Congrats to Commits!
Plus, workout ideas for the season and a one on one with Westminster Coach Snow.
It’s the Utah Lacrosse Report! Tryouts for high school teams begin across the state this week. We can’t wait to see the squads shape up.
The Utah Lacrosse Report is thrilled to welcome Tribal West Lacrosse back as a sponsor! If you play lacrosse in the state of Utah you know all about founder Fish Bartlett and his amazing staff of pros. They can help you with everything from restringing sticks to outfitting an entire team in custom uniforms. Remember, buying from local businesses keeps the money in our community. Keep an eye out in future editions of the ULR for expert tips from the Tribal West crew. #TribeLife
We also want to thank our other sponsor, Minerstown PC, for their continued support!
Utah players heading to college teams!
Each year high school players from Utah are scouted to play on some of the best college teams in the nation. Here is a look at some of them, with more to come in the following weeks!
Olympus High School Girls
Sarah Anné, midfield
Penn State Women's Lacrosse, NCAA Division 1
“2024 All-American and 5A Playoff MVP, Sarah has been a powerhouse since she stepped on the field as a varsity starting freshman. At the time, she was competing with 6 other midfielders for one of our 3 set spots. She very quickly became our starting center on the draw. She plays smart and is always moves ahead of everyone else. We are so proud of her and can't wait to see what she accomplishes!” — Coach Zana Spratling
Lizzie Anné, midfield
Penn State Women's Lacrosse NCAA Division 1
“Lizzie's work ethic and determination is unmatched. She was out half of her sophomore season due to a knee injury, but she came back without missing a beat. Solid leader and teammate on and off the field. She is always our most consistent player under pressure, almost always finding the back of the net in high-stakes games. We are incredibly honored to have her on our team for another year and are excited to see what she gets done this season and in college!” — Coach Zana Spratling
Masami Goodick, attack
Westminster Women's Lacrosse NCAA Division 2
“Masami is every freshman's best friend. She is our vocal attackman who gets the plays rolling. Masami brings passion and energy to every game, always looking to raise the bar! It is such a bonus that she chose to stay local at Westminster so we can watch her further her lacrosse journey right here in our backyard!” — Coach Zana Spratling
Corner Canyon High School Girls
Cat Faucette, attack
Pomona NCAA Division 3
“Cat is an amazing ball handler and scorer, easily one of the best pure scorers I have ever coached. She is also a fantastic defender and one of our ground ball leaders. She is a valued leader and extra coach on the field. She is always positive and does what she can to make the team better.” — Coach Matt Kenning
Sophie Jacobs, midfield
Committed to Westminster NCAA Division 2
“Sophie is the Swiss Army Knife of lacrosse, she is a fantastic defender, aggressive in the midfield, can score from just about anywhere and is the fuel for our team's engine. She elevates the play of her teammates whenever she steps on the field. She is another one of our coaches on the field and will do whatever takes to help the team improve and win.” — Coach Matt Kenning
Mountain Ridge High School Boys
Brody Gardner, defense
University of Mount Olive, NCAA Division 1
“Brody's love for the game is evident daily by how he puts in extra effort, studies film, and focuses on the details. He is poised to have a great season.” — Coach Justin Rigby
Ivan Pineda, midfield
Earlham College, NCAA Division 3
“Ivan is geared for an exciting season. His game has been building each year, and he will be one of our senior leaders in the midfield.” — Coach Justin Rigby
The Best Ways to Get in Shape for the Upcoming Lacrosse Season
By Tiger Parkin
Getting in shape for the lacrosse season requires a combination of endurance, strength, agility, finesse, and speed. Since lacrosse is such a high-intensity sport with constant movement, it’s important to train yourself in a way that mimics game conditions. Starting your workouts early will help you build stamina, improve agility, and increase overall power on the field. I spoke to Ben Van Treese of Minerstown PC to get an idea of what a good lacrosse workout looks like.
Cardiovascular fitness is key, as players are always sprinting, cutting, and changing direction. Lacrosse is an unpredictable sport with a lot of back-and-forth so running should be a big part of your training. Try mixing in some wind sprints. Make a 20-yard grid with cones at 5, 10, and 15 yards. Touch the 5 back to start, 10 back to start, 15 back to start, 20 back to start, and do five sets each. Rest for as long as it took to complete a set.
