Week 1 of HS Lacrosse in the Books, Sasquatch and Scholarships, Game Recaps and More!
Issue 83 - Corner Canyon/Park City remain at the top of the polls.
Good morning lacrosse fans! Thank you for taking time out of your day for the Utah Lax Report. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to shoot me a note: tim@timhaslam.com.
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Armchair Lacrosse Coach: Sasquatch and Scholarships
Editor’s Note: Before you delve in, I’ve asked Brad to answer mailbag questions next week. So let’s hear it! Submit your questions here.
Most of us are familiar with cultural myths, legends and folklore like the Yeti, Sasquatch and even the infamous Utah Skinwalkers. However, it seems like the ever mysterious “College Lacrosse Scholarship” still belongs on this list. My reason for bringing this up is it was brought to my attention (stemming from last week's column) that the common misconceptions regarding lacrosse scholarships are, in fact, alive and well in our Beehive State lacrosse communities. With this in mind, I figured I would perform a public awareness activity of sorts via the armchair.
Before I start the procedure. Please understand my goal is not to crush dreams or hinder ambition in any way. However, the truth can have that effect sometimes so I will do my best to mercifully rip off the bandaid.
Hypothetical Myth #1: My cousin was awarded a full athletic scholarship to play lacrosse at Harvard. This is fantasy because schools in the IVY LEAGUE do not offer athletic-related aid (technically). Aid packages at these schools are awarded almost exclusively based on need. So if your cousin was talented enough athletically to be recruited and offered a spot, that's a big deal. Understand that most coaches at IVY schools have a certain amount of spots allotted by admissions for each year or recruiting classes for qualified students. If your cousin was accomplished enough academically to gain admission, that is a big deal as well. But your cousin got a huge aid package based on her FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) score as well as other proprietary institutional systems. These schools have giant endowments from which to draw and they are competing for the best and the brightest. If they want you, they will find a way.
Hypothetical Myth #2: My buddy's friend received a half athletic scholarship to play lacrosse at Middlebury College. False. Division III institutions do not offer athletic aid. They do, however, offer merit-based scholarships and need-based aid. Depending on school policy this could certainly add up to half or even full tuition. More often than not, the aid package at a D-III school can outweigh the aid packages offered by schools with athletic scholarships. Plus, getting recruited and admitted is a big deal. Coaches at this level operate in a similar situation regarding available spots in their programs for admissible student-athletes. However, you are more likely to see giant rosters at D-III schools than at any other level. Larger rosters mean more opportunity. (There are 247 Men’s and 291 Women’s Programs in D-III).
Sidenote: In my opinion, getting admitted to an IVY, NESCAC or any other top-echelon school IS the scholarship and it will likely pay for itself in spades. The name recognition and cache that a degree from these schools carries in the marketplace is tremendous, not to mention the alumni and classmate network you will have access to. Using your athletic prowess to help get you over the top with regard to admissions is a tried and true strategy as old as time. Also note that the list of great academic/athletic institutions is large and can be found throughout all the NCAA Divisions I, II and III. Also, for the military service academies like the US Military Academy (Army West Point), US Naval Academy (Navy Annapolis) and US Air Force Academy (Air Force Colorado Springs) admission is literally the full scholarship. These schools are ridiculously competitive and pay full freight for the few in our society that have the mental, physical and emotional fortitude to see the ultimate academic/athletic crucible through to becoming a commissioned officer one of the branches.
Myth #3: You have met or even heard of more than one student-athlete in the history of D-I or D-II college lacrosse that was awarded a full-tuition, room and board lacrosse scholarship. This is incredibly rare. Like “white whale” rare. A lacrosse unicorn if you will. That said, it does exist… but you would never know because people don’t talk about it, especially the recipients and their coaches.
This is because lacrosse is an equivalency sport for both Men (M) and Women (W). Lacrosse is also known as a “non-revenue” sport (more on this in a minute). Equivalency (EQ) sports are different from Head Count (HC) sports in that HC sports can only give athletic aid in the form of the “Full Boat”. For example, FBS football programs have a maximum of 85 full scholarships to provide to 85 players. These are one-year contracts and you either have one or you don’t.
EQ sports have a pool of athletic aid or a set number of athletic scholarships to spread across the entire program as the coaches or policymakers see fit.
Almost all sports in the NCAA D-I are, contrary to popular belief, EQ sports as well as ALL SPORTS across the NCAA D-II, NAIA and JUCO. The exceptions list in D-I athletics are FBS Football, Basketball (M&W), Tennis (W), Gymnastics (W) and Volleyball (W). The non-revenue label for lacrosse comes into play at large D-I schools as the revenue sports like Football and Basketball provide much scholarship funding for the rest of the athletic department.
