High School Region 7 and Region 8 Previews, Youthful Utah Club Team Begins This Week
Plus, College Recaps and Previews & Live Lacrosse This Week!
Attention lax fans: there will be live lacrosse in the state of Utah this week! In this newsletter, we talked with Kyler Banks, the head coach for the Utah club team. We recapped the Utah v. Delaware game from last Friday and give a preview of the college games happening this week. In the high school ranks, we also previewed Region 8 and Region 7.
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College
Utah Club Team Ready to Embrace Youth
Between graduating 17 seniors in 2025 and natural roster turnover, the Utah Club team is going to look a bit different to those who’ve been watching. Just 18 players from last season return but the future looks bright.
“We are looking forward to seeing a brand new group of guys suit up in red and black and carry the torch passed from the recently graduated class” said Utes Head Coach Kyler Banks. “With a freshman class of 21, we have a very young team that is hungry and eager to prove what they can do. I think the newfound energy and spunk will lead to some gritty, physical, energetic fun lacrosse that will be a great time for players, fans, and everyone in between.”
The captains of the squad are Joey Chabola (Sr.), Owen Edwards (Sr.), Adam Oman (Sr.) and Micah Van Pelt (So.).
“Throughout the fall, we narrowed down to a group of eight guys and communicated our expectations around what a captain should look like,” said Banks. “When the spring rolls around, we have a players’ vote, combined with observations from the coaches, to select the four guys who best exemplify the qualities of a great leader and captain, while having the utmost respect of their peers.”
In addition to the captains, a pair of transfers in Cole Pollard (Cleveland State) and Philip Gisler (Colorado College) will help bring experience to the team. Joey Chabola and Owen Edwards are the last holdovers from the 2022 MCLA D-II National Championship team. Anton Goodick, who played goalie last year is being moved to SSDM so that leaves the cage open for Freshmen Broden Griner and Jasper Ford to battle it out.
At the faceoff X, Luke Eitner (Jr.) will take the lead with two underclassmen to support. Adam Oman will lead the close defensive unit and oversee a talented group of young players. Eric Greene and Micah Van Pelt will be ones to watch on the defensive end.
All home games will be at Crimson Field and streamed at uteslacrosseclub.com.
2026 Utah Club Schedule
2/7 - Boise State @ Utah - Noon
2/8 - Nevada @ Utah - 11:00 AM
2/13 - Utah @ Utah Tech - Noon
2/14 - Utah v. Oregon State - 2:30 PM (@ UCLA)
2/15 - Utah v. Simon Fraser - 10:30 AM (@ UCLA)
3/1 - Oregon @ Utah - Noon
3/27 - South Carolina @ Utah - 7:00 PM
3/29 - Utah State @ Utah - 7:00 PM
4/4 - Utah v. Colorado State - 1:00 PM (@ Utah Tech)
4/5 - Utah v. Colorado - 11:00 AM (@ Utah Tech)
4/15 - Utah @ BYU - 8:00 PM
4/18 - Utah @ Utah Valley - 5:00 PM
Recaps
The lone college game last week was on Friday when Utah took on Delaware. The game was moved indoors and a day prior but that didn’t stop the Utes from looking alive.
Utah started off slow, going down 3-0 early, but then steadily came back to tie the game with goals by Cade Faulkner, Nikko DiPonio and Jake Likes with 5:47 left in the first quarter. The Blue Hens got a goal back before the quarter break but then Faulkner answered early for the Utes in the second quarter to tie the game again. Delaware scored one more with 5:54 left in the half but then Utes then went on a four goal run with goals by Ryan Stines, Luke McNamara, Faulkner and Stines again, giving the Utes a 8-5 lead at halftime. The second half was dominated by the Utes, leading to a 16-9 win.
Stines finished with 4 goals and 3 assists, McNamara had 5 goals and 1 assist while Faulkner finished with 4 goals and one of the best assists of the day seen at the 9:58 mark in this highlight reel from Inside Lacrosse.
Coming Up
I built a page for all Utah college teams schedules in one place. Check it out here. There’s a filter so you can narrow down to games this week, men’s/women’s games, leagues and teams. It’s still in beta, and won’t always be perfect, but let me know if you see any issues or have any feedback.
This week, almost every college team in Utah will take to the field. There will be five home games this weekend so no excuses for not getting out and watching live lacrosse!
