SALT LAKE CITY – On a beautiful day in Salt LAX City, the University of Utah Lacrosse team put together a record-setting performance in front of a sellout crowd at Ute Field, beating the Mercer Bears 23-9. Utah is 4-3 overall to end non-conference play.
Utah set single-season team records in points (35) and goals (23) against the Bears. Utah’s 23 goals ties for the most by an ASUN team this season and is fourth nationally while its 35 points ties for second-most in the ASUN.
The Utes strung together a season-high 12 assists along with a season-best 45 ground balls. Utah’s 45 ground balls is the most by an ASUN team this season and ranks second all-time in program history.
Utah was perfect on clears for the second time this season (16-of-16), also outshooting the Bears 58-31 which included 36 shots on goal. The Utes also held Mercer to just nine goals, the lowest total by an opponent this season.
GAME LEADERS
Jordan Hyde, who scored a career-high six goals for six points to rank second all-time at Utah in single-game goals, led the Utes in both categories. Josh Rose also put together a six-point performance, scoring his first-career hat trick along with a career-best three assists.
Faceoff specialist and midfielder Cole Brams also had a record-breaking day, racking up a career-high and school record 17 ground balls, the most by an ASUN player this season which also ranks fifth nationally. He also set the program record for faceoff wins, picking up 23 (23-of-30).
The Utes saw three goalkeepers in action today with Zack Johns making the start, earning two saves. Zion Dechesere came in the second half, adding an immediate spark with seven saves and just two goals against while Connor Hollison recorded his first collegiate saves in the fourth quarter (2).
FIRST QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Utah scored five goals in the first quarter to take a 5-3 lead through 15 minutes, starting with back-to-back goals from Rose to start the Utes on a 3-0 run on the Bears. Mercer scored with 9:50 on the clock, but Brams would counter, winning the faceoff and taking it all the way to the back of the net for a 4-1 lead.
Mercer would make it a two-point game at the 6:40 mark in the quarter, but Branden Wilson would score his first goal of the season with 5:22 left to give Utah a solid cushion.
SECOND QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Mercer quickly cut the Utah lead to one-point with 13:41 left in the second quarter, but the Utes would score two goals in just 20 seconds to make it 7-4 which included a coast-to-coast long stick goal by Rylan Lemons.
Hyde would end up scoring three of his six goals in the second quarter with Josh Stout and MJ McMahon also finding the back of the net. Utah scored 11 goals in the first half of the game, heading into halftime with an 11-7 lead.
THIRD QUARTER BREAKDOWN
The Utes would start the second half by getting on the scoreboard once again, this time with Ruben Santana’s second goal of the game, giving Utah a 12-7 lead with 13:21 on the clock. After a Mercer goal found its way through the Utah defense, the Utes would go on a 6-0 run to end the quarter with an 18-8 lead.
FOURTH QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Zion Dechesere would rack up five of his seven saves in the fourth quarter, giving Utah a brick wall in goal while only allowing one goal in the quarter and just two in the second half.
Tyler Schifko scored his second goal of the season and Utah’s 19th on the day with 11:35 left to play, officially breaking the school record for single-game goals after the Utes put up 18 against Westminster in 2021.
Both Jared Andreala and Hyde scored in the fourth quarter as well, but then it was the youth on the team that got to shine with freshmen Freddie DiMarzo and Cody Hart scoring their first career goals to end the game with the 23-9 victory.
UP NEXT
Utah will being ASUN play on Saturday, April 2 when they take on Air Force on the road. The game is slated for a 12 p.m. MT start.
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