Dominant Offense Powers Utes Past Merrimack

Saturday, February 21

North Andover, Mass.

10:00 AM

University of Utah

2-2, 0-0

Merrimack

1-3, 0-0

Utah

Merrimack

Photo by: Benjamin Merrick 2026

2/21/2026 1:07 PM | Lacrosse

Box Score Photo Gallery

Historic day from Stines leads to 17-8 win

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Behind a suffocating offensive attack, the University of Utah lacrosse team snapped a two-game losing streak with a dominant 17-8 win on the road against Merrimack on Saturday.

Ryan Stines scored a career-high six goals and added three assists for nine total points, tied for the second-most by a Utah Ute in program history. His six goals are also tied for the fourth-most in a game all-time and the most by a Ute since Luke McNamara tallied seven last season.

Utah (2-2) got out to a blazing start, scoring four times in the first seven minutes to jump out to an early lead – three of which were netted by McNamara. After Merrimack (1-3) cut the lead to two, Utah went on an 8-2 run to end the first half up 13-5. Utah's defense held the Warriors' attack at bay in the second half, allowing just three goals, two of which were scored after the Utes had pulled most of their starters.

The Utes are now 36-3 all-time when scoring 15 or more goals.

Utah and Merrimack tied with 36 shots apiece, though the Utes were able to bury 17 of their 30 shots on goal. The Utes dominated in the faceoff circle, winning 17-of-29 attempts, and were stellar in the cage, as Colin Lenskold and Matthew Dineen combined to make 16 saves.

GAME LEADERS
Seven Utes entered the scoring column on Saturday, four of which scored multiple times, while 11 Utes logged at least a point. McNamara finished with four goals while Cade Faulkner logged two goals and a pair of helpers for four points. Will Overly added a pair of goals, Jordan Reed logged an assist and his first goal as a Ute, and Zachary White tallied a pair of assists for the third time this season.

Nikko DiPonio and Mikey Crane led the defensive effort for the Utes. The defensive duo each tallied three caused turnovers and were two of four Utes, alongside Dallin Tanner and Tyler Kloeckl, with at least three ground balls – DiPonio paced the team with five himself. Lenskold spent the first three quarters in the cage, making 10 saves while allowing just five goals, and Dineen made six saves in the final 15 minutes.

Kloeckl led the Utah effort in the faceoff circle, winning nine of his 14 tries. Spencer Krueger (5-of-9), Quinn Power (2-of-3) and Brady Grandstaff (1-of-1) combined for eight wins in 13 tries.

FIRST QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Utah's offense scored early and often to get the Utes out to an early lead. Stines put the Utes on the board first, scoring off a feed from Faulkner with 12:17 remaining, and McNamara scored at 10:56, 10:10, and 8:46, needing just 2 minutes and 10 seconds to log his hat trick and put the Utes up by four.

Ball movement ??

?? ESPN+#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/McNTTl7LcV
— Utah Lacrosse (@UtahLacrosse) February 21, 2026

Merrimack would score twice to cut the lead to two, but Reed would answer with his first goal as a Utah Ute with 5:01 to play. After another Merrimack goal, Faulkner added his first of the day and then tallied an assist on Stines' second to give the Utes a 7-3 lead after one.

Can't give him space ??

?? ESPN+#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/Yqv3GufAHK
— Utah Lacrosse (@UtahLacrosse) February 21, 2026

SECOND QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Utah's offense continued to keep its foot on the gas. Stines capped his hat trick just 31 seconds into the quarter off a feed from Conner Flanagan, and after Utah won the ensuing faceoff, DiPonio set up a Faulkner goal 12 seconds later. Reed found Stines for another goal, and the redshirt senior then set up Nathan Chalmers for the score to cap a 6-0 Utah run and put the Utes up 11-3 with 12:16 left.

RYAN. STINES.

?? ESPN+#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/kgYs2LpNVn
— Utah Lacrosse (@UtahLacrosse) February 21, 2026

Merrimack was able to stop the run with a goal of its own, but Utah would answer right back. Will Overly broke free of his defender with some fancy footwork in the offensive zone and buried his first of the year with 6:44 left in the half.

Put 'em on skates ??

?? ESPN+ #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/fgZl1VN0Bi
— Utah Lacrosse (@UtahLacrosse) February 21, 2026

Five minutes later, Krueger logged his first point of the season when he assisted on Stines' fifth goal of the game.

The Warriors would tack on one more score before the break, but Utah entered the locker room with a 13-5 lead. The Utes scored on 13 of their 26 shots in the first half, putting up 23 total points in the first 30 minutes of play.

THIRD QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Neither side could find much footing in the opening minutes of the second half. Lenskold saved all three shots sent his way, and a stellar defensive play from White that knocked the stick out of the hands of a Merrimack attacker gave Utah possession in a threatening spot. Overly was able to capitalize with a missile from long range, and with four minutes left in the period, White found McNamara to push the Utah lead to 15-5 heading into the fourth.

Yard sale!

?? ESPN+#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/CqyakWBJqX
— Utah Lacrosse (@UtahLacrosse) February 21, 2026

Defense ?? Offense

?? ESPN+#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/K4zfXjsbFu
— Utah Lacrosse (@UtahLacrosse) February 21, 2026

FOURTH QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Dineen subbed in in the cage to start the fourth and would make six saves in the final 15 minutes of play. Merrimack scored to open the frame, but Stines answered with his career-best sixth goal to push the lead back up to 10. Merrimack scored again with 3:59 remaining, but Krueger won the ensuing faceoff and took off after the ground ball, finding Stines who sent a behind-the-back pass over to Grandstaff, and the senior knocked in his first goal since the 2024 season.

Krueger ?? Stines ?? Grandstaff

?? ESPN+#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/POGqg8nCBp
— Utah Lacrosse (@UtahLacrosse) February 21, 2026

Merrimack would score one more time to cut the lead to single digits, but the Utes' lead was too steep to overcome.

UP NEXT
The Utes return to Salt LAX City next week, facing off with Iona inside Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 28. The game is scheduled to start at noon. Admission for all fans is free.

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can follow along on social media (X: @UTAHLacrosse | Instagram: @utahlacrosse), and the official mobile app of Utah Athletics, Utah360 -- download here.