Mens
Thursday, Feb 5
2:00pm - Westminster @ Dominican
Friday, Feb 6
3:00pm - Utah @ Duke - ACC Network
7:45pm - Boise State @ Utah State
Saturday, Feb 7
Noon - Boise State @ Utah Club
1:00pm - Westminster @ Concordia-Irvine
3:00pm - Utah Tech @ Utah Valley7:00pm - Nevada @ BYU Cancelled
Sunday, Feb 811:00am - Nevada @ Utah Club Cancelled
Womens
BYU, UVU, Utah State and SUU are heading to the Santa Barbara Shootout!
Friday, Feb 6
1:00pm - BYU v. Boise State
1:00pm - Utah State v. Texas
1:00pm - Utah Valley v. Oregon
3:00pm - Concordia v. Southern Utah
5:00pm - Denver v. Utah Valley
5:00pm - Oregon v. BYU
5:00pm - Minnesota v. Utah State
Saturday, Feb 7
9:00am - Nevada v. Southern Utah
9:00am - Utah State v. Denver
11:00am - UC Santa Barbara v. BYU
11:00am - Arizona State v. Utah Valley
3:00pm - Utah Valley v. UC Santa Barbara
5:00pm - Utah State v. Portland
Sunday, Feb 8
9:00am - Portland v. Southern Utah
11:00am - San Jose State v. Southern Utah
Elevate Lacrosse is Utah’s leading development AND elite girl’s lacrosse program since 2012. Learn more at utahelevate.com.
High School
This week we preview Region 8 and Region 7. The rest of the regions will be published in the coming weeks! You can read other regions previews here: Region 11, Region 10, Region 9.
Boys Region 8 Preview
Mountain View Bruins
2025: 6-12 (3-5), lost in 4A Second Round to West Field, 21-0.
The Bruins are ready to make waves this year with Kemper Best (Sr.), Dallen Price (Sr.) and Alex Bouche (Sr.) leading the way. Senior Ocean Wellman will be in goal with Price taking faceoffs. Senior Tyler Kohl will be busy on the defensive end, looking to scoop up ground balls and cause turnovers.
“I’m excited to build on the momentum we built last year,” said 4th year head coach Scotty Taysom. The Bruins are coming off its best year yet since sanctioning.
Orem Tigers
2025: 5-11 (3-5), lost in 4A First Round to Ridgeline, 10-1.
Daniel Kotter (Sr., captain) will lead the offense for the Tigers. Kotter finished last year with 9 goals and 24 assists. Silas Matthews (Jr.) and a crew of young players will look to step up for Orem. Nate Rawlings (Sr., captain, Utah Tech commit) is a force to be reckoned with on defense. Josh Lefave (Sr.) will step in goal for the Tigers.
“We have a lot of new, young players and I’m excited to see their progression throughout the season,” said second-year Head Coach Bailey Beck.
Provo Bulldogs
2025: 1-18 (0-8), lost in 4A First Round to Juan Diego, 15-1.
The momentum in Provo is building as the program continues to build. Head Coach Kevin Ray is excited for what’s in store.
“We have a lot of young guys that have come out this year, more than usual, so I am excited to see who will surprise me this year,” said Ray. “This is our first season in a long time with a JV team.
One of the team leaders this season will be Zach Wakefield (Sr.) who had 36 points for the Bulldogs last year. Drake Stone (Sr.) will be back in goal and look to build on his 63% save percentage from last year. Phin Scott (Jr.) led the team in ground balls last season and is poised to do the same in 2026.
Timpanogos Timberwolves
2025: 10-8 (6-2), lost in 4A Second Round to Snow Canyon, 13-4.
The Timberwolves enter the 2026 season as the favorite to take the Region 8 crown.
“The boys have been working harder this off season than any other year I’ve been a part of at Timpanogos (both as a coach and player),” said Head Coach Max Roberts. “I cannot wait to see them reap the rewards of their hard work and dedication. They’ve truly lived by the mantra of “earned not given,” and they are hungry for success. This attitude has become the foundation of the culture we are building.”
Donovan Holloway (Sr.) and Noah Torgersen (Sr.) are back to lead the offense. Tash Litster (Sr., UVU commit) will anchor the defense alongside goalie Cyrus Guereca (Sr.) who enters the season coming off a 52% save percentage in 2025. Spencer Chiang (Jr.) will be taking faceoffs.
The Timberwolves will carry on the legacy of a fallen teammate, Micah LeFave, who passed away this fall. LeFave graduated in 2024 and was a three-year Varsity player for Timpanogos.
