and opening the season against the defending 5A champions at Brighton. It’s going to be a great test and an exciting start to the year.”
Eric Parchment (Georgia Tech commit) will lead the team and hope to add to his 54 point tally from 2025. Victor Reynaud (Utah State commit) had 252 saves for Jordan last season and will once again command the crease. Sam Wright (Utah club commit) is the glue that holds it all together at the faceoff X where we won 61.8% of faceoffs taken in 2025.
Juan Diego Soaring Eagle
2025: 13-9 (2-2), lost in 4A Championship to Judge, 15-4.
The Soaring Eagle are ready to make it back to the 4A Championship game and poised to do so. Head Coach Brad Tack is looking to get the title in just his second year as head coach of Juan Diego.
“I’m excited to get back to seeing my guys everyday,” said Tack. “The team dinners, flights, bus rides, service projects are all the opportunities that allow us to learn the personalities we have. I love watching players develop into outstanding young men on and off the field.”
Noah Schuyler, the lone team captain, will lead the Soaring Eagle. The Senior had 110 points last season. Parker Stolz (Jr.) had 97 points last year. The duo is dynamic and dangerous. Kai Fairbanks, the trusty Junior, will dominate the defensive end of the field and will get out in transition as LSM if needed. Senior Cuauhtemoc Pedroza and Sophomore Brayden Andersen will split time in goal. Junior Cooper Pecora will take the brunt of the faceoffs.
Waterford Ravens
2025: 13-3 (3-1), lost in 4A Second Round to Mountain Crest, 11-9.
The Ravens are poised for a deep run in the playoffs with a solid lineup of returners and the right mix of newcomers.
“With our team only having Varsity each year brings its new roller coaster ride with guys stepping into different roles and becoming one team from Freshman to Seniors,” said Head Coach Will Manny.
The Ravens had five players who had 45 points or more last year. Four of those are returning: Noah Chao (So.), Gavin Rurka (Sr.), Kellen Kemper (Jr.) and Andrew Rurka (Jr.).
A committee led by Alani Aho (Sr.) and Andrew Rurka will take the faceoffs for the Ravens. Freshman Sean O’Brien will stand tall in net!
“I’m excited for Freshman Pierce Hauber and Luke Hunter to bring their high lacrosse skill to their first year of high school for the Ravens,” said Manny.
Boys Region 10 Preseason Poll
1) Juan Diego (4)
2) Waterford
T-3) Highland
T-3) Jordan
Girls Region 10 Preview
East Leopards
2025: 1-13 (1-7), lost in 5A First Round to Clearfield, 14-1.
The Leopards are dropping from 5A to 4A this year, which will make things interesting for the team. Look for junior Sophie Hebert-Jaffa to do great things after leading the team in points and assists last year, along with junior Addie Davis and senior Bella Munoz.
Highland Rams
2025: 13-5 (5-3), lost in 5A Quarterfinals to Salem Hills, 14-6.
Highland is also making a change in division this year, dropping down to 4A. They have a new coach as well, with Addison England calling the shots.
Junior Meg Hoglund, who committed to play NCAA D-I for Howard University in 2027 will be captaining the team along with senior Sasha Meyers.
Coach Englad says she expects great things from both Hoglund and Meyers, along with junior Josie Fonarow. Keep an eye out for junior Alexa Tracey too, she averaged a shot percentage of .773 in 2025.
Jordan Beetdiggers
2025: 5-11 (0-4), lost in 4A First Round to Desert Hills, 6-3.
Jessica Davies is starting her first year as the head coach of the Beetdiggers and says she is looking for a lot of growth from her players in 2026.
Junior Morgan Maughan will be back this season after leading the team in points per game and shot percentage in 2025. Junior defender Sasah Henson and senior defender Eleanor Martin will also be taking the field to keep the number of goals scored by opponents to a minimum.
Juan Diego Soaring Eagle
2025: 1-13 (1-4), lost in 4A First Round to Cedar, 13-2.
Sophomore Ali Horner is coming back for year two and looking to improve on her impressive freshman year. Also, look for great things from senior Jocelin Cruz-Diaz and junior Jennifer Lewis.
Judge Bulldogs
2025: 8-8 (2-2), lost in 4A Second Round to Payson, 15-6.
The Bulldogs are chomping at the bit for this year’s season! Twin juniors Thalia and Polyhemia are among the players coach Lexie Meanor says we should watch this year, along with seniors Heidi Delpouys and Tessa Fowler.
