The State of Utah College Lacrosse
Checking in on every Utah college team as conference play approaches
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, it’s not Christmas, though I can remember a time when March felt Christmas in Utah. It’s spring. Lacrosse season is in full swing, the cherry blossoms are out, it’s sunny outside, and the Utah sunsets remain undefeated, even if your favorite college team may not be. So yes, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. It’s early enough in the season to still have hope, no matter who you are, but late enough in the season that some trends are starting to develop. We’ll be breaking down how each team is doing so far, the key contributors, and the outlook for the remainder of the season for men’s and women’s NCAA, as well as MCLA and WCLA.
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NCAA
Utah Utes
The Utes enter Atlantic Sun Conference play at 5-3, and are off to the hottest start in program history. Since joining the ASUN in 2022, Utah has been dominant, recording 32 wins and just 4 losses against conference opponents, leading to four consecutive ASUN regular-season titles and two ASUN Championships under Drew McMinn. Ryan Stines and Nikko DiPonio are early contenders for All-American honors, each likely to rewrite many Utah records by season’s end. Utah is the clear favorite to win the conference again, which has every other team in the ASUN eager to pull the Utes down from the top of the mountain.
The biggest threats to Utah’s crown are Air Force and Jacksonville. Air Force (1-4) has had a slow start to their season, but the Falcons are the only team in the conference with a winning record against the Utes, with three straight wins, each by one goal, and only two losses. The Falcons have two seniors of their own chasing records as Caelan Driggs aims for the most goals in school history, and Cole Cunningham chases the mark for ground balls. Air Force heads to Salt Lake City on April 25th for the final game of the season, which will be the Ute Proud Game and also the Senior Celebration.
Jacksonville’s record (4-4) might not seem impressive at first glance, but a closer look tells a different story. They have one-goal losses to North Carolina and Rutgers, with the latter going into overtime against the Scarlet Knights. The Dolphins also proved more competitive against Duke than Utah, trailing by just 3 going into the fourth quarter before Duke pulled away. Jacksonville is led by its dominant attack line of Nicky Brown, Daylin John-Hill, and Jack Taylor, who leads the Dolphins in goals and assists. A key for the game will be Utah’s ability to clear against Jacksonville’s ride. Against High Point, the Dolphins’ attack caused five turnovers. Utah will visit Jacksonville on April 11th, with the game streamed on ESPN+.
Utah’s conference games begin this Saturday at Noon at Ute Field against Bellarmine. The Utes travel to Macon, Georgia, to take on Mercer on April 4th, with the game streamed on ESPN+. After traveling to Jacksonville on April 11th, Utah is back home on April 18th to take on Queens at Ute Field. Utah closes out the regular season against Air Force before heading back to Jacksonville for the ASUN Conference Championship Tournament April 30th-May 3rd.
Westminster Griffins (Men’s)
Westminster’s men’s team moved to 3-0 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play with their 24-8 win at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. The Griffins dominated from start to finish as Luke Sillstrop had 6 goals and 1 assist on only 9 shots. Westminster opened the season with a California road trip to play conference foes Dominican University and Concordia University Irvine. The Griffins shredded Dominican 22-6 before moving on to play CUI, who beat Westminster three times last year, including in the RMAC tournament, ending the Griffins’ season. However, this year, Westminster exacted some revenge on CUI, beating them 22-10 in Irvine.
Westminster is led on offense by Sillstrop with 20 goals and 7 assists on the season, including 8 goals and 2 assists during the road trip to California to start the season. Sillstrop’s performance earned him the RMAC offensive player of the week for the first time this season. Westminster swept the player of the week awards that week, as Defender Ben Weber also took home the RMAC defensive player of the week honors with 3 caused turnovers and 2 assists. Ben has caused 6 total turnovers on the season, to go along with 10 ground balls and 3 assists as a long-pole. Goalie Christian Jones has been everywhere for the Griffins. Jones is second on the team in caused turnovers, third on the team in ground balls, and tallied an assist. When he’s not doing everything else, Jones still has 76 saves on the year with a 61% save percentage.
Westminster plays every RMAC team twice, once on the road and once at home. Early in the season, it seems to be a two-team race at the top of the conference between Westminster and No. 15 Colorado Mesa. Last year, the teams split the season series, with each team winning on the road. Westminster will look to protect Dumke Field this season as they host Colorado Mesa on Thursday at 7 pm. Adams State comes to Salt Lake City on March 28th, followed by CUI on April 2nd, and Dominican on April 4th. The Griffins will head to Grand Junction to play Colorado Mesa and win the season series. Westminster will stay in Colorado to take on Adams State on April 11th, then finish the regular season at Dumke Field against Northwest Nazarene on April 18th. Following that game, Westminster will prepare for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament, which begins on April 24th.