“He epitomized hard work and dedication,” said Roberts. “We will be honoring his legacy at the end of the season by awarding the Micah LeFave Award to the hardest working player on our team this season.”
Boys Region 8 Preseason Poll
1) Timpanogos (4)
2) Orem
T-3 Mountain View
T-3 Provo
Girls Region 8 Preview
Mountain View Bruins
2025: 0-15 (0-10)
Mountain View can only go up from their season last year! Senior Logan Maggio will be taking the net this season as goalie, while junior Megan Jackson, and senior Lucia Michletti will be leading the scoring drives. We can’t wait to see what happens next!
Orem Tigers
2025: 8-10 (4-6), lost in 4A Second Round to Waterford, 18-5.
Coach Jessica Christiansen is excited to watch her team improve this year after a split season last year.
Senior, and top scorer, Ryann Hatch is back for one more year with the team. She will be joined by assist leader, and fellow senior Camri Frahm and second leading scorer senior Sophie McArthur. Should be a powerhouse trio to lead the team this year.
Provo Bulldogs
2025: 16-4 (10-0), Region 8 Champs, lost in 4A Semifinals to Bear River, 13-3.
Provo is looking to settle some unfinished business after last year’s loss to Bear River according to coach Megan Jensen. The team is also looking forward to playing some teams they haven’t faced before in no-region play.
Seniors Anna Jassui and Emma Martin will be looking to impress coaches this year as they settle on college commitments. Jassui was the top scorer for the team last year with an amazing 84 goals, and Martin was in the top three for forced turnovers and led the team in ground balls.
Look for them to be joined by junior Ashlyn Moser, and senior defender Courtney Macfarlane on the field.
Timpanogos Timberwolves
2025: 12-6 (6-4), lost in 4A Second Round to Sky View, 9-8.
The Timberwolves have been working hard and coach Meghan Hallam says this is the year that work is going to pay off! They are looking for a championship.
Senior Jada Intharath had an unheard of .711 shot percentage last year, and we can’t wait to see that repeated (or bettered) this season. Junior goalie Addiy Sellers will be back to defend her record of 76 saves as well, and sophomore Jaida Davis will be looking to pick up more ground balls and hold the line.
Uintah Utes
2025: 3-16 (2-8), lost in 4A First Round to Snow Canyon, 13-6.
This is only the third sanctioned year for the team from Vernal, and they are looking to make a name for themselves in the region.
Senior Rilynn Shupe is looking to improve on her score record from last year, while teammate senior Chloe Dutson and junior Kaila Reynolds will both be playing defense and looking for forced turnovers and ground balls.
Girls Region 8 Preseason Poll
1) Provo (5)
2) Timpanogos
3) Orem
4) Uintah
5) Mountain View
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Boys Region 7 Preview
Maple Mountain Golden Eagles
2025: 13-7 (5-1), lost in 5A Quarterfinals to Olympus, 13-7.
The Golden Eagles return three varsity players from last year and are looking to fill the gaps left by two 100 point scorers last season. Senior Tate Anderson will lead the attack, Jensen Grimshaw (Sr.) will lead the midfield and Hundson Anderson (Sr.) will anchor the defense.
Payson Lions
2025: 15-5 (8-0), lost in 4A Quarterfinals to Judge, 19-6.
Payson is moving to 5A and is ready to embrace the challenge. The Lions have continued to improve in the win column each season since beginning in 2021.
“After two successful seasons in 4A, which included two Region 8 Championships, we are excited to move up to 5A,” said Payson Head Coach Daniel Sisneros, who is in his sixth year at the helm. “We will field a team with a mix of experienced players and young talent. Eleven varsity players return, including six starters. Five of those six starters received All-Region recognition last season. We are looking forward to continuing to challenge ourselves as a program and compete for a Region Championship with what we believe to be our most competitive schedule since our program started.”
Senior Austin Ewell had 73 points for the Lions last year and will look to add to that tally this season. Joining Ewell at attack will be Scott Rasmussen (Sr.) who had 65 points in 2025. Jac Christensen (Sr.) will be the leader of the defense alongside Talan Hardy (Jr.). Hardy finished last season with a 57.4% save percentage.
Pleasant Grove Vikings
2025: 4-16 (0-5), lost in 6A Second Round to Corner Canyon, 20-1.
