The University of Utah lacrosse team (1-3) came off a tough loss against No. 6 Denver in a physical and demanding matchup this past Saturday at the Rice Eccles Stadium. The Utes then had Vermont and Syracuse on their schedule next. The Utes fell short to No. 8 Syracuse 18-7 in New York on Wednesday, before beating Vermont 22-12 to earn their first win of the year.
Syracuse- First Half
In the beginning, Utah was letting up a lot of shots, finishing the quarter with only four compared to Syracuse’s 16. Utah scored the first with a goal from Tyler Bradbury, his fourth of the season. Utah continuously got shot after and after again, with Cody Hart finding the back of the net to tie the game at two points each. Utah’s defense could not keep up with the opposition. After a goal by Ryan Stines, the Utah Utes were down 3-5. Syracuse was unrelenting, scoring two more goals to give Utah a 3-7 deficit after the first quarter.
The second quarter was uneventful for the Utes, as they were unable to find the back of the net. Utah took 12 shots, only 5 being on goal. The Utes would be down 3-10 leading into the second half.
Second Half
The Utes once again could not find the goal in the third quarter. Despite 12 shots in the quarter again, Utah was unable to find the back of the net. The Utes finished cold, as Syracuse expanded their lead to 13-3.
In the fourth, Jordan Hyde would pick up a goal with 14 minutes left. Utah’s offense finally found its momentum, scoring all over the field. Hyde scored back-to-back goals, trying to make it close. The comeback would fall short as Utah lost 7-18.
Vermont- First Half
Utah started off the game with aggression, with Carson Moyer scoring just 1:30 into the match. Two minutes later, Bradbury continued the momentum with a goal of his own. Two more consecutive goals from MJ McMahon and Will Overly gave Utah a quick 4-0 lead. Vermont found momentum with a goal, but Utah responded with four more of their own.
Utah took an 8-2 lead after the first quarter, but Vermont responded in the second quarter with six goals. Utah was able to grab five to take a 13-8 lead at halftime.
Second Half
The second half started slow, with Moyer scoring eight minutes into the quarter. The Utes continued to score back-to-back and expand the lead. Vermont got hot, scoring three straight goals to keep the score close midway through the fourth. Utah crushed Vermont’s hopes with five straight goals to end the game and earn the 22-12 victory.
Although Utah has started the season cold, the team finally got their first win. They now face Marquette on March 2 before playing Bellarmine on March 16.