BELOW: Lacrosse Scholarships Available Per Fully Funded (FF) Program
It is important to understand the available scholarship number outlined above but you need to take into account that most programs are not fully funded. Not even close to fully funded. This means that the available scholarship funding being spread across the team is generally small. Now change your calculus to account for the average Men’s Lacrosse programs being made up of 45 players and you have an even smaller scholarship pool. If all 45 players in a fully-funded D-I men’s lacrosse program got an equal piece it works out to roughly 30% of the bill. The likelihood of paying for college via a lacrosse scholarship on its own is very low.
The way you pay for college is by stacking as much aid as the individual school will allow. Aid can come from a variety of sources. Merit-based aid, athletic scholarships, leadership grants, need-based aid, work-study opportunities, outside grants/scholarships as well as state and federal aid. Cobbling together a great package is an art, not a science and it starts with academics. Academic performance during your high school career (as well as test scores) is the absolute starting point for 99% of recruiting contact decisions. Coaches are going to focus their efforts on the student-athletes that fit the academic profile of the institution they represent and if they don’t know if you are an academic fit, you can bet it will come up early in communication.
Please remember that the high school GPA doesn't define the person. It’s a number. There are lots of student-athletes that didn't crush it academically in high school and are plenty capable of huge improvement in the college setting. Kids mature into adults. I have seen this transformation many times, but understand that grades and the class trajectory chosen in high school are a leading indicator of success at the next level. If you didn't play the game well in high school, why would anyone think you will be able to flourish when the demands are more and the challenge more formidable.
Last thought. Parents, Coaches and Mentors of all kinds. Please help the young athletes (and their families) in your orbit to understand the reality of the situation. It all starts with academics. School quite literally comes first. Whether we are talking about getting an opportunity to compete at the next level or finding a way to pay for it. Academics are the answer. If your priorities are in the right order the likelihood of finding a place to pursue your academic/athletic goals is high but if they are out of whack the consequences can be terribly hard to overcome. Family first, school second and sports/social third.
Do your best! - BL
Boys High School
As always, our polls are brought to you by Salty Lacrosse.
No. 1 Corner Canyon - The Chargers kicked off its 2022 campaign with a 20-3 drubbing of Region 1 favorite Davis. The game was 14-1 at halftime. The Chargers host Cherokee Trail (CO) on Tuesday then host No. 2 Park City on Friday in a rematch of the 2021 Class A Championship. With the new playoff structure, these two teams won’t see each other again this season so tune in… or better yet, go to the game! Also, while the Chargers continue to perform on the field, they are using their high profile to Stand Up to Bullies off the field. KUTV did a feature on the campaign that you can watch here.
No. 2 Park City - The Miners will host No. 7 Lone Peak on Tuesday then head to No. 1 Corner Canyon on Friday. What a way to start the season!
No. 3 Olympus - The Titans dismantled Westlake, 20-6, on Friday in front of the Titan faithful. Oly will head to Pleasant Grove on Tuesday then host Herriman on Friday. After this week, three ranked opponents: No. 6 Alta, No. 9 Green Canyon and No. 5 Mountain Ridge loom on the Titans schedule.
No. 4 American Fork - The Cavemen beat Springville, 26-0, on Thursday to open its season. American Fork will host Juan Diego on Wednesday and travel to Bingham on Friday.
No. 5 Mountain Ridge - The Sentinels played in the Green Canyon tournament on Friday and came away with three wins. They beat Roy, 14-0, No. 7 Lone Peak, 9-4, and No. 9 Green Canyon, 6-5. Mountain Ridge will host West on Tuesday before taking on West Jordan on March 22.
No. 6 Alta - The Hawks jumped two spots in the polls thanks to a 10-4 win over No. 8 Brighton. Alta will travel to Mountain View on Tuesday then host Cherokee Trail (CO) on Thursday. The following week has big implications for the Hawks who face region foe Timpview on Tuesday then No. 3 Olympus on Wednesday.
No. 7 Lone Peak - The Knights also played in the Green Canyon tournament and beat No. 9 Green Canyon, 4-3, in overtime then lost to No. 5 Mountain Ridge, 9-4. They closed the tournament with an 8-2 win over Roy. The Knights were playing with heavy hearts as a teammate passed away this week, #88 Walker McFadden. The Knights will head to No. 2 Park City on Tuesday then host Northridge on Thursday.
No. 8 Brighton - After a 10-4 loss to No. 6 Alta, Brighton will host Riverton today, travel to No. 9 Green Canyon on Wednesday then host Pleasant Grove on Friday.