The Vikings are entering a new classification after being at the 6A rank since sanctioning.
Sophomore Quinn Lawrence has 21 points as a Freshman and is ready to lead the attack. In goal, Spencer Taggart (Jr.) will look to keep the Vikings in games and Grant Hepworth (Sr.) will be the go-to-guy between the lines.
“I’m excited to mix our returning players with some very talented newcomers,” said Erik Bayles, who is in his fourth year at the helm of the Vikings.
Salem Hills Skyhawks
2025: 4-12 (1-5), lost in 5A First Round to Wasatch, 11-5.
It’s a family affair at Salem Hills who boast six sets of brothers between coaches and players.
“It’s a different team and there are new challenges,” said Skyhawks Head Coach Bryce Kimber. “We have a tough schedule this year but are returning a lot of experience from last year.”
Three of the top five scorers are back from last year including Tyler Darrington (Sr.), Barrett Magoffin (Sr.) and Logan Hixson (Sr.).
Spanish Fork Dons
2025: 11-9 (3-3), lost in 5A Second Round to Alta, 19-5.
The Dons return one of the best attackmen in the region in Senior Austin Olsen. Olsen had 66 goals last season and 19 assists for Spanish Fork. Junior Raleigh Bigelow will play a big role at defense and LSM while Caleb Grant (Jr.) looks to shine at the faceoff X. Grant finished 2025 with a 52.8% win rate at the dot.
“I’m looking forward to seeing those players who truly put in the work reap the results,” said Dons Head Coach Ellison Cabreros. “We lost a good portion of production (both sides of the ball) with ‘25 graduating class and so we have a hungry group who are looking to step-up/step-in to those roles”
Springville Red Devils
2025: 6-11 (0-6), lost in 5A First Round to Box Elder, 16-2.
The Red Devils offense should be in good shape this year with Andrew Robinson (Sr.) returning who led the team in points in 2025 with 77. He’s joined by Lance Stewart (Sr.) who had 56 points and Junior Creed Condie (31 points). The defense will be anchored by Logan Scott (Sr.) who had 194 saves last year for Springville.
“The majority of our offense is returning,” said Red Devils Head Coach Jared Ottley. “They have grown a ton and have improved every year which has pushed the growth of our program. Our defense has gone back to defensive fundamentals which will help build them into a strong cohesive unit.”
Timpview Thunderbirds
2025: 12-7 (5-1), lost in 5A Second Round to Highland, 10-9.
The T-birds core is ready to prove Utah County belongs to them with Owen Esplin (So.) and Jackson Hyde (Sr.) leading the way on offense. Hyde also starts transition from the faceoff X where he went 57.5% last season. In goal, the Sophomore Sensation Holden King will look to add to his career total of 199 saves. Kaleb Burt (Sr.) is the sneaky LSM who will control possessions between the boxes.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how our young core continues to grow and develop,” said Timpview Head Coach Taylor Redd, who is in his eighth season as head coach. “We didn’t have a lot of seniors but the ones we had left enormous shoes to fill.”
Wasatch Wasps
2025: 9-10 (3-3), lost in 5A Second Round to Park City, 12-2.
The Wasps are ready to make a run after graduating just one starter last year. Isaac Roylane (Jr.) led the team last year in points and will look to do it again this year. Jonah Ware (Sr.) led the team in ground balls and won nearly 64% of faceoffs taken last season. Brody Marble (Sr.) will lead the defense with Colby Harfert (Sr.) at LSM.
“After having a really young varsity team last year who played a lot of good teams, we gained a lot of valuable experience,” said Wasps Head Coach Kevin Wallace. “With another year of development and some additional upcoming talent I think we’re poised to have a strong season.”
Boys Region 7 Preseason Poll
1) Wasatch (6)
T-2) Timpview
T-2) Payson
4) Maple Mountain (2)
5) Spanish Fork
6) Pleasant Grove
7) Salem Hills
8) Springville
Girls Region 7 Preview
Maple Mountain Golden Eagles
2025: 7-13 (2-4), lost in 5A Second Round to Salem Hills, 12-5.
The Golden Eagles have a new coach this year in Brooklyn Perry, and are looking to improve their record this year. Perry says her team has a lot of potential and that she’s excited to see where the upcoming season takes them.
Keep your eyes on junior defense player Danika Jensen, she had a great 2025 season and is looking to up her performance this year. Senior Shaylee Brown was among the top scorers last year for the team and will be playing midfield again this season. And Madisyn Squires will be back at attack as a senior.
