With the high school lacrosse season just rounding the halfway point, several teams are rising to the top of the Class A bracket. Corner Canyon, Park City, Brighton, Juan Diego and Skyline make up the top five in the latest Lacrosse Box coaches poll, however, Corner Canyon lost to Park City last Wednesday in a 1 vs. 2 showdown. It was a close game throughout, with neither team gaining the edge in the first half.
The difference in the game was three man-up goals for Park City in the third quarter that ultimately led to the Miners' 7-6 win. Park City attackman Cole Flinders led the Miners with two goals and two assists. The Chargers were led by Max Asay (2G), Matt Graney (2G) and Davis Zwicky (2G).
On the girls side, Park City remains supreme with a perfect 8-0 record. The Brighton Bengals are nipping at their heals with a 6-0 record and look to be the lone challenger for the Miners this season. Their showdown on April 21 should be an instant classic.
In the collegiate ranks, BYU currently sits at No. 2 in the men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association Division I polls. The Westminster Griffins come in at No. 20. In Division II, Utah State checks in at No. 19.
Weekly rewind
For the boys on Monday, Skyline attackman Harri Martin scored the game-winning goal in overtime over rival Olympus. The Eagles overcame several four and five goal deficits to tie the game late.
The Pleasant Grove Vikings beat Alta, 16-11, on Tuesday, which was the first win for Vikings head coach Brae Burbidge over the Hawks in four tries.
On Thursday, Timpview beat Wasatch, 12-5, extending the Thunderbirds' undefeated season (10-0), which is their best start in the last 10 years.
For the girls on Monday, Juan Diego beat its neighbor to the south, Corner Canyon, 15-5. Mara Gronseth led Juan Diego with seven goals and one assist. The Herriman girls nabbed an 11-7 win over Bingham, which was the Mustangs' first victory over the Miners in program history.
In a key Division I south conference matchup on Tuesday, American Fork beat Lone Peak, 9-8. Freshman Savannah Ernst led the Cavemen with five goals and has proved to be the best freshman in the state so far this season.
On Thursday, Timpanogos picked up a key Division II south conference win over Waterford, 5-4.
A look ahead
This week is slow, with many programs taking a break because of their schools' spring break, however, there are still some great matchups that will be key for playoff positions.
The Corner Canyon boys are heading to Oregon to take on three of the top programs the Beaver State has to offer. The Chargers will take on West Linn, Lakeridge and Lincoln.
The game of the week will be Juan Diego hosting Brighton on Wednesday. In the current polls, Brighton has been No. 3 all season while Juan Diego has been No. 4 in four out of five weeks. The Bengals have a solid offense with Hunter Albert leading the team with 18 goals on the season. Alec Meyer leads the Soaring Eagle with 21 goals and 23 assists.
Also on Wednesday, Cache County rivals Mountain Crest and Sky View will clash to see who reigns supreme in the north.
On Saturday and Sunday, Coronado and Palo Verde will travel from Las Vegas to play Juan Diego and Park City respectively. All four games should be highly competitive with state bragging rights on the line.
The girls game to watch this week will be when Riverton hosts Herriman on Thursday. The game will be a great rivalry game that will affect Division I south conference playoff standings. The Mustangs will enter the game with a 5-1 record while the Silverwolves come in with three wins and two losses.
For the men, No. 6 Colorado and No. 11 Colorado State are coming to town to take on No. 2 BYU, No. 20 Westminster and Utah. Each game is a key Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference matchup that will determine seeding for the playoffs in early May.
UVU is heading to Southern California to take on LMU and USC on Wednesday and Thursday.
For the women on Tuesday, Utah will host BYU and then play Wyoming, Northern Colorado and Boise State this weekend.
Utah State will also play Boise State, Northern Colorado and Wyoming this weekend.
Westminster will take to the road and play at Adams State on Friday.
Tim Haslam is the editor in chief of Utah Lacrosse News, a local website dedicated to the sport of lacrosse. You can reach him at tim@utahlacrossenews.com or follow on twitter: @utahlaxnews