Utah Beats Bellarmine to Open ASUN Slate

Saturday, March 28

Salt Lake City, Utah

12:00 PM

University of Utah

6-3

Bellarmine

4-8

Bellarmine

Utah

Photo by: Liv Medivitz/Utah Athletics

3/28/2026 3:50 PM | Lacrosse

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

McNamara, White log six points apiece to lead Utes to conference win

SALT LAKE CITY – The University of Utah lacrosse program opened up Atlantic Sun Conference play with a win, besting the Bellarmine Knights, 20-14, at Ute Field on Saturday afternoon.

A strong first half lifted the Utes (6-3, 1-0 ASUN) over the Knights (4-8, 0-1 ASUN). Utah jumped out to an 11-6 lead after the first 30 minutes of play, and while the second half was closer, Utah earned a one-goal advantage over the final two quarters to improve to 11-0 all-time against Bellarmine.

Utah tallied an assist on 16 of its 20 goals. The Utes' 16 helpers are the second-most in a game in program history, one shy of the record set earlier this season against Iona. Utah's 36 total points are tied for the fourth-most by any Utah squad in a single outing.

The Utes nearly doubled the Knights in shots, holding a 60-33 edge, though shots on goal were a bit closer, with Utah owning a 32-23 lead. Behind the stellar play of Tyler Kloeckl on the faceoff, Utah won 25 of 38 tries – the fourth-most in a game in program history – and was a perfect 16-for-16 on clearance tries while stopping Bellarmine on seven of its 26 attempts.

The Utah defense caused 14 turnovers and doubled the Knights in ground balls, 44-22.

GAME LEADERS
Luke McNamara and Zachary White led the Utah offense in the conference opener. McNamara paced the team with six goals while White logged six points on three goals and three assists. Ryan Stines tallied two goals and three assists, extending point streak to 44, and Will Overly added a career-best five points with five helpers.

Nikko DiPonio, who was named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List earlier this week along with Stines, led the Utah defense with four caused turnovers and six ground balls. Luca Pivetta matched his career high with four caused turnovers to go with a pair of GBs.

Kloeckl was a force on the faceoff, winning 22 of his 31 tries and nabbing a team-high 14 ground balls. His 22 faceoff wins are a personal best and tie for the fourth-most in a game in program history, while his 14 ground balls also mark a new career high and are tied for sixth-most in a game in the Utah record book.

Colin Lenskold earned the win in goal after making seven saves. Matthew Dineen made two saves off the bench after Lenskold left late in the fourth following a heavy collision.

FIRST QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Utah did not need long to get on the scoreboard as Jordan Reed found the opener less than a minute into the opening frame. The Utes doubled-up their advantage less than two minutes later when Marco Pascarella nabbed a shot off the post and started the break, getting the ball over to Stines who found Sparks open on net. McNamara made it a 3-0 game with 10:03 to play off a find from Overly.

Bellarmine stopped the bleeding with a score of its own, but Mikey Crane answered back with a pole goal set up by White.

The Knights scored twice to cut the lead to one, but after Kyle Harrison caused a turnover to give Utah possession, White found Chalmers to make it a 5-3 game after one quarter.

SECOND QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Kloeckl won the opening faceoff of the second quarter and quickly found DiPonio, who logged his fifth assist of the campaign after setting up McNamara.

Bellarmine answered with a quick score of its own, but back-to-back goals by Reed and Sparks extended the Utah edge to four. The Knights logged another, but Utah once again had the answer, starting a three-goal scoring run to take momentum back.

McNamara started the run with a man-up goal off the feed from Overly. The sophomore already owns the program record with 14 man-up goals in just 23 games. White entered the scoring column himself for the first time after Seamus McCarthy helped the Utes cut out a Bellarmine man-up chance, and Sparks capped his first-half hat trick off the feed from Chalmers to give Utah a 11-5 lead with 2:29 left.

Bellarmine scored once more before the whistle sounded, but Utah went into the locker room with a five-goal lead.

THIRD QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Utah opened the third quarter on a four-goal scoring run, its largest of the day. Cade Faulkner got the second-half scoring started after Kloeckl won another faceoff, and McNamara net his fourth of the day thanks to an assist from Chalmers to give Utah a 13-6 lead. Luke Haley scored off an Overly assist, causing Bellarmine to turn to its backup goalie, and Stines immediately slotted it past the new keeper after Kloeckl won the ensuing faceoff.

Bellarmine continued to battle, scoring four goals of its own to cut the Utah lead back down to 15-10. White stopped the run off a feed from Stines with 3:29 to play, and after Bellarmine found the back of the net, Stines set up McNamara for his fifth of the afternoon.

Bellarmine scored with 14 seconds left on the clock, but Utah went into the fourth with a 17-12 lead.

FOURTH QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Bryce Madden won the opening faceoff of the final quarter and the Utes went running, with Stines scoring off an assist from Faulkner just 16 seconds into the final frame. After five scoreless minutes, Bellarmine broke through with a goal that was quickly answered by White off an Overly assist after DiPonio got the break going with a caused turnover.

Another five-minute scoreless spell ensued. Dineen made a save on the first shot on goal he faced, but Bellarmine was able to find netting soon after to cut the lead to 19-14 with 3:45 to play. Kloeckl won the ensuing faceoff, and Overly set up McNamara for his sixth score of the day and the Utes' 20th as a team.

Neither side would find the back of the net over the last three minutes of action, and the Utes lit the U for the first time at Ute Field in 2026.

UP NEXT
ASUN play continues for the Utes on Saturday, April 4, when Utah travels to Macon, Ga., for a matchup with the Mercer Bears. Game time is set for 9 a.m. MT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can follow along on social media (X: @UTAHLacrosse | Instagram: @utahlacrosse), and the official mobile app of Utah Athletics, Utah360 -- download here.