No. 9 Green Canyon - The Wolves were not rewarded on the field for their generosity in hosting the preseason tournament as they fell to No. 7 Lone Peak, 4-3, in overtime and No. 5 Mountain Ridge, 6-5. They did beat Viewmont, 9-2, to open the event. Green Canyon will host No. 8 Brighton on Wednesday before welcoming a showdown against No. 3 Olympus in a rematch of a 2021 Class A quarterfinal matchup.
No. 10 Davis - The pollsters had empathy for the Darts to keep them in the Top 10 after falling victim to the Corner Canyon pain train after losing 20-3 on Friday. No rest for the weary though as the Darts have two key region games beginning at Fremont on Tuesday then host rival Farmington on Thursday.
Other games of note: Timpview bested East on Thursday, 16-15, in a nailbiter. Orem beat Payson, 8-7, in a game that took 4 overtimes to find a winner by Tiger A/M Chase Ohran.
Weber beat Sky View, 13-11, in a great game. I was on hand to take pictures for Weber and it was a beautiful night for lacrosse in Cache Valley. You can see the full gallery here.
On Tuesday, the 2022 Preseason Boys All-American Watchlist was published. See the full list here.
Girls High School
On Wednesday, the 2022 Preseason Girls All-American Watchlist was published. See the full list here.
Up Next (Bold games to watch)
3/14 East vs Bountiful
3/14 Waterford vs Ridgeline
3/15 Fremont vs Davis
3/15 Mountain Ridge vs West
3/15 Farmington vs Syracuse
3/15 Clearfield vs Layton
3/16 Cedar Valley vs Lone Peak
3/16 Park City vs Skyridge
3/16 Juan Diego vs Pleasant Grove
3/17 Green Canyon vs Box Elder
3/17 Payson vs East
3/17 Layton vs Fremont
3/17 Syracuse vs Weber
3/18 Juan Diego vs Provo
3/18 Woods Cross vs Olympus
3/18 Skyridge vs Mountain Ridge
Week 1 Game Recaps
March 8th - Payson wins 11- 9 over Timpanogos. Player of the game for Timpview #6 Hailey Peterson.
March 8th - Bear River wins 12-9 over Jordan. Player of the game for Bear River #39 Jenna Lacroix. Player of the game for Jordan #33 Dayanara Adame.
March 9th - Pleasant Grove wins 18 -3 over Timpview. Player of the game for Pleasant Grove #5 Katelin Wallace.
March 9th - Maple Mountain wins 14-6 over Spanish Fork.
March 10th - Juan Diego wins 16-4 over Wasatch.
March 10th - West Jordan wins 23-3 over Viewmont.
March 10th - Corner Canyon beats Riverton, 18-11.
The game was relocated from Riverton to Corner Canyon because Riverton's home field was iced over from the storm. As the game began these two teams had us all questioning who was going to take home the win. On the first draw, not even 10 seconds into the game, the Chargers ripped it off the center to midfielder Allison Reading as she darted down the field to make the first goal of the Chargers season. Riverton had a fast recovery as they reset for the draw, Livia Sargent snagged it off the draw and drove downfield to make the Silverwolves their first goal of the season. We’re 30 seconds into the game and two goals have been scored. As the half progressed the score continued to go back and forth until the chargers excelled and ended the half 11- 6.
As the clock ticked down for the second half to begin, both the Silverwolves and Chargers stepped on the field with frozen fingers by fire in their hearts. The first draw was taken and Riverton won that face-off, once again Livia Sargent swung the ball downfield to Bella Butterfield as she scored the first goal of the half. It was exciting to see the Chargers doing a backer defense and the Silverwolves playing man defense. The teams started to get physical during this half, the officials did an amazing job calling the game fair on both teams’ fouls. Ten minutes into the second half Corner Canyon had two players in the penalty box. The Silverwolves were on the move to make up for lost time/points, the Chargers got nervous and started face guarding some of the Riverton top players to eliminate the opportunity to score. Sargent was unstoppable on the field. Corner Canyon had her swarmed with 5 defenders and she had the skills to hold on to the ball. She broke through to drive downfield to make her 4th goal of the night. The Chargers kept consistent energy from start to finish, including Simone Parker who is a talented midfielder. She was a huge contributor to the Chargers win.
“I’m proud of how we played against the Silverwolves,” said Corner Canyon Head Coach Matt Kenning. “We had a moment where they could not complete a direct pass and a few lapses on the defensive end. All in all the team fought off Riverton and never stopped working hard. We learned that we need to play cleaner and limit our mistakes. We also learned that Simone could be the best pure scorer in the state and Allie Reading is easily one of the best field defenders in the state. Those two played well today made all the difference. Mal Story and Kenzie Zimmerman also played well. When everyone else plays to their potential we will be a 6A contender for sure.”
