Utah Lacrosse Falls 10-8 to No. 14 Denver in Snowy Contest

Saturday, February 15

Denver, CO

12:00 p.m.

University of Utah

1-2

Denver

2-1

Utah

Denver

Utah Lacrosse Falls 10-8 to No. 14 Denver in Snowy Contest

2/15/2025 4:44 PM | Lacrosse

Box Score

Cade Faulkner marked second hat trick in as many games

DENVER – The University of Utah lacrosse team took on the University of Denver Pioneers in Denver, Colo. with eight Utes earning a point, before coming up short, 10-8, on Saturday afternoon at the Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.

With the weather impeding play, Utah's strong 3-0 start was played into a slow rest of the first half, with the scoreboard reading 4-3 going in to the third quarter. The pioneers weren't able to see a goal until the 13^th minute of the first quarter.

Freshman Luke McNamara was the first to put the Utes on to the board, before quickly followed by junior Cade Faulkner's first goal of the match. The final goal of Utah's run was from sophomore Jake Likes, marking his second of the season.

GAME LEADERS
The Utes had eight different players earn a point, five of which earned one from a goal. Faulkner once again led the Utes in goals, earning his second hat trick of the season after reaching his first-career hat trick against Delaware on Feb. 8. The sophomore also led the team in points with three, but Junior Ryan Stines was at the top of the roster in shots, totaling a season-high 11.

Defensively, junior Nikko DiPonio led the squad with eight ground balls and two caused turnovers, junior Tyler Kloeckl wasn't far behind with his six ground balls and his first caused turnover of the season. Overall, thirteen different players marked a ground ball, the team's total adding up to 31. In goal, Colin Lenskold recorded 14 saves, facing 39 shots. Out of the three games this season, Lenskold has faced 39 shots at each match.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Faulkner earned his second-career hat trick in back-to-back games. The last Ute to score three or more goals in consecutive games was Tyler Bradbury, against Cleveland State and Jacksonville in the ASUN tournament in 2024. Both players achieved this feat while wearing No. 23.
Utah started the game swinging, putting three goals on the board in the first two minutes.
McNamara scored in the first 30 seconds of the game, notching the quickest goal the Utes have put out this season.
Kloeckl won 12-of-20 face-offs, pushing his season face-off percentage to 60.7%.
After tying shots in the first quarter, the Utes outshot the Pioneers in two of the three remaining quarters, accumulating 41 shots to Denver's 39.
This marks the third game this season that the Utes are the first on the scoreboard and the first to shoot.

UP NEXT
The Utes stay on the road for a trip to Vermont to take on the Catamounts in Burlington, Vt. on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 9 a.m. MT on Virtue Field.