Completed Event: Lacrosse versus Air Force on May 4, 2025 , Loss , 10, to, 11
Final Score
Lacrosse
10
vs Air Force
11
The University of Utah Athletics
Lacrosse Earns 13 All-Conference Honors; DiPonio Named Defensive Player of the Year
4/30/2025 3:12 PM | Lacrosse
Utes lead the ASUN in post season awards
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of Utah Lacrosse team has once again received top honors from the ASUN with junior Nikko DiPonio being named 2025 ASUN Defensive Player of the Year. Thirteen total Utes earned all-conference honors as well, leading the league, with four landing on the All-Freshman team.
In its fourth season in the ASUN, Utah has now won five player of the year awards, with junior Ryan Stines earning 2024 Player of the Year and 2023 Freshman of the Year, and in 2022, Tyler Bradbury and Samuel Cambere earning Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. DiPonio's award marks the fourth straight year with a Utah ASUN postseason honor.
Joining DiPonio on the All-ASUN first team are juniors Ryan Stines and Tyler Kloeckl. Both DiPonio and Stines received ASUN All-Conference first team selections in 2024, with Kloeckl earning his first all-conference honor.
Leading the conference in second-team selections, six Utes earned a place on the All-ASUN second team, senior Colby Plotts, junior Colin Lenskold, sophomores Cade Faulkner, Ben Trask, and Luca Pivetta, with freshman Chase Robertson rounding out the group. Plotts is the only repeat selection, earning his second all-conference second team selection, but third All-ASUN honor, after being named to the all-conference freshman team in 2022.
Rounding out the ASUN honors, four Utes were named to the ASUN All-Freshmen Team, Luke McNamara, Chase Robertson, Sky Rold and Marco Pascarella. Three of the four Utah players earned unanimous votes.
#46 Nikko DiPonio | Defense | Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (Culver Military Academy) |ASUN Defensive Player of the Year, 1st Team All-ASUN
#6 Ryan Stines | Attack | Cary, N.C. (Panther Creek HS) | 1st Team All-ASUN
#36 Tyler Kloeckl | Face-offs | Lakeville, Minn. (Farmington HS) | 1st Team All-ASUN
#2 Colin Lenskold | Goalkeeper | Wilton, Conn. (Wilton HS) | 2nd Team All-ASUN
#11 Chase Robertson | Midfielder | Oakton, Virginia (Landon HS) | 2nd Team All-ASUN, All-Freshman Team
#23 Cade Faulkner | Midfielder | Cary, Illinois (Saint Viator HS) | 2nd Team All-ASUN
#28 Colby Plotts | LS Midfielder | Cary, Illinois (Saint Viator HS) | 2nd Team All-ASUN
#42 Ben Trask | SS Defensive Midfielder | San Diego, Calif. (Torrey Pines HS) | 2nd Team All-ASUN
#48 Luca Pivetta | Defense | Victoria, B.C. (Claremont Secondary School) | 2nd Team All-ASUN
#15 Marco Pascarella | LS Midfielder | Cary, Illinois (Saint Viator HS) | 2nd Team All-ASUN
#34 Sky Rold | Midfielder | Cary, Illinois (Saint Viator HS) | 2nd Team All-ASUN
#45 Luke McNamara | Midfielder | Cary, Illinois (Saint Viator HS) | 2nd Team All-ASUN
UP NEXT
After winning a share of the ASUN regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the ASUN Championship, the Utes will take on the No. 4 seed, Bellarmine University, at Rock Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.
In its fourth season in the ASUN, Utah has now won five player of the year awards, with junior Ryan Stines earning 2024 Player of the Year and 2023 Freshman of the Year, and in 2022, Tyler Bradbury and Samuel Cambere earning Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. DiPonio's award marks the fourth straight year with a Utah ASUN postseason honor.
Joining DiPonio on the All-ASUN first team are juniors Ryan Stines and Tyler Kloeckl. Both DiPonio and Stines received ASUN All-Conference first team selections in 2024, with Kloeckl earning his first all-conference honor.
Leading the conference in second-team selections, six Utes earned a place on the All-ASUN second team, senior Colby Plotts, junior Colin Lenskold, sophomores Cade Faulkner, Ben Trask, and Luca Pivetta, with freshman Chase Robertson rounding out the group. Plotts is the only repeat selection, earning his second all-conference second team selection, but third All-ASUN honor, after being named to the all-conference freshman team in 2022.
Rounding out the ASUN honors, four Utes were named to the ASUN All-Freshmen Team, Luke McNamara, Chase Robertson, Sky Rold and Marco Pascarella. Three of the four Utah players earned unanimous votes.
#46 Nikko DiPonio | Defense | Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (Culver Military Academy) |ASUN Defensive Player of the Year, 1st Team All-ASUN
- Has started all 13 games this season, racking up a team-high 28 caused turnovers and 71 ground balls, also scoring three goals and an assist.
- Ranks first in the ASUN and twelfth nationally in ground balls per game (6.85).
- The only position-player ranked in the top-25 nationally in ground balls per game.
- Ranks third in the ASUN in caused turnovers per game (1.38).
- Collected 89 GBs this season, placing third in the Utah Individual Single Season Record Book, already surpassing his 81 in 2024.
- Tied in eighth in the record book for single-season caused turnovers with 18.
- Earned ASUN Defensive Player of the Week after collecting nine GBs at Ohio State to help break into the program's top-10 in single game GBs with 44.
- Scored goals against Mercer and Jacksonville.
- 2025 Team Captain
- 2023 ASUN All-Freshman team, 2024 All-ASUN first team.
- Has started every game he has appeared in (47).
