U of U Falls to Duke, MCLA Championships and Women's Championship tournament

Men's and Women's College Lacrosse

Hello Utah! Here’s the wrap-up on Women's College Lacrosse, another exciting week of D1 lacrosse with the University of Utah, and action from the MCLA division.

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University of Utah Men’s Lacrosse

Here is the good news, for the second straight season, Utah qualified for the NCAA Tournament. The bad news is that for the second straight season, they would be a heavy underdog going on the road at a potential tournament favorite. In 2024, it was visiting the #2 Duke Blue Devils. 

Utah came out on the road, and fought well early, goals from Tyler Bradbury and a man-up goal by Jared Andreala had Utah tied with the Devils midway through the first quarter. However, Duke would go on a 6-0 run into the second quarter, pushing their lead to 8-2. Utah showed great fight, scrapping back to a four-goal game late in the first half at 9-5, though Duke added a pair to stretch it to 11-5 at the break.

Jordan Hyde helped keep Utah hanging around in the third quarter with a pair of goals, but at 13-7, Duke went on another run, scoring the final 6 games of the contest en route to the 19-7 first-round win.

Tyler Bradbury and Jordan Hyde each finished with a pair of goals. For Duke, Josh Zawada finished with 8 points on 4 goals and 4 assists, while Dyson Williams found the back of the net 5 times.

Utah ended up breaking 18 individual and team records this season. Some all-time careers came to a close for this talented Senior-group, as Tyler Bradbury finished off a 50-game point streak, and ends up scoring at least 1 point in 57 of his 63 career games. The likes of Jared Andreala, Jordan Hyde, Josh Rose, Joey Boylston, MJ McMahon and Tyler Bradbury have all left their marks on this young program, at or near the top of several program records.

MCLA

The Beehive State was well represented in Texas during the 2024 MCLA National Championship tournament. Top-seeded BYU cruised to the Championship, their 5^th in program history, but their first undefeated season, finishing 19-0.

BYU ended up facing a familiar foe, as Utah Valley made a run as the 14-seed, but their run fell short against the Cougars. BYU jumped out to a 3-0 lead, and maintained a three-goal lead at the half. Jake Halversen finished with an impressive 7 goals in the Championship, helping push the Cougars to a 10-3 lead at one point, before the finishing off the undefeated campaign behind the 13-5 win.

The USA Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Associates 

(WCLA) National Championships 2024

This stage unites the nation's premier collegiate club teams for an exciting week of championship lacrosse. Following a remarkable 2024 season, this event highlighted the skills and dedication of student-athletes on a national stage.

In the Rocky Mountain Women's Lacrosse League (RMWLL) D1 standings for 2024, the University of Utah’s women’s lacrosse team snagged the top spot with an impressive 8-2 season record, boasting a division record of 5-2 division record. This seasoned team has a history of making waves, having graced the WCLA National Championships several times, including appearances from 2011 to 2017 and in 2022 to 2023. This year, they secured the 6th seed in the nationals. Under the guidance of Head Coach Courtney Johnson, the Utes took on a challenging schedule at the SCHEELS Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas during the WCLA National Championships. Unfortunately, their journey began on a tough note, facing Clemson University on Tuesday, May 7th, ending in a narrow 10-12 loss. The following day didn’t fare much better, with a 4-17 defeat against Washington on Wednesday, May 8th. Despite their efforts, Thursday’s game against Florida State resulted in an 8-12 loss, and Friday’s final game against Arizona State ended in a 12-14 defeat.

Regardless of their outcome at championships, the 2024 season for the lady Utes wasn’t without its triumphs. Coach Courtney Johnson earned the well-deserved title of 2024 Division 1 Coach of the Year, while the team collectively earned the Jenn Eames Team Award for their dedication to advancing the sport both on and off the field. Individual accolades were also plentiful, with Lilah Sage earning First Team Division 1 All-American honors, and Nyah Allen and Grace Mazolewski securing spots on the Second Team Division 1 All-American roster. Furthermore, Masen Carey, Chloe Snipes, Mckenna Minnoch, Lilah Sage, and Sasha Lengwin were recognized with Division 1 All-Academic honors. Despite the challenges faced in the nationals, the University of Utah's lacrosse team has undoubtedly left their mark on the 2024 season.

Utah Valley University's women's lacrosse team made a solid mark in the RMWLL Region D1 standings for 2024, securing 3rd with a 6-3 overall record and a 3-3 division record. This year marked their first appearance in the WCLA national championships at the Division I level. Under the guidance of Head Coach Andrew Wright, the team faced some tough competition at the SCHEELS Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas for the 2024 National Championships. Their journey began against the University of Florida on Tuesday, May 7th, resulting in a 6-12 loss. The following day didn’t bring better fortune, as they faced Boston College and lost 7-13. However, they rallied on Thursday, May 9th, securing a strong 16-10 victory against Texas A&M University and carrying their momentum into Friday, May 10th, where they clinched a convincing 20-7 win against Canyon. Ultimately, the Wolverines left the championships with a respectable 13th place nationally, marking a promising debut in the Division I arena.