National Team, Play Opportunities and Coaches Poll
National Team, Play Opportunities and Coaches Poll
Girls Utah Lacrosse Report
Happy Monday!! I apologize that this is getting out to you a bit late. But, we’re finally seeing some sun outside! Last week was a ghost town for girls lacrosse. Park City and Mountain Ridge are our staring teams as they are the only varsity teams that played this past week! Read on for more information about the 2023 National team, coaches poll and more!!
As a reminder, the fine folks at Tribal West are offering FREE SHIPPING on your online order using the code imlax23 tribalwest.com.
As always, please visit our title sponsors Tribal West Lacrosse (website) & MinersTown Strength and Condition (website).
Between Spring break and the snow these past few weeks have been slow. I decided to take a bit of are turn (just for this week) on our Coaches Poll. We’ll be highlighting our Coaches in our Coaches Poll and listing out all top 10 teams games this week.
No. 1 Olympus Head Coach Zana Spratling is a Titan alumni. After Coach Spratlings time at Olympus she took her playing career to University of Utah where she met some of her current assistant coaches.
Olympus Schedule: Monday April 10, 7:00pm at No.7 Riverton. Tuesday April 11, 5:30pm at Bingham. Friday April 14, 7:00pm Home against Alta.
No. 2 Park City Head Coach Mikki Clayton, “Mikki grew up in Northern Virginia and played lacrosse from an early age. In high school, she played for Kathy Jenkins at St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School, which is historically one of the top 5 high school teams in the country. She also played club lacrosse with Future Elite for fellow Parkite Laurie Podmilsak. Mikki went on to play Division 1 lacrosse at the University of New Hampshire where the Wildcats were consistently ranked in the top 30. During her sophomore year, UNH was ranked as high as 11th and qualified for and competed in the NCAA national championship tournament. Currently, Mikki is a Realtor in Park City and a lacrosse coach for the Tenacity Project. Mikki has always loved lacrosse and is excited to help propel the sport in Utah and specifically Park City!” - Park City Website
Miners bring us our one and only varsity game this past week, Friday April 6, where they captured a dominating score of 18-0 over the Sentinels. Park City is currently in California.
Park City Schedule: Saturday April 8th at La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, CA). Monday April 10th at Torrey Pines. Tuesday April 11th at San Marcos.
No. 3 Brighton Head Coach Melissa Nash. If you’ve had the pleasure of meeting Coach Nash you know how much she loves her girls, teams and the lacrosse community. Let’s get to know Coach Nash a bit more!!
Coach Nash is a former collegiate athlete from BYU. During her time at BYU the team placed in the top 10 for WCLA D1. “I loved traveling with teammates and playing at a higher level.”
Nash takes us into a flashback, “If you would’ve told High School Freshmen me that lacrosse would still be my biggest passion, and now I make money (instead of spending it all.. unless you ask my husband) by being on a lacrosse field.. I wouldn’t believe you.” Furthermore into Nash’s memories and passions, “Lacrosse has given me some of my best memories, best friends and so many of my ‘next steps’ in life. Without lacrosse, I wouldn’t be a high school teacher. Without lacrosse, I wouldn’t have met so many my best friends.”
Nash’s love shows by her Spring break travels take her across the country to see her former athletes play at the collegiate level at Southern Virginia University and watch more lacrosse. “I just spent my spring break in Virginia and North Carolina - by myself - to watch a UNC vs. Pitt game and an SVU game. I stood there in the pouring rain and loved every second. Days without some sort of lacrosse are weird for me. I’m so used to my days being full of lacrosse. This sport really has made me the person that I am. It taught me discipline, dedication, how to be a leader, take initiative, how to communicate, passion and it has taught me how to recover after loss. ”
Brighton Schedule: Tuesday April 11th, 7:30pm at Alta. Friday April 14th, 5:00pm at No. 4 Lone Peak.
No. 4 Lone Peak Head Coach Weslie Lundell. Coach Lundell is a Knight Alumni for 2009-2012. During her team at Lone Peak she had the amazing opportunity to be coached by Coach Angie Brescia (Current Mountain Ridge Head Coach). Rolling into the history of Coach Lundell, “ I started playing lacrosse at the end of my 8th grade year. Heading into the sport as a high schooler, I really didn’t know what my future would hold! I ended up joining the Mamaci (club program) and it just rooted my love for the game. I finally realized when I was a senior I wanted to play in college and luckily Utah State had a team! I played for USU from 2013-2017 (2014 season off) and talk about playing club lacrosse so much! It was the most incredible experience and all of my best friends today are old teammates. The season I took off I actually was an assistant coach for Lone Peak as well as a league official. Staying involved really sparked the fire to keep lacrosse in my life in any way possible! After graduating from Utah State I moved back to Alpine (my hometown) and reached out to the Lone Peak club president looking for a coaching position but a new coach wasn’t needed at the time. A year later that former coach moved on. I was contacted and lucky for me it was the sanctioning year! We’re now on our technical “4th year” but it feels like it’s been forever and I’m so grateful for it. This is the most incredibly rewarding job!”
Lone Peak Schedule: Tuesday April 11th, 5:00pm Home Game against Pleasant Grove. Thursday April 13th, 5:00pm Home Game against Westlake. Friday April 14th, 5:00pm against No. 3 Brighton.
No. 5 Mountain Ridge Head Coach Angie Brescia. If you know her, you love her! With her amazing energy, positive attitude and knowledge in the game is just a start to her great qualities. Coach Brescia begun her playing career at Orem high School from her days at Orem High to her time now at Mountain Ridge. She has been an athlete, mentor, Assistant Coach, Head Coach, Club Coach, Official and most of all a friend to all.