- In just 47 games, already ranks third all-time at Utah in career caused turnovers (69) and ground balls (209).
- Just two away from moving in to second all-time in career caused turnovers (69).
#6 Ryan Stines | Attack | Cary, N.C. (Panther Creek HS) | 1st Team All-ASUN
- Has started all 13 games this season, recording a team-high 51 points on 20 goals and a team-best 31 assists, adding 27 ground balls and seven caused turnovers.
- Ranks first in the ASUN and 8th nationally in assists per game (2.38).
- On a 32-game scoring streak with at least one point in each game dating back to May 5, 2023.
- Scored five points or more in five games this season.
- Scored a career-high seven points, against Mercer (1 goal, 6 assists) and Delaware (2 goals, 5 assists).
- Had a career-high of six assists against Mercer.
- Has started all 47 games of his career.
- Has 106 career goals, 61 assists and 167 points through 47 games.
- 2023 ASUN Freshman of the Year and All-Freshman team, 2024 ASUN Player of the year and All-ASUN first team.
- 2025 Team Captain
#36 Tyler Kloeckl | Face-offs | Lakeville, Minn. (Farmington HS) | 1st Team All-ASUN
- Missed two games due to injury, but has won 110 face-offs and picked up 51 GBs.
- Scored a FOGO (face-off, get off) goal and an assist in the season-opening win at No. 19 Ohio State.
- First in the ASUN and 20th nationally for his face-off winning percentage (.573) and fourth in the league for ground balls per game with 4.64.
- Tied for fifth all-time in single game face-offs won for his 21 successes at Ohio State.
- Collected 104 ground balls in his 30 career games.
#2 Colin Lenskold | Goalkeeper | Wilton, Conn. (Wilton HS) | 2nd Team All-ASUN
- Has started all 13 games this season, recording 155 shots in his 508 shots faced.
- In goal in record-breaking 17-3 game at Queens, marking a new program record for fewest goals allowed.
- Ranked second in the ASUN for save percentage (.508) and third in saves per game (11.92) and goals-against average (11.65).
- Held four opponents to 10 goals or fewer, including Denver and Bellarmine.
- Season-high of 17 saves against Marquette.
- Faced exactly 39 shots in three straight games, before marking the same stat against Syracuse and Air Force.
#11 Chase Robertson | Midfielder | Oakton, Virginia (Landon HS) | 2nd Team All-ASUN, All-Freshman Team
- Has appeared in all 13 games this season, recording 14 goals and eight assists for 22 points.
- Recorded two games this season with three goals or more.
- Earned a career-high of four goals at Air Force, scoring a goal in the final second of regulation to force overtime.
- Season-high of five points at Queens with two goals and three assists.
#23 Cade Faulkner | Midfielder | Cary, Illinois (Saint Viator HS) | 2nd Team All-ASUN
- Has started all 13 games this season, recording 23 goals and six assists for 29 points.
- Recorded four games this season with three goals.
- Season-high of four points against Jacksonville with two goals and two assists.
#28 Colby Plotts | LS Midfielder | Cary, Illinois (Saint Viator HS) | 2nd Team All-ASUN
- Has appeared in all 13 games this season, recording 23 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers.
- Recorded two or more caused turnovers in five games this season, including a season-high of three at Air Force.
- Scored a goal at Vermont, Syracuse and Queens.
- Played in every game through his career (60).
- Sits in sixth all-time for career ground balls (102) and fourth all-time for caused turnovers (49).
#42 Ben Trask | SS Defensive Midfielder | San Diego, Calif. (Torrey Pines HS) | 2nd Team All-ASUN
- Has appeared in all 13 games this season, recording 13 ground balls and six caused turnovers.
- Scored a goal at Vermont and marked a GB and CTO.
- Season-high of three GBs at Bellarmine.
#48 Luca Pivetta | Defense | Victoria, B.C. (Claremont Secondary School) | 2nd Team All-ASUN
- Has started all 13 games, racking up 20 ground balls and 20 caused turnovers.
- Ranked first in the ASUN in caused turnovers per game (1.54) and leads the Utah roster with 20 CTOs this season.
- Has recorded at least one caused turnover in ten of Utah's 13 games this season, earning a career-high of four at Queens.
- Season-high four ground balls against Jacksonville.
#15 Marco Pascarella | LS Midfielder | Cary, Illinois (Saint Viator HS) | 2nd Team All-ASUN
- Has appeared in all 13 games this season, recording 17 ground balls and nine caused turnovers.
- Scored two goals, one at Bellarmine and one against Jacksonville.
- Earned a career-high of four ground balls against Mercer.
- Attempted 17 face-offs throughout the season.
#34 Sky Rold | Midfielder | Cary, Illinois (Saint Viator HS) | 2nd Team All-ASUN
- Has appeared in 10 games this season, recording four goals and two assists.
- Earned his first collegiate goal against Mercer, and followed up with two against Jacksonville.
- Picked up six ground balls in his 10 games.
#45 Luke McNamara | Midfielder | Cary, Illinois (Saint Viator HS) | 2nd Team All-ASUN
- Started 12 games this season, missing one due to injury.
- Leads the Utah roster in goals, bringing in 24 and second on the roster in points with 28.
- Recorded his first career hat trick and career-high in his collegiate debut at Ohio State with five goals.
- Marked down three hat tricks this season.
- Tied for ninth in the record book for individual single game goals after scoring five goals at No. 19 Ohio State.
- Ranks third in the ASUN in man-up goals, scoring five in his 12 games.
UP NEXT
After winning a share of the ASUN regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the ASUN Championship, the Utes will take on the No. 4 seed, Bellarmine University, at Rock Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.
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