Westminster Griffins (Women’s)
Westminster’s women’s team is also off to a strong 3-0 start in conference play as the Griffins held off Colorado Mesa 16-13 on Saturday. Jordan Williamson scored the go-ahead goal on a free-position shot in the fourth quarter, scoring 5 goals on the day as well as 2 assists. Westminster began Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference games on March 13th at home against the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, winning 12-11. The Griffins had a quick turnaround, playing Regis University two days later and once again winning 12-11. Westminster has been on a revenge tour this season as Regis and UCCS beat the Griffins twice last year, and Colorado Mesa beat Westminster three times, including at the RMAC tournament, which ended the Griffins’ season. Westminster looks stronger this year and is poised to make a run for the top of the conference.
The Griffins are led by two-time national defensive player of the week Marianna Dick. Marianna leads NCAA Division II in caused turnovers per game with 4.57, with 32 caused turnovers through 7 games. Against UCCS, Marianna caused 7 turnovers and surpassed 100 caused turnovers and 100 ground balls for her career, and she’s only a junior. The offense is balanced at attack with multiple players capable of scoring in volume. Olivia Petrosky scored 5 goals with 1 assist against UCCS; Ava Deakins scored 4 goals with 1 assist against Regis; Holly Shoughro scored 4 goals with 1 assist against William Jewell; and, as previously mentioned, Williamson scored 5 goals with 2 assists against Colorado Mesa. Westminster is loaded on offense and anchored on defense by Marianna Dick, and the Griffins look ready to stand at the top of the conference for the first time in a while.
Westminster has a long road trip ahead of them as they travel to Colorado to take on Fort Lewis on Friday, followed by CSU-Pueblo on Sunday. The Griffins head to Grand Junction to face Colorado Mesa on April 3rd. Westminster gets a week off before heading back to Colorado to play Regis University in Denver on April 10th, then finally finish their road-game stretch against UCCS in Colorado Springs on April 12th. The last two games of the road trip are likely to be vital as UCCS and Regis sit at the top of the conference with Westminster, and both played the Griffins tight at Dumke Field. Westminster finishes its season at home against CSUP on April 17th and Fort Lewis on April 19th.
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MCLA
Brigham Young Cougars
The BYU Cougars have earned a much-needed break as they take this week off before opening conference play. BYU traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee, last week to take on Auburn, No. 7 Liberty, and No. 6 Tennessee. The Cougars’ road trip was successful, as they won all three games, including a blowout win over Liberty, who knocked BYU out of the MCLA tournament last year. The Cougars also feature three other ranked wins against No. 18 Texas, No. 15 Oregon, and No. 19 Simon Fraser. BYU has been battle-tested and is ready to make another run at the national championship.
What happens when you add Mason Quick, one of the best goal-scorers in Utah High School lacrosse history, to an attack line already featuring Gavin Taylor and Cade Kirschner? You get 122 goals, 55 assists, and an absolute headache for anyone trying to guard them. If you focus on the attack group too long, Hutton Murphy will make you pay, as many defenses have seen to the tune of 26 goals and 18 assists. The Cougars’ midfield may not score at the same rate as the attack, but they initiate a lot of the offense and notch tons of assists. BYU’s defense has been excellent at causing turnovers this year, especially from their LSMs and defensive midfield. Short-stick Devin Nguyen, as well as LSMs Taylor Crump and Isaac Anderson, each have more than 10 caused turnovers so far this season.
There is no denying it, BYU’s biggest game this season is against UVU. The little brother from Orem is now fully grown and has become a problem for the Cougars. On April 3rd, another chapter in this rivalry will be written, and the outcome will shape the remainder of both teams’ seasons. Will BYU have the last laugh once again, or will UVU continue to grow out of the shadow cast by BYU? Either way, the struggle for power in the RMLC and MCLA as a whole runs through Utah County. Following the blockbuster match-up against UVU, BYU also hits the road to play Colorado on April 9th and Colorado State on April 11th. The Cougars then head home for the lacrosse version of the Holy War against Utah’s club team, before finishing their regular season at home against Utah Tech.
