Records Fall as Utes Beat Iona, 32-4

Saturday, February 28

Salt Lake City, Utah

12:00 PM

University of Utah

3-2

Iona

0-8

Iona

Utah

Photo by: Liv Medivitz/Utah Athletics

2/28/2026 4:32 PM | Lacrosse

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

McNamara is first Ute with 10-plus goals in a game in program’s highest-scoring game in program history

SALT LAKE CITY – The University of Utah lacrosse program put together the most dominant game in school history on Saturday, beating Iona 32-4 while setting a plethora of program records along the way.

Utah's 32 goals are tied for the fourth most in a single game in NCAA Division I history and shattered the previous team record of 26. The Utes are the first team since the 1999 season to score 30-plus goals in a game. Utah's 48 total points – including a program-record 16 assists - are tied with Notre Dame for the most in a game this season.

Utah (3-2) got out to a blazing start, scoring 14 unanswered goals in the first period alone. The Utes took a commanding 22-2 lead into the locker room at the half and ended the game on an eight-goal scoring run.

The Utes controlled just about every statistic against Iona (0-8), including a staggering 61-25 shot advantage. Utah won 30-of-39 faceoff tries – the second most in a single game - and was a perfect 21-of-21 on clearance opportunities while picking up 52 ground balls, the third most in since becoming a Division I program.

Utah's four goals allowed are the second fewest in program history and mark the sixth time that the Utes have held an opponent to five goals or less.

GAME LEADERS
Luke McNamara set the Utah program record with 10 goals to go with an assist for a career-high 11 points. The sophomore took 15 total shots, 12 of which were on goal. He is the first Division I player to score double-digit goals in a single game since Hobart's Jason Knox did so during the 2020 campaign. His 11 points are tied for the most by any player nationally this season.

Alongside McNamara, 15 other Utes were able to find the back of the net. Karson Sparks and Luke Sheppard each logged their first-career hat tricks, while Ryan Stines, Jordan Reed, and Sean Siracusa all tallied multiple goals. Sparks, Will Overly and Nathan Chalmers led the team with two assists each and were three of 13 Utes to tally helpers on the day.

Nikko DiPonio once again spearheaded Utah's defensive effort, nabbing a career-high nine ground balls to go with a caused turnover as well as an assist. Tyler Kloeckl was dominant in the center circle, winning 13 of his 15 faceoff tries to go with 10 ground balls. Kloeckl's 86.7% faceoff win percentage is the third-best in a game in program history.

Colin Lenskold and Matthew Dineen split time in the cage, combining for 10 saves and a 71.4% save percentage.

FIRST QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Utah needed just over a minute after the opening whistle to get on the board. Jordan Reed was able to score on Utah's second shot and Ben Trask followed it up with his first goal of the season moments later to give the Utes an early 2-0 lead with 12:23 to play. Six seconds later, Kloeckl won the faceoff and set up McNamara for his first score of the day.

McNamara scored again to give the Utes a 4-0 lead, and after Dallin Tanner netted his first of the season, the sophomore from Kansas capped his third hat trick of the season with 9:59 left to play. Seven seconds later, he found goal No. 4 off the feed from Joel Mullen to put Utah up 7-0.

Dallin Tanner hits from long range??

?? ESPN+ #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/YdwxPo73cK
— Utah Lacrosse (@UtahLacrosse) February 28, 2026

After a pole goal from Luca Pivetta, Sparks net his first of the day and Cade Faulkner made it a 10-0 game with 6:21 to play in the opening quarter. McNamara made it five goals in the opening quarter when Zachary White found him open in front of the net, and after Ian Ludewig scored his first of the season, McNamara scored his sixth of the game with some zhuzh to grow the lead to 13-0.

WHAT A GOAL BY LUKE MCNAMARA ??

??ESPN+

#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/Ia3jX3xI31
— Utah Lacrosse (@UtahLacrosse) February 28, 2026

Ryan Stines scored with a second left on the game clock to push the lead to 14-0 and extend his streak to 40 consecutive games with a goal.

SECOND QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Iona was able to finally get on the board to start the second quarter, but Utah answered back with seven straight goals. Sparks, McNamara and Stines all slotted shots past the goalkeeper to push the lead to 17-1 with 9:37 left to play before Utah truly started to slow down its pace of play.

Behind the back pass leads to a Karson Sparks goal??

??ESPN+#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/ypUeCYY1ND
— Utah Lacrosse (@UtahLacrosse) February 28, 2026

Sparks capped his hat trick with 5:10 left in the half, and after winning the ensuing faceoff, Sheppard was able to bury his first collegiate goal. After a faceoff win by Bryce Madden, Jordan Reed found his second of the day, and following a save in the cage by Lenskold, the senior goalie got the fast break going and McNamara capitalized with his eighth score of the half to put Utah up by 20, 21-1.

LUUUUUUKE

First career goal for Luke Sheppard makes it 19-1.

ESPN+#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/Oz29MgPy1f
— Utah Lacrosse (@UtahLacrosse) February 28, 2026

Iona would score once more in the half, but with 10 seconds left to play, Luke Haley buried a leaping, twisting shot to give the Utes a 22-2 edge heading into the locker room.

THIRD QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Dineen subbed in to start the second half, making three saves in each of his two quarters of play. Neither side could find the back of the net in the first five minutes of the quarter before Stines found Conner Flanagan open at the top of the zone and the sophomore buried Utah's third pole goal of the game. Brady Grandstaff also got in on the scoring party, netting an unassisted goal to put Utah up, 24-2.

We might need a radar gun to read this ROCKET from Brady Grandstaff??

??ESPN+ #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/c5ync9xLnb
— Utah Lacrosse (@UtahLacrosse) February 28, 2026

Iona scored twice to cut the deficit to 20, but Siracusa buried a buzzer beater to make it a 21-5 lead after three quarters.

FOURTH QUARTER BREAKDOWN
McNamara net his ninth goal of the game to start the fourth quarter, officially setting the Utah program record and Quinn Power scored a FOGO goal to quickly extend the lead to 27-4.

??NEW PROGRAM RECORD??

Luke McNamara's 9th goal sets a new program record for goals scored in a single game.

??ESPN+#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/5VOTuSrsAT
— Utah Lacrosse (@UtahLacrosse) February 28, 2026

Sheppard net his second of the day after Blake Franckowiak came away with the ball out of a scrum in the corner.

After Utah won the ensuing faceoff, Siracusa set up Gavin Howard for his first goal of the season. Siracusa then took it himself to bury Utah's 30th goal of the game.

McNamara, not satisfied with just the program record, scored his 10th of the day off the feed from Overly. Sheppard capped the scoring and his hat trick with three minutes left to play after taking a pass from Howard.

UP NEXT
The Utes stay at home next Saturday, taking on Dartmouth inside Rice-Eccles Stadium at noon on March 7.

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