Orem Takes on Copper Hills, and Waterford Faces off with American Fork

Players of the week, and a new coaches poll

It’s the Utah Lacrosse Report! Players are hitting the field, rivalries are heating up, and the season is off to a great start. A quick thank you to Minerstown PC for their continued support! Also, don’t forget to check out our Instagram for daily updates. DM us with your game highlights as well so we can feature you on our feed!

Now, let’s get to it.

Games of the Week

Hill and Hill Photography captured the action of two tough contests this week. You can see the full photo catalogs, and learn more about their services at the links below.

Boys: Orem vs. Copper Hills

The Orem Tigers faced the Copper Hills Grizzlies in a non-region match on a typical March day—cloudy, sunny, and cloudy again.

Sophomore Zayne Larsen (#13) kicked off the scoring for the Grizzlies with two quick goals. Teammate Trevor Hyte (#7) added another, while Orem’s Daniel Kotter (#44) responded to stop the bleeding.

Copper Hills’ offense fired on all cylinders in the first half, with six different players scoring, including junior Peyton Cloward (#2), who netted four goals en route to five goals and one assist on the night.

Orem fought back, with senior Jake Archibald (#17) scoring three goals and Kotter adding one in each half. Goalie Nate Rasmussen (#14) made 11 saves despite heavy pressure from the Grizzlies.

Copper Hills added five more goals in the second half, while their defense, led by goalie Brian Cook (#37) and defenders Tate Anderson (#23), Crew Salway (#28), and Nate Von Guten (#45), kept Orem at bay.

Copper Hills wins 16-5.

Girls: Waterford vs. American Fork

The American Fork Cavemen traveled to Sandy, Utah, to face the Waterford Ravens. Despite the cold, windy March weather and a delayed start due to a prior overtime boys' game, both teams were ready to play.

American Fork’s Haylie Roylance (#28) scored first, but Waterford quickly responded. Mia Chao (#27) tied the game, and Kenzey Sevy (#10) gave the Ravens the lead. Bella Mascherino (#17) tied it up again for American Fork, but that was the last tie.

Waterford’s offense then exploded, with Chao, Sevy, Anne Howard (#20), Melanie McKean (#20), and Addie Knoll (#4) putting up eight points in the first quarter alone.

American Fork’s defense, led by goalie Mazie Moeller (#34), regrouped, with Moeller making four consecutive saves. Waterford’s Ruby Entwistle (#7) added another late goal, but the Ravens’ attack continued strong into the second half, with Chao finishing with six goals and Sevy adding four.

West Jordan takes it, 11-5.

Players of the Week

Special thanks to Tribal West Lacrosse for sponsoring our Players of the Week! Check out their Instagram for the latest gear news and deals.

Keep us posted on performances! If you see a player have an amazing game reach out to us at UtahLaxReport@gmail.com and let us know!

Boys

Reed Neilsen, Lehi High School, attack/midfield

Reed made an amazing showing in the game against Mountain View. This junior stepped in the team’s home opener and scored 4 goals with 2 assists. He also had several key ground balls.

Others to Watch

• Ethan Lee, Weber High School, attack: Seven goals and one assist against West Jordan, and five goals and one assist against Weber.

• Luke Richardson, Snow Canyon High School, midfield: Five goals in a game against JSerra Catholic in California. Also collected 10 ground balls and had a 67% win rate for faceoffs during the contest.

• Zach Wakefield, Provo High School, attack: Scored 4 goals and hit the game-winning shot in double overtime against Hillcrest.

• Scott Rasmussen, Payson High School, attack: Five goals and one assist in a win against Westlake.

• Jordan Tovey, Clearfield High School, midfield: Seven goals, 13 ground balls, and 1 caused turnover in games against Hillcrest and Jordan.

Girls

Cat Faucett, Corner Canyon High School, attack/midfield

In a three-game week, Cat scored a total of 19 goals, eight assists, four ground balls, and caused four turnovers.

Others to Watch

• Shelby Wilkinson, Bear River High School, attack: An impressive 17 goals in a series of games against Box Elder, Hillcrest, and Bonneville.

• Brooke Warren, Salem Hills High School, attack/midfield: A total of 10 goals, secured 12 ground balls and had one assist. She also scored the game-winning goal late in the 4th quarter to break an 8-8 tie with Lone Peak High School.

• Caroline Lee, Brighton High School, Attack: Four goals in a tough battle against Mountain Ridge.

• Emery Stohlton, Cedar Valley High School, midfield/attack: Emery has started the year out strong with a shot-on-goal percentage of 83% in the team’s recent battle against Payson.

Coaches Poll

Coaches, we need your votes! We had a disappointing turnout this week with only 30 coaches voting in the boys’ poll and 24 in the girls. You are the feet on the ground and have insights we do not. Help us improve this poll with your input and participation.

The top five remained relatively static this week. Park City and Judge are fighting it out, especially after Friday’s match that ended with Park City on top. Brighton fell to Corner Canyon on Friday, but coaches still felt they deserved the top spot.

Skyridge is making its debut in the poll, having recently returned from a California tour before returning home to defeat Salem Hills. Also new to the poll is West Field, a new team for a new school already making waves.

Two new teams in the top ten this week: Skyline and West Jordan. Both have had impressive starts to the season. Park City retains the top spot this week, but we will see what happens in the coming weeks with a full slate, and a rescheduled game against #3 Farmington.