Utah State Aggies
Utah State began conference play last weekend with its toughest match-up in Division II RMLC against No. 6 Montana State, where the Aggies fell 16-12. It’s been a grueling schedule for Coach Taylor’s crew as six of their ten games have come against ranked opponents, and four of those six against teams ranked in the top ten of Division II. The remaining schedule isn’t much easier, as Utah State will take on No. 3 Air Force and No. 4 College of Idaho on April 10th and 11th in Logan. By the end of the season, the Aggies will have played every school ranked in the top 6 in Division II.
Due to its tough schedule, it’s hard to get a read on the Aggies from the stats. While their games have been difficult, they rarely get blown out, but they’re not exactly down to the wire either. What is clear is that Bryson Fell has been the go-to for the offense, delivering 13 goals and 15 assists. Against Bridgewater State, Fell had 2 goals and 4 assists, 6 points in a game the Aggies won by 5. However, the Aggies’ strength has been its defense. In the 3 wins, Utah State has not allowed more than 10 goals and routinely holds its difficult opponents’ offenses under their season average. Zachary Davis, Garret Herbert, and Daniel “Bear” VanKampen each have at least 13 caused turnovers and 20 ground balls each.
Utah State’s remaining division games are against Southern Utah and Wyoming. When the Aggies take on the Cowboys, Utah State is likely to win. So, the final RMLC Division II tournament spot is down to Utah State or Southern Utah. This critical match-up will be played in Logan on April 12th.
Utah Tech Trailblazers
Utah Tech opened its season with two RMLC games against UVU and Utah, losing both. The Trailblazers would love that game against the Utes back as it’s the closest they’ve come to winning a conference game in a long time. Utah Tech has nothing to be ashamed of, however, as they enter the remainder of conference play with a record of 6-5. Since making the jump to Division I MCLA in 2024, Utah Tech has had a combined two wins in that span. The Blazers have notched wins against Denver and Oklahoma before beating up on the Pacific Northwest. Tech’s trip up north was very successful as they swept Washington, Oregon State, Washington State, and Central Washington.
The strength of this Trailblazer’s team has been the offense. The whole first line of attack and midfield have been key contributors, all averaging more than a goal a game. However, it’s been Eli Greenway leading the way with 24 goals and 11 assists. Carter McLaughlin has been fantastic at the face-off X, winning 68% of draws this season. Even if he doesn’t win the face-off, Carter has been great at getting the ball back, causing 9 turnovers. Tech’s entire defense has been aggressive, causing many turnovers. That aggressiveness has backfired at times, however, as they’ve been penalized more than 4 times per game.
Utah Tech has the shortest remaining schedule of any RMLC Division I team, with just three games remaining. Tech plays the Colorado schools on back-to-back days over Easter weekend in St. George. The Trailblazers start with Colorado on Saturday, followed by Colorado State on Sunday. Utah Tech’s best chance at winning a conference game for the first time likely comes against Colorado State, as the Rams will have played a tough Utah team in the St. George heat the day before. The Trailblazers finish off their season on April 18th against BYU in Provo.
Utah Utes
The University of Utah club lacrosse team has been quietly having its best season since moving up to Division I MCLA. Utah sits at 4-2 with those two losses coming against ranked opponents. Utah beat No. 15 Oregon 12-11 at the beginning of March and will have its shot at No. 3 South Carolina this Friday. Utah then plays its final home game on March 29th against Utah State. Due to the success of UVU and BYU, the Utes have been able to fly under the radar in the RMLC. However, if Utah can knock off one or both of the Colorado schools, there’s a good chance we will see three Utah schools in the RMLC tournament.
Utah’s offense is unpredictable in the best kind of way. In any game, anyone on the offense is likely to take over. Against Boise State, it was Cole Pollard with 3 goals and 2 assists; against Utah Tech, it was Ryan Ostermann with five goals; and against Oregon, it was Owen Edwards with 3 goals and 2 assists. Utah’s trio of face-off specialists are all near 50%, and the Utes have been competitive on face-offs in every game. If Utah is going to make it to the postseason, the defense will need to step up, as they have allowed double-digit goals in five out of their six games.
Utah already has one conference win over Utah Tech in February, when the Utes survived a comeback bid from Tech and escaped St. George with a one-goal win. That one goal may be the difference between the Utes getting to play in the post-season or watching their Utah County rivals battle for the conference title. On Easter weekend, Utah travels to St. George to play Colorado State on April 4th and Colorado on April 5th. Colorado State seems to be the easier opponent for the Utes as it’s their first game of the back-to-back, and the Rams have struggled so far this season. However, they upset No. 12 Chapman last Sunday. The Utes close out the regular season against BYU on April 15th, then UVU on April 18th. Ideally, after that, all three teams would begin preparations for the RMLC tournament.
