Skyridge attack Sophia Fife (45) scores the ball on Lone Peak goalie Elsie Hume (27) during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Ever since Michelle Buechner began inviting girls from all over northern Utah County to be part of her club lacrosse team, her program has been successful.
When the sport became sanctioned by the Utah High School Activities Association in 2019, Buechner began building the program at Skyridge High School. It was only a short time before it became something extra special.
The only part still missing is a sanctioned state championship. However, the Falcons moved within a step of their first crown Tuesday by thrashing Lone Peak 23-6 in a 6A semifinal game at Westminster University’s Dumke Field.
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Skyridge players celebrate after defeating Lone Peak in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Skyridge midfielder Summer Buechner (12) drives the ball toward the goal while pursued by Lone Peak midfielder Lucy McMurray (35) during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Skyridge midfielder Summer Buechner (12) controls the ball while pursued by Lone Peak midfielder Millie McMurray (31) during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Skyridge attack Sophia Fife (45) scores the ball on Lone Peak goalie Elsie Hume (27) during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Lone Peak midfielder Claire Wright (9) reacts after Skyridge midfielder Summer Buechner (12) scored a goal on the Knights during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Skyridge head coach Michelle Buechner stands beside her daughter, midfielder Summer Buechner (12), as they’re interviewed after defeating Lone Peak in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Skyridge midfielder Summer Buechner (12) controls the ball while pursued by Lone Peak defender Ellie Whitworth (13) during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Skyridge midfielder Summer Buechner (12) eyes the goal during a game against Lone Peak in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Skyridge midfielder Ellie Palmer (8) controls the ball while pursued by Lone Peak defender Ellie Whitworth (13) during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Skyridge head coach Michelle Buechner talks with her players during halftime of a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Skyridge midfielder Ellie Palmer (8) celebrates her goal against Lone Peak with fellow midfielder Summer Buechner (12) during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Lone Peak attack Emy Anderson (16) controls the ball while guarded by Skyridge midfielder Ellie Palmer (8) during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Skyridge midfielder Geneva Barfuss (9) celebrates her goal against Lone Peak with attack Sage Curtis (66) during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Skyridge midfielder Summer Buechner (12) controls the ball while pursued by Lone Peak midfielder Millie McMurray (31) during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Skyridge midfielder Summer Buechner (12) runs the ball up the field as she’s guarded by Lone Peak defender Ellie Whitworth (13) during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Skyridge attack Tessa Jamison (14) prepares to shoot the ball and score a goal against Lone Peak during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Riverton players celebrate defeating Mountain Ridge in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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From left, Riverton's Paisley Young (11), Marlei Young (34) and Cara Erramouspe (38) celebrate a goal against Mountain Ridge during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Riverton's Cara Erramouspe, center left, celebrates her goal against Mountain Ridge with Marlei Young (34) during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Mountain Ridge midfielder Taylie Anderson (14) controls the ball while guarded by Riverton's Cara Erramouspe (38) during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Riverton's Mya Christian (30) reaches for the ball during a game against Mountain Ridge in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Mountain Ridge attack Lucy Rigby, center right, celebrates her goal against Riverton with midfielder Kennady Anderson, center left, during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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From left, Mountain Ridge attack Lucy Rigby celebrates her goal with attacks Aubrey Winegar (1) and Kaitlyn Selway (9) during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Riverton goalie Isabel Simonsen (43) sends the ball away during a game against Mountain Ridge in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Mountain Ridge attack Kaitlyn Selway (9) celebrates her goal against Riverton during a game in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Mountain Ridge goalie Greta Tree (70) sends out the ball during a game against Riverton in the semifinals of the 6A girls lacrosse state tournament held at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Sophomore Summer Buechner, the coach’s daughter, scored five goals and added six assists as Skyridge improved its record to 20-1 overall. The Falcons have not lost to a Utah opponent all year and were not even threatened — again. They have won the last three tournament contests by a combined score of 68-9.
Going up against Lone Peak, the second-place team in their region that scored 10 goals against them last time, didn’t even shake their routine.
“If (the Falcons) play the game like they can, they won’t lose,” coach Buechner said.
“You just have to trust the team,” said Summer, a sophomore who made the all-state team last year and is a sure bet to do it again this season by virtue of her stat sheet, which shows 70 goals and 80 assists so far.
“We’ve played in the freezing cold and the blazing hot.”
Summer has also played a lot in her family’s downstairs basement, which has been uniquely renovated to include a long, narrow room where each of the six kids have learned to pass and catch a rubber lacrosse ball countless times.
Summer’s older siblings, which include former Skyridge standouts Haven and River Buechner, also defined the terms of their game, “no rules and anything goes,” and that helped them prepare for difficult times against physical opponents like Lone Peak.
Besides Summer, the Falcons also got four goals from each of Ellie Palmer, Tessa Jamison and Sage Curtis as well as three from Sophia Fife to earn a chance to play in the title contest for just the second time in school history.
“We’ve had a great season and have a chance make it something special,” said coach Buechner. “We knew we couldn’t overlook Lone Peak and had to play the best that we could.”
They hope to do it again Thursday when they take on Riverton, another school looking for its first state lacrosse crown, at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman that will have 10 a.m. start.
The Riverton girls’ lacrosse team was looking to find an athlete to make key plays Tuesday if it had any hope of reaching the 6A state title game.
Coach Hannah Kelleher was proud to say she found several.
Maggie Bird scored four goals and Cara Erramouspe, Mya Christian, Marlei Young and Suli Tafisi had two apiece as the Silverwolves took an early lead and held on to edge defending champion Mountain Ridge 12-11 on a chilly evening at Westminster University’s Dumke Field.
The Silverwolves never trailed but also never felt comfortable, and only secured this match when Erramouspe found the net with 1:20 left.
“The players knew they needed to make an impact,” said Kelleher. “They attacked. They saw the opportunities when we needed it.”
Kelleher was particularly thrilled with her freshmen: Erramouspe, Christian and Young.
“Sure, they’re playing in a big game on a bigger stage, but they’re used to it,” she said. “They played in the championship in the youth bracket last year and they know how to win.”
The stage was also familiar to Kelleher, who starred at Westminster with her sister (and co-coach), Maddie, from 2021-24. They were happy to see their team get a chance to celebrate on their “home” field.
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The Silverwolves led 3-1 after the first quarter and seemed to be comfortable with a 7-5 halftime lead, simply because they hadn’t allowed more than seven goals in a game all season.
However, the Sentinels kept applying pressure. Led by Lucy Rigby’s seven goals and Bentlee McMurtrey’s pair, they had their fans hoping for another state title berth when they tied the score 10-10 with 6:11 left.
However, 15 seconds later, Riverton found its motivation again and scored. Then, with 3:07 to go, the Sentinels tied the game, setting up the late-night theatrics.
With the win, Riverton improved its record to 19-1 and advanced to the 6A state championship against Skyridge.
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