#16 