Utah Valley Wolverines
The Wolverines of Utah Valley University enter the heart of its Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference (RMLC) schedule as the No. 1 team in the country according to the MCLA polls. In their ranked games this year against No. 18 Texas, No. 4 UC Santa Barbara and No. 16 Cal Poly, the Wolverines have remained dominant, winning nearly wire-to-wire in every contest. Coach Maxfield’s squad is stacked with the nightmares of Utah high school coaches at every position. These Wolverines are deep, talented, hard-nosed, and look poised to take that final leap the Wolverines have just missed these last two years.
UVU’s offense is unbelievably deep. The Wolverines have a staggering 10 players averaging at least 1 goal per game. Blake Yates leads the charge with 27 goals through 7 games with an additional 9 assists. Jake Lundin, the February MCLA player of the month, is 82% at the X to go along with his 7 goals and 6 assists. Jack Baird leads a tough and physical Wolverine defense that has stifled every offense they’ve faced this year, as seven of their eight opponents have failed to hit double digits.
As many praises as there are to sing about UVU, it doesn’t mean anything to them if they can’t beat the other team in Utah County. The two best teams in the RMLC, and in all of MCLA, are less than four miles away from each other. BYU will take the 10-minute drive to Orem on Friday, April 3rd, to renew their heated rivalry, likely as the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country. Following its contest against BYU, the Wolverines head to Colorado to take on the Colorado State Rams on April 9th and the Colorado Buffaloes on April 11th. They will then return home to take on the University of Utah club team to close out their regular season schedule.
Southern Utah Thunderbirds
Southern Utah has a much shorter schedule than the rest of the Utah teams. The Thunderbirds have only played three games so far this season, going 1-2, with a win over Claremont and losses to Denver and Oregon State. The rest of their schedule hits hard, however, as SUU travels to Montana to play their first RMLC game against No. 6 Montana State this Saturday, followed by No. 5 Montana on Sunday. The Thunderbirds will take on another top-ten team in No. 3 Air Force, followed by their key match-up against Utah State.
There is much to learn about this SUU team’s identity. One thing we know is they’re young and hungry. Freshman Trace Overson notched his first career hat-trick against Oregon State and looks to be a key contributor for the Thunderbirds for the remainder of this year. The roster is majority underclassmen, ready to prove themselves. Look for Overson and goalie Ethan Campbell to lead the charge for the T-Birds now and into the future.
Both RMLC Divisions will hold their playoffs on April 24th and April 25th at Zions Bank Stadium. Ticket and streaming information will be announced soon!
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WCLA
Brigham Young Cougars
BYU entered conference play with a 3-2 record, with the two losses coming on the road against No. 1 UC Santa Barbara and No. 9 Georgia. When BYU returned to Utah, they picked up big conference wins against Utah State and Utah Valley, but lost to No. 13 Utah. This loss currently holds the Cougars at second place in the conference before their road trip to take on Colorado and Colorado State.
When BYU is confident on offense, it’s going to be a long day for any defense. The Cougars have three games this season in which they have scored more than 20 goals. Whitney Holt and Elise Cardall each average 2 goals a game. On defense, Abigail Hooper and Londyn Giles lead the charge with 12 or more caused turnovers each. Anna Kreipl has been strong in goal with 52 saves in 9 games.
With key wins against Utah State and UVU, BYU has put itself in a good position to battle for the RMWLL championship. This road trip to Colorado will be difficult, as Colorado and BYU had similar scores in their games against UCSB. One thing to consider is that travel for club lacrosse is difficult, especially this late in the school year, which could make the difference in these final two games. Either way, it seems BYU has also earned a spot in the RMWLL tournament alongside Utah.
Utah State Aggies
Utah State started the season with some competitive losses to two top teams in No. 12 Texas and Denver. They followed that up with a blowout win over the University of Portland to enter conference play at 1-2. However, it’s been tough for the Aggies, who’ve lost three straight to No. 16 BYU, UVU, and No. 13 Utah, likely eliminating Utah State from the RMWLL tournament.
The Aggies have had success on offense in a lot of their games. They have multiple threats who all average more than a point per game. Kaitlyn Davenport leads the way with 7 goals and 3 assists, Sophia Nielsen has 8 goals and 1 assist in addition to her 11 ground balls on the season, and Kenzie Sulz has 7 goals and 2 assists.