“We played really well for playing in 12-degree weather and I’m proud of the girls for the effort they put in,” said Riverton Head Coach Jocelyn Dorton. “Corner Canyon played a zone backer defense which our Riverton attackers weren’t used to. The Silverwolves had to adapt but we were able to figure out how to break through the Chargers defense. Corner Canyon face guarded Livia Sargent which was tough on our attack as she is a leader for our very young team. Overall I’m proud of how they played and can’t wait for our next game!”
March 11th Lone Peak wins 18-5 over Alta. Player of the game for Lone Peak #16 Kacee Kelley.
March 11th Payson wins 8-5 over Lehi. Player of the game for Lehi #38 Jaidynn Hutchinson.
March 11th Brighton wins 20-5 Over Syracuse. Player of the game for Syracuse #13 Brooklyn Suttlemyre.
Bulldog Brawl Tournament ( Provo High School)
Provo wins 13-2 over Clearfield. Player of the game for Provo #25 Rachel Pope.
Timpanogos wins 7-1 over Clearfield.
Lehi wins 8-4 over Provo. Player of the game for Lehi #40 Kathren Moreau. Player of the game for Provo #11 Ellee Scott.
Lehi Wins 11-4 over Clearfield. Player of the game for Lehi #66 Hannah Lindsay.
Timpanogos wins 8-4 over Provo. Player of the game for Provo #33 McKinley Jorgensen.
Lehi wins 4-2 over Timpanogos.
Lehi Head Coach Taylor Siri: “This was both teams' third and final game in the tournament. Both teams fought hard the whole game. Something we learned today was the importance of being patient. On attack we needed to find the best option, not necessarily force the first available opportunity. Our defense had great crashes and our goalie made key saves! The girls played as a team throughout the whole tournament and it paid off.”
Timpanogos Head Coach Meghan Hallam: “It was an awesome game. Both teams were giving all they had after a long day of games. Even though we had so many games that day, our team had a lot of energy throughout the game! That ultimately is what kept the game so close. Our defense was strong and intense and our offense worked hard on their rides! We learned to keep the energy up after a tiring day and stick together as a team! We had a lot of fun playing Lehi and can’t wait to play them again in the regular season.”
Girls Player of the Week - Alex Heugly
Sophomore at Brighton High School #23, attacker.
Alex is only a sophomore this year, but she’s going to be a stand-out for us this year! She is going on 6+ years of playing lacrosse.Her stick skills, speed and her re-defending skills are unmatched. She has an extremely high lacrosse IQ and is dedicated to being the best player she can be.
Fun fact: Her sister is currently playing at Westminster. And her dad is the best announcer in the state!
Men’s College
In the MCLA, No. 2 BYU headed to Southern California for a three-game swing that started with a 13-4 win over No. 21 Cal Poly. The Cougars carried the momentum to an 18-5 win over No. 23 Dominican on Friday and then beat No. 8 Santa Clara, 10-7 on Saturday.
No. 19 UVU took the same trip, just in a different order. The Wolverines beat No. 23 Dominican, 19-11, then fell to No. 8 Santa Clara, 15-14, in overtime. UVU avenged the loss as it beat No. 21 Cal Poly, 12-11, in three overtimes!
In the NCAA ranks, Westminster went 2-1 on its Florida road trip, beating Lynn on Monday, 16-11, before losing to No. 13 Rollins on Wednesday, 19-11. The Griffins finished the trip on Thursday with a 22-3 win over Emmanuel College.
No. 18 Utah fell to UMBC, 13-10, on Friday to conclude its Spring Break trip. Utah takes on No. 6 Georgetown next Saturday before returning home to face Mercer on March 26.
Upcoming Men’s Schedule
3/16 - Utah club @ BYU - 7 pm
3/19 - Utah @ Georgetown - 9 am
3/19 - Concordia-Irvine @ BYU - 1 pm
Pole Goal of the Week goes to John Geppert from Maryland. After the first shot was saved, he rode hard, caused a turnover, picked up the GB and scored.
Women’s College
BYU hosted Utah Valley on Saturday and won, 16-13.
The Westminster Griffins headed to Missouri for a two-game road trip. The Griffins started strong but fell to Rockhurst, 19-8, and Missouri Western, 13-5.
Next Up
Utah State hosts Weber State on Saturday at 10 am.
BYU hosts Utah on Saturday at 1 pm.
Westminster will host Lindenwood on March 28.
That’s it for this week, stay safe out there and see you on the sidelines!
— Tim Haslam (Intro/Mens/Boys), Kenzie Christiansen (Womens/Girls) & Brad Lavoie (Armchair Lacrosse Coach)
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