Waterford Ravens
2025: 14-4 (4-0), Region 10 Champion. Lost in the 4A Championship to Bear River, 8-6.
The Ravens have hired Kendall Keblish who played at Park City and had 122 points in her senior year. Her last game was ironically against Waterford in the 2021 Division A Championship game.
Waterford will rely on senior Whitney Spanos who had 61 points last season. As Keblish gets her feet wet, more Ravens will rise to the challenge.
Girls Region 10 Preseason Poll
1) Highland (4)
2) Judge
3) Waterford (2)
4) Juan Diego
5) Jordan
6) East
Boys Region 9 Preview
Canyon View Falcons
2025: 12-4 (12-2), lost in 4A Second Round to Juan Diego, 17-7.
On the field, the Falcons will be led by Gavin Tanner (Sr.) who had 43 points last season. Kohen Carlson (Sr.) will be back in the cage for Canyon View where he registered 189 saves and had a 69% save percentage. Crue Peterson (Sr.) will look to take draw again where he was 50% last season.
Carlson, Tanner, Peterson and Will Randall (Sr.) will be the captains for this year.
On the sidelines, the Falcons are led by Nik Johnson who is entering his 20th year of coaching and 7th at the helm of Canyon View.
“I’m excited to see new players emerge into significant roles,” said Johnson.
Cedar Reds
2025: 7-10 (7-7), lost in 4A First Round to Jordan, 10-5.
The Reds return Trent Twitchell (Sr.) who had 53 points last season and Wesley Burger (Jr.) who had 42 points. Burger also took 88 faceoffs and will be the go-to guy at the X. In goal, Anson Butler (Sr.) will once again anchor the defense.
The Reds are led by Sean Gerry who is in his first year at the helm. We did a Q&A with Coach Gerry that you can read here.
Crimson Cliffs Mustangs
2025: 2-17 (2-12), lost in 4A First Round to Dixie, 10-0.
The Mustangs are looking to build momentum heading into the 2026 season. West Secrist (Jr.) will lead the Mustang offense while Junior Bridger Butterfield will take faceoffs alongside Cael Jones (Jr.). Collin Sorensen (Sr.) will be in cage for Crimson Cliffs.
Desert Hills Thunder
2025: 6-13 (6-8), lost in 4A First Round to Mountain View, 13-7.
First year head coach Ethen Shenfeld (Q&A here) is looking forward to getting the Thunder into a spot to compete for the Region 9 title. Nash Overall (Jr.) will lead from the midfield with Levi Hadley (Jr.) on offense and Kayden Helt (Jr.) at defense and LSM.
In goal, Alo Stevens (So.) and Blake Wilson (Sr.) will guide the defense.
Dixie Flyers
2025: 12-8 (10-4), lost in 4A Second Round to Sky View, 17-5.
The Flyers will look to fill the void left by graduated Cooper Holm (102 points in 2025) with a handful of up and coming talent. Ryan Turman (Sr., captain), Noah Biehl (So., captain) and Shep Andrews will lead the way.
Caleb Field (Sr.) will anchor the defense while Jett Lundin (Jr.) stands in goal. Joining Turman, Andrews and Biehl as captains will be Ethan Carter (So.) and Thorin Burrows (So.).
“I’m excited to see the all around improvement of every team in Region 9 and the continued growth of Lacrosse and its fanbase in Southern Utah,” said Dixie Head Coach Kurt “Twiggs” Pascoe who is in year 6 at the head of Dixie.
Hurricane Tigers
2025: 5-14 (5-9), lost in 4A First Round to Timpanogos, 14-2.
The good news for third year head coach Bradley Hall is that all of the Tigers top scorers are returning. Porter Allred (Jr.) and Jaxson Winegar (Sr.) are the top dogs returning with a cast of others eager to help.
Parley Watts (Fr.) will also look to win the ball at the X for the Tigers.
Chance Dennet (Jr.) made 171 saves in 2025 and will add to that total this year.
Pine View Panthers
2025: 0-14 (0-14), DNQ for playoffs.
Pine View is returning almost everyone which will bode well for the Panthers. Senior Jeric Wilson and sophomore Texton Parker will lead the offense. Junior Cayman Dickinson will take faceoffs and sophomore Carter Hospodarsky will be in goal.
Snow Canyon Warriors
2025: 16-5 (14-0), Region 9 Champion. Lost in 4A Semifinals to Juan Diego, 14-10.