Utah State’s last two games are in Colorado against Colorado State and Colorado. The Aggies are playing with house money as they have nothing to lose. USU can let loose and play without fear, then try to regroup for next season.
Utah Tech
Utah Tech has also finished their conference schedule for this season at 0-6. Their record isn’t as bad as it looks, as the Trailblazers played many of the top teams in Division II, including No. 1 Montana State and No. 7 Air Force twice. Similar to SUU, Tech played a close game against Colorado School of Mines, only losing by two goals.
Despite the difficult schedule, Tessa Mortensen has been leading the Trailblazers offense with 7 goals and 1 assist in addition to her 10 ground balls and 11 takeaways. On defense, Lyli Rosenberg has been a huge problem for offenses, with 19 takeaways and 19 ground balls. In goal, Bryce Curtis has been excellent with a 43% save percentage while facing more than 100 shots on goal.
While conference play is over for Utah Tech, they still have two opportunities to get their first win of the year. The Trailblazers will travel to Arizona to take on Grand Canyon on April 11th and Northern Arizona on April 12th. GCU and NAU each only have 1 win, and it will be a great opportunity for Tech to end the season on a high note.
Utah Utes
Utah had a tough start to its season as it traveled to take on No. 9 Georgia and No. 2 Florida, resulting in a 1-2 start for the Utes. However, since returning home, Utah has started conference play strongly, with a 3-0 record, including wins over No. 16 BYU, UVU, and Utah State. The Utes have been dominant in conference play, winning by an average of 10 goals per game, which has resulted in them being ranked No. 13 in WLCA. So far, Utah looks to be the favorite to advance to the RMWLL tournament on April 10th and 11th.
Utah’s offense is blisteringly fast, and Kendall Danielson sets the pace. She is averaging 2.6 goals per game, which leads the team and the conference. Elle Vickers has been setting the tone with strong performances in draw control and takeaways, along with her 1.5 goals per game. Liv Lowe has been impressive in goal, with a 51% save percentage, as Utah continues to hold high-powered offenses to under 10 goals.
Utah has finished a majority of their conference schedule with just Colorado State and Colorado left to play. The Utes face off against CSU on Friday and CU on Saturday. Both Colorado teams are relative unknowns, as their only conference game has been against each other, with Colorado winning 12-7. Both have played tough out-of-conference schedules, with CSU losing only to No. 12 Texas by 2, and CU facing No. 11 San Diego State and No. 1 UC Santa Barbara. Even with these tough contests, the Utes look to be a lock for the RMWLL tournament.
Utah Valley Wolverines
UVU has had a more difficult time this season, especially with its brutal out-of-conference schedule. The Wolverines have played No. 1 UC Santa Barbara, No. 2 Florida, Oregon, Oregon State, and Michigan State. UVU’s record was 1-6 before conference games began, which was made worse by No. 13 Utah. The Wolverines picked up a win against Utah State before losing to rival No. 16 BYU.
If the Wolverines can get their offense going, they have a chance. In games where they have scored at least ten goals, they are 2-2. Kate Weekes spearheads the UVU attack with 20 goals and 10 assists on the season. Katelyn Sperry and Ella Clark have been the beneficiaries of Weekes initiating the offense, as they have 12 goals each. Sophie Grizzle is everywhere on the field with 9 goals, 9 assists, 18 ground balls, and 26 draw controls. Alyssa Byrge leads the team in takeaways with 26 and ground balls with 27. Peighton Kimble has been excellent in goal, especially considering the volume of shots she’s seen from some top competition. Kimble has 92 saves this season and a 51% save percentage.
UVU also travels to Colorado this week to take on Colorado and Colorado State. The situation is more dire for the Wolverines, however, as they need to win at least one of those games to attempt to secure a spot in the RMWLL tournament, and judging by similar opponents, it’s going to be an uphill battle for UVU.
Southern Utah Thunderbirds
Southern Utah has already finished its conference schedule, finishing with a conference record of 1-6 and an overall record of 3-8. Their lone conference win came against local rival Utah Tech 11-5. Out of conference, SUU defeated San Jose State and the University of Portland. Despite their record, the T-Birds were competitive in some tough games, including against the Air Force Academy and the Colorado School of Mines. SUU has one game remaining on April 3rd against Utah Valley.
The RMWLL playoffs will be held in Salt Lake City on April 10th and 11th. Times and locations have yet to be announced.
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Photos for this post come courtesy of Caleb ‘CBreeze’ Brown, Mykel Severson, Westminster Athletics and Tim Haslam.