The Sentinels brought us our only Hight School Varsity entertainment this past week as they fell to No. 1 Park City.
Mountain Ridge Schedule : Monday April 11th, 7:30pm Home Game against No. 8 Herriman. Thursday April 13th, 7:30pm Home Game against No. 7 Riverton.
No. 6 Corner Canyon Head Coach Matt Kenning. Coach Kenning is a former high school football and baseball player. “We have 4 daughters and no sons. When my second Daughter Kylee started playing lacrosse in MS her coach at the time, Chas Bode asked me to help out. I learned a lot that season and the next fall my 3rd Daughter Natalie started playing, she was in the 5th grade. That next spring Natalie’s team needed a coach so I stepped in and never looked back. I have been coaching ever since. I started a club team in 2016 and took over as the head coach for the Westlake, Lehi, Skyridge combined HS team in the fall of 2018. In the summer of 2019 I was then hired by Corner Canyon and have been there ever since.”
Corner Canyon Schedule: Tuesday April 11th, 5:30pm Home Game against Skyridge. Thursday April 13th, 5:00pm at American Fork.
No. 7 Riverton Head Coach Joey Dorton. “I played at Timpview high school and then at the University of Utah. I started coaching with a club team my friend started before my first high school job at skyline as the head JV coach. When the sport got sanctioned I had the opportunity to apply to a few high schools as head coach and ultimately chose Riverton because the administration, the players, and the parents were so welcoming and excited to have me. I have loved being here and hope to stay for a while!”
Riverton Schedule: Monday April 10th, 7:00pm at No. 1 Olympus. Tuesday April 11th, 5:30 Home Game against Jordan. Thursday Aprils 13th, 7:00 at No. 5 Mountain Ridge. Saturday April 15th, 1:30pm Home Game against Spanish Fork.
No. 8 Herriman Head Coach Audree Erekson. Coach Erekson is an alumni Mustangs class of 2017. Coach Erekson excelled her playing abilities at Westminster college were she spent her time playing midfield. Erekson - Westminster
Herriman Schedule: Tuesday April 11th, 7:30pm at No. 5 Mountain Ridge. Thursday April 13th, 5:30pm Home Game Against Cedar Valley.
No. 9 Skyridge Head Coach Colin Gill. Coach Gill is a from Colorado where her played and learned to love the sport of lacrosse. He made his way to Utah and begun to coach Girls lacrosse. Learn all about Coach Gill form his Podcast with Utah Lacrosse Report in 2022.
Skyridge Schedule: Tuesday April 11th, 5:30 at No. 6 Corner Canyon. Thursday April 13th, 5:00pm at Pleasant Grove.
No. 10 Bear River Head Coach Jeremy Webb (Senior). Coach Webb has been leading the Bears for 3 years. Within those 3 year he has lead the Bears to 2022 4A State Championships. Coach Webb has his whole family involved in lacrosse. Jeremy Webb Jr. is the JV head coach for the bears, his wife is the IMLAX Bears youth coach along with his Daughter playing in the IMLAX program and his elder Daughter at Southern Virginia University.
Bear River Schedule: Monday April 10th, 5:30pm at Bonneville. Wednesday April 12th, 5:30pm at Green Canyon. Friday April 14th, 5:30pm Home Game against Mountain Crest.
Utah Girls Lacrosse National Team
Utah Lacrosse National Team insight from Malissa Nash. “The Utah National Team has been happening since at least 2007, when I played on the team!
Still, after all these lacrosse-filled years, this team and this tournament holds some of my favorite memories.
It is very cool to represent Utah and very cool to play against other top players across the country at such a giant tournament. The cherry on top is watching the NCAA D1 semi-finals and championship game. The speed and finesse of those top level D1 teams is inspiring.
I hope a lot of players will come tryout on April 22 so we can represent Utah with the best team possible!”
• Every year, Utah sends a team of the best Utah players to the US Lacrosse Notional Tournament. This year, the team will travel to Raleigh, North Carolina on May 26-29 to play other teams from around the country. It is known as the nation’s marquee event for college recruiting. Not only do they get to play top level lacrosse with the best players from the state, they also get to watch the NCAA Division 1 semi-finals and the championship game!
• It is a whole different experience for these players to play with the best girls in the state – then against the best players in the country. And, watching the NCAA D1 games is insane. The energy of the weekend is unmatched!
This team is a huge honor for our players – to represent Utah is something to be proud of! This is also a great thing to put on a lacrosse resume. Please encourage your players to tryout!
The team usually consists of around 20 players, including 2 goalies. Players must be able to attend ALL of tryouts – the whole 3 hours, no exceptions. This is for any player who is in 9th-11th grade (seniors are not invited – it is a recruiting tournament).
• Tryouts will be on Saturday April 22 from 8:00am-11:00am at Brighton High’s turf field (we’ve also requested Brighton’s indoor turf field in case of snowy weather).
• Practices: The team is only allowed to have two practices as a team after tryouts. These practice dates will be determined soon.
• Tournament: The team will leave on May 26 and return on May 29.
• Tryout fee: $40
• All players must have a current USA Lacrosse membership (through tryouts through the trip)
• All players must register with both IMLAX AND USA LAX ahead of time (by April 20).
• Again, all players must be able to attend the entire 3 hour tryout.
LINKS FOR TRYOUT REGISTRATION: If your players want to try out, they should complete the following registration links. They need to complete BOTH. These should be done by April 20.
Complete IMLAX registration Website
Complete USAL registration Website
Playing Opportunities
With all the crazy weather Utah has. Here is some extra things you can do to stay active in lacrosse. Whittle Lacrosse , Force Lacrosse, Elevate Utah and Wasatch LC