The Warriors will once again be the team to beat in Region 9. The program has gone 26-0 in region play in the last two years. Four of the top five point getters from 2025 have graduated so it will be up to John Freihofner (Sr., captain), Ace Hafen (Sr., captain), Hayes Hickman (Sr., captain) and others to lead the offense. Dylan Baker (Sr.) will look to improve on his 65% win rate at the faceoff X.
In goal, Josephy Kaiser (Jr.) will guide the defense with Easton Nowatzke (Sr., captain) running the LSM position.
Head Coach Greg Freihofner, who is in his 5th year as head coach, is excited to develop boys into men with the goal of getting to the state championship game.
Boys Region 9 Preseason Poll
1) Snow Canyon (7)
2) Dixie (1)
3) Canyon View
4) Hurricane
5) Desert Hills
6) Cedar
7) Crimson Cliffs
8) Pine View
Girls Region 9 Preview
Hurricane Tigers
2025: 13-4 (12-0), Region 9 Champion. Lost in 4A Second Round to Hillcrest, 10-5.
Junior Vennalee Oliphant had an impressive season last year with 51 total goals and is expected to break that number this year. She’s joined by sophomore powerhouse Alegra Guzman, who had a total of 50 goals last season, and junior Carly Jones, who is the master of the steal on the field.
Coach Chad Oliphant says he’s excited to have so many players returning, and that 80% of the team is returning from last season. When asked what he’s looking forward to this year, he said, “Being around so many talented, selfless players. I love watching them succeed as they push their boundaries and achieve new goals.” He then added, “Winning is great, but watching them discover that they are stronger than they knew makes coaching worth it.”
Canyon View Falcons
2025: 11-3 (10-2), lost in 4A Quarterfinals to Provo, 16-9.
Canyon View could be a contender this year, with coach Jody Findlay returning. Senior Jack Findlay could lead the team in goals this year, after a season of 2.1 goals per game on average last year. Sophomore Ella Brown will be back on the field as well, and hopefully bringing the assists as she did in 2025.
Cedar Reds
2025: 8-8 (7-5), lost in 4A Second Round to Ridgeline, 17-9.
The Reds have a senior squad this year led by Allyson Cherry on defense, goalie Alyssa Johnson, attacker Chelsea Blackburn, and midfielder/attacker Calina Crosby. Cherry is the only one of the four to have committed to playing in college so far, committing to SUU, but we expect great things from all four on the field.
Coach Jenni Johnson is back for her second year at Cedar and says they cannot wait to get started.
Crimson Cliffs Mustangs
2025: 8-8 (2-2), lost in 4A First Round to Judge, 20-6.
Senior captains Shelby See and Ellie Wall are joined by junior Khayla Ramos in leading the team this year. Coach Nick Bennett says that while the rest of the team is relatively young, they have extremely high athletic ability. “ I am excited to see them grow into great lacrosse players and become a thorn in other teams’ sides,” he said.
Desert Hills Thunder
2025: 6-12 (4-8), lost in 4A Second Round to Bear River, 25-2.
This is only the second year that Desert Hills has had a team, but they are ready to show they aren’t beginners. Coach Emily Hardman acknowledged they are in a building year but said she’s looking forward to what they will accomplish with some amazing players.
Sophomore attacker Ella Nielsen had 45 points last year, an impressive feat for her first time playing varsity. Watch her try to break 50 points for the season, alongside fellow sophomores Ellie Christian and Mady Eriksen.
Dixie Flyers
2025: New in 2026.
This is Dixie’s first year hosting a girls’ lacrosse team, but we are expecting great things. Coach Kali Godfrey says to keep your eye on Kaysha Seaman as she takes to the field.
Pine View Panthers
2025: 3-10 (3-9), lost in 4A First Round to Orem, 8-5.
Pine View is another newer team in the region, in its second year. The team does have one commit in senior Lani Fiefa, who will be heading to Marquette next year. Seniors Rowyn House and junior Piper Gilmore are also ones to watch this season.
Snow Canyon Warriors
2025: 8-9 (5-7), lost in 4A Second Round to Provo, 21-4.
This is the first year for head coach McKenzie Hansen who will be leading the team with captains, and seniors, Eryn Hansen, Maddie Harris, and Lucie Hale.
Hansen, a defender, had 54 ground balls in the 24-25 season and will be picking up more this year. Fellow defender, junior Grace Freeman likes to score as much as block, and watch for senior Corrine Young as well.