Jumping rope is another great way to boost stamina while also improving foot speed. Speed and agility training will help you react quickly and move efficiently. Ladder drills and cone drills are great for sharpening footwork, while hill sprints and stair climbs can develop explosive power in your legs. Quick but controlled movements are essential in lacrosse, so practicing rapid direction changes will give you an edge on the field.
Strength training is just as important, as physicality plays a major role in the game. Squats and lunges help build leg strength for sprinting and balance, while deadlifts and power cleans develop overall power. Upper body strength is key for shooting, cradling, and checking, so incorporating tricep dips, push-ups, and different resistance training will help make you stronger and as well as more durable and tough throughout the season. A strong core ties everything together as it improves balance, stability, and shot power. Exercises like planks, Russian twists, and medicine ball slams target the muscles used in passing and shooting, giving you better control and force behind your movements. Core training also helps prevent injuries by strengthening the muscles that support your spine and hips.
Finally, no amount of fitness training can replace actual lacrosse skill work. Spending time on the wall practicing passing and catching, working on ground ball drills, and refining your shooting technique will ensure that your stick skills stay sharp. The best players combine physical fitness with technical ability, so make sure you’re dedicating time to both. Lacrosse is a game of finesse and, in order to play at your best, you must be comfortable with your stick. Consistency is the key to success, but you must also give your body time to rest and recover properly so you don’t get injured and taken out of the season. Staying committed to your routine while treating your body properly will put you in the best shape possible for the upcoming season. The work you put in now will pay off when you step onto the field.
One on One with Westminster Coach Jannel Snow
By Kaia Anderson
Looking into college lacrosse, Westminster has been gearing up for the spring, ready to dominate on the field. I had the opportunity to interview Head Coach Jannel Snow to discuss Westminster's upcoming 2025 spring season. Coach Snow is eager for a new year with new goals for the team.
How long have you been coaching?
My first coaching job was after I graduated from Mount Saint Mary's in May 2018. Then that summer I started coaching at Pueblo in Pueblo Colorado, I coached there for about a year and a half but then COVID-19 happened so I was a full-time teacher and coach and so I had to pick one job during the pandemic.
What has been a primary focus in preparing for this season?
This is the largest roster that we've had so far, so a lot of our focus has been, on how do we operate within that larger team and how do we all interact. We’ll continue to push ourselves while also creating a space where we're still celebrating each other. It's hard to figure out what your cultural groove is as a team when you have 10 incoming freshmen so this year, we really tried to work with the larger roster number and change up our practice routines and game-time decision making because we have more players that we can use.
Does Westminster have any specific goals they would like to achieve this spring?
You know we're still growing so this is still a year of confidence for us and figuring out what our playing style is. I think that we've really solidified that on the defensive end, and we have so many new faces on our offensive end. It's a growing year. We have so many young players, but again this year we have so many young players on offense, so we're really looking to build their confidence and to see how those players interact with each other and see kind of what natural skill they bring and then how we can hold that in and amplify it.
What are you most excited about this season?
I am looking forward to the continued growth of the program. Since fall of 2022, we've had the best records as a team moving forward and so this is shaping up to be our most winning season yet. We're really excited for the growth of the players, regardless of wins and losses. Looking at the team historically we're looking to have the most winning season yet which would be super exciting.
Do you have any upcoming players we should keep an eye out for?
Defensively we have #5 Gabby Dedes, offensively we have #16 Olivia Petrosky. Then in the midfield, we have #11 Shaina Shoughro she's looking to continue to break our draw control record. Another strong defender to look out for is #3 Marianna Dick. Then our starting goalie #22 Ella Cheminant, has the highest number of career saves so she's just going to keep racking up that record. Then #3 Mariana, broke the season’s caused turnover record and she's on her way to breaking the career-caused turnover record.
What game are you looking forward to the most this season?
There are two games that come to mind. The first one is against UCCS on April 13. That's going to be our senior day and for the last couple of seasons we've been ranked fourth and UCCS has been ranked third so this year our goal is to be ranked third. Beating those guys would be a really big win for us. Then prior to that, we're going to be playing Colorado Mesa on April 5 and that's another big one. They’re ranked number two in our conference, and so we're kind of at a point where we are pushing the envelope against the hiring team so that we can continue to climb and get a higher ranking.
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