SALT LAKE CITY – It was a brisk night under the lights of Ute Field tonight, but that didn't stop the Utah Lacrosse team from heating things up with a 15-8 win over Bellarmine to start ASUN play 1-0.
The Utes topped the Knights in ground balls 42-32, also out-shooting Bellarmine 55-41. Utah was also 24-of-25 on clears and won 17 of the 25 faceoff attempts to hand Bellarmine its second loss of the season.
It marked the second time this season that the Utes have eclipsed the 40-ground ball mark with their 42 against the Knights tonight ranking fifth all-time.
GAME LEADERS
Three different players finished with a hat trick with eight different players finding the back of the net at least once in the game. Redshirt freshman
Ryan Stines led the Utes in points with three goals and an assist with juniors
Jordan Hyde and
Tyler Bradbury also securing hat tricks in the game.
Senior
Cole Brams recorded a team-high 10 ground balls, also winning 16 faceoffs (16-of-23). Stines also led the Utes in caused turnovers, securing a career-high two while Hyde also notched a career-best six ground balls.
Once again, Utah's true freshman goalkeeper was solid in goal with
Colin Lenskold recording 14 saves while only allowing eight goals.
FIRST QUARTER BREAKDOWN
The Utes scored their first four goals in the first five minutes of the game, including the first two being just seven seconds apart. Utah got on the board first after Lenskold made his first save of the game, launching the ball down field to
Colby Plotts who scored a pole goal for a 1-0 lead at the 12:08 mark.
It would start a 5-0 scoring run that included goals from Hyde,
Koa Todd,
Ryan Rogers and Stines to take the five-point advantage with 7:12 remaining in the quarter. Despite the Knights scoring twice before time was up, Lenskold would finish the quarter with four saves with Utah heading into the second with a 6-2 lead with another goal from
Zach Chandler.
SECOND QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Bellarmine made it a three-point game with 14:13 on the clock, but Utah would answer with three straight goals for a 9-3 lead. The scoring run started with Bradbury's first goal of the game after
Ryan Rogers found him open behind the net with Bradbury cutting across the goal with a low corner shot.
Todd would add to the score with his second goal of the game at the 6:41 mark before Bradbury scored his second goal of the quarter with 4:10 to go. Bellarmine would score with under a minute to play in the half, but Lenskold kept the Knights at bay with four more saves throughout the second quarter for the Utes to head into halftime up 9-4.
THIRD QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Utah scored its 10
th goal of the game just 13 seconds into the third quarter after the Utes' assist game proved to be strong with
Jared Andreala and
Samuel Cambere passing it off to Hyde for his third and final goal of the game. Hyde would wrap up his hat trick with his second goal of the quarter at the 8:36 mark to give Utah an 11-5 advantage.
Bradbury and Stines would also complete their hat tricks in the third quarter with goals at the 1:18 mark and with just six seconds to go with Utah keeping Bellarmine out of the back of the net for the entire period.
FOURTH QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Bellarmine would find its way back onto the scoreboard with 12:57 on the clock in the fourth to make it 13-6, but Utah would answer with back-to-back goals from Stines and
Carson Moyer. The Knights would score two more goals before time expired, but the Utes' lead would stay intact for a 15-8 victory at home to start conference play.
UP NEXT
Utah hits the road for two games, starting at Detroit Mercy on Saturday, March 25 at 11 a.m. MT. Utah will also play at Air Force on Wednesday, March 29 at 12 p.m. MT before returning to Ute Field on Friday, March 31 vs. Jacksonville.