Girls Region 9 Preseason Poll
1) Hurricane (7)
2) Canyon View
3) Cedar
4) Desert Hills
5) Snow Canyon (1)
6) Pine View
7) Crimson Cliffs
8) Dixie
New Boys Coaches Q&A
Adam Hickman - Syracuse
ULR: What is your lacrosse background?
Hickman: I have over ten years of lacrosse coaching experience at the youth and high school level in Connecticut, St. George, and Syracuse. I played lacrosse at Mountain View High School in Orem and at Utah Valley University (UVU) where I earned the 2005 Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) D-II National Tournament Most Valuable Player Award.
ULR: What are you looking forward to the most about coaching?
Hickman: I am most excited to continue to grow the Syracuse lacrosse program and help our student athletes achieve their goals in all aspects of their lives.
ULR: What else should people know about you?
Hickman: I have 10 years of experience playing lacrosse and hockey as a dual-sport athlete at the high school and collegiate level. After playing lacrosse at UVU, I transferred universities and played hockey at BYU. Outside of lacrosse, I have earned a Bachelor’s degree from BYU in Mechanical Engineering. I have also earned a Master’s degree and PhD in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame (Go Irish!). I am married with 6 children. All of my children have played or currently play lacrosse. I am passionate about the sport and continue to play lacrosse in men’s league.
New Girls Coaches Q&A
Mckenzie Hansen - Snow Canyon
ULR: What is your lacrosse background?
Hansen: My lacrosse background all comes from coaching. I have 2 daughters who have played for the last 5 years, and I have been involved with coaching from day one! Lacrosse is very new to St. George, and with that, it’s important to start the program somewhere. Even if it’s getting a “Mom Coach” that only has a background in coaching Mountain Biking!
ULR: What are you looking forward to the most about coaching?
Hansen: What I look forward most to with coaching is the challenge! I love to be challenged and pushed and to learn new things! Plus the girls are pretty amazing!
ULR: What else should people know about you?
Hansen: I am a wife to Nate, a Mom to 5 incredible kids, a first-time “Mimi” in January 2026 with our first grandchild being born! I am a self-made Pet Groomer of 20 years who owns and operates Hygge & Hound by McKenzie. This is my business and includes teaching grooming apprenticeships (over 30 students), consulting in other grooming salons around the country, and owning a pet-friendly Airbnb above my salon for students to come and stay and learn!
I have been a mountain bike coach for the Snow Canyon MTB team for almost 10 years and have been over the GRiT program. Girls riding together! I have a passion for coaching, learning new things, and being pushed to be better in all aspects of life!
Tyler John - Cedar Valley
ULR: What is your lacrosse background?
John: I started my lacrosse journey in middle school and continued through Brighton High School before competing at the collegiate level with Southern Virginia University (NCAA Division III). During my time there, I earned both First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-Conference Awards. I played my last year at Utah Valley University WCLA Division I club team. I have been coaching for Utah Elevate Lacrosse for 5 years and was a part of the Alta High School Girls Lacrosse Team for the 2024 Season.
ULR: What are you looking forward to the most about coaching?
John: What I am most looking forward to in coaching is building a team culture where the girls feel supported, motivated, and confident. I remember having so much fun in high school, hanging out with my close friends, trying new things with no judgment, and having support from my family and coaches. I can’t wait to have those moments this upcoming season.
ULR: What else should people know about you?
John: I am a member of the Diné (Navajo) Nation. I have 5 other siblings and I love to watercolor paint in my spare time.
Notes
Wasatch Box Invitational
USBOXLA hosted the Wasatch Box Invitational in Draper last weekend with teams from all over the West coming to Utah. There were four divisions: High School, 9/10, 7/8, 5/6.
In the high school division, the Timber Kings (True Oregon) beat the Whales, 9-0.
The teams from Gold Rush and ADVANC OK met in each of the lower division championship games. Gold Rush won 7-5 in the 9/10 division, 6-3 in the 7/8 division and 9-5 in the 5/6 division, taking home all three titles.
Resources Tab
In the main navigation bar of the website, I added a tab for Resources. It currently has Camps/Clinics and High School Playoff History docs. Take a look and let me know what I’m missing!
Interview w/ Luke Christiansen
Last week I spoke with Luke Christiansen who is the head coach at William Penn University in Iowa. William Penn is a NAIA school. We talked about playing lacrosse at Cottonwood High School (yes, they had a team), and various coaching stops including Utah State, Southern Virginia and the Spanish National Team. Listen here!
That’s all for now, see you next week!