Payson Lions
2025: 12-8 (8-2), lost in 4A Semifinals to Waterford, 11-6.
The Payon Lions are in a new region this year, but ready to face the challenge with a line up that now knows each other’s every move. “This is the 3rd year that our core group has been playing together,” said coach Nick Miller. “ We are really excited to see how we compete.”
Senior Miley Miller, who is committed to play at Edgewood University next fall will be leading the team. Last year she had a total of 56 goals, which means she will likely hit the century mark before graduation. Fellow senior Lauryn Tingen will be back on the field playing midfield and defense, and junior Morgan Beveridge will be back on the attack, and looking to add to her impressive 20 point total from last year.
Pleasant Grove Vikings
2025: 9-9 (4-6), lost in 6A Second Round to Bingham, 14-12.
The Vikings are led this season by two seasoned players, seniors Taylor Sulz and London Smith. Both were in the top scorers for the team last year and will be bringing the heat in 2026. The team lost their goalie at graduation, so we will see who will be in the box come game time.
They start their season on March 5th against last year’s 5A Champion Park City.
Salem Hills Skyhawks
2025: 19-2 (6-0), Region 7 Champs, lost in 5A Semifinals to Olympus, 16-7.
Salem Hills is looking to go further than they did last year, aiming to play in the 2026 championship. Coach Cliff Yerkes says they can make it there if the girls reach their goals and connect as a unit. He also says he is looking forward to seeing their “personal and individual growth,” and hopes that every player has a “memorable experience.”
Junior Rachel Turner will be back playing attack this season, she had an impressive 47 points last year. Senior goalie Ella Chamberlain will be looking to improve her .462% save rate, and senior defense player Ashelyn Larsen will be working to keep the ball from even making it that far down field.
Spanish Fork Dons
2025: 3-12 (1-5), lost in 5A First Round to Maple Mountain, 15-10.
The Dons are rebuilding this year after a couple of rough seasons. Coach Em Hopkins says they are focusing on growth and building the culture of their program this year. They have several players looking at commitment opportunities, but nothing to report just yet.
Junior goalie Alex Palmer will be guarding the net again this year, while junior Ashlyn Peterson and senior Adia Gardner will be leading the charge down the field as midfielders. All three are expected to have great seasons.
Springville Red Devils
2025: 7-9 (3-3), lost in 5A First Round to Bonneville, 12-11.
Kaitlin Pickett is back for her second year coaching the Springville squad and is looking forward to an amazing season. “We have a solid group of returning players and coaches,” she said. “We’re excited to build around our upperclassman with help from a lot of new and younger players.”
Seniors Allyson Osborn and Bridie Harkness will be leading the squad, along with junior Camryn Pickett.
Timpview Thunderbirds
2025: 2-13 (0-6), lost in 5A First Round to Cedar Valley, 10-9.
TImpview has junior Kennsignton Hyde back this year. She had 13 points last year to lead the team and also led the team in assists. The team also retains their goalie in junior Amiah Bradley. The pair have their work cut out for them this year, having lost several of their teammates at graduation, but we think they can make it work.
Wasatch Wasps
2025: 11-7 (5-1), lost in 5A Second Round to West Jordan, 16-15.
This is a transition year for the Wasps according to coach Casey Lewis. “I’m most excited about seeing the chemistry of our young team come together,” he said. “ We have very few returning starters so watching the girls grow into bigger roles and face a higher level of pressure is going to be fun to see.”
Junior Maggie Edmisten is looking to commit, but hasn’t picked a school as of yet. She had a great year in 2025 with a total of 26 points. She will be on the field with seniors Lana Shallenberger and Taylor Lewis and junior Hayden Hatch.
Girls Region 7 Preseason Poll
1) Salem Hills (6)
2) Pleasant Grove (2)
3) Wasatch
4) Springville
5) Payson
6) Maple Mountain
7) Timpview
8)Spanish Fork
Notes
Interview w/ Austin Braerman
Last week I spoke with Austin Braerman on the Utah Lacrosse Report podcast. Braerman is the Founder and GM of the Salt Lake Storm. We also talked about the Salt Lake Blizzard (HS Girls Team) and the relationship the Storm has with the NLL. We also talked about the Utah Box Lacrosse Series which ended last week! Listen to the podcast in a browser, on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
That’s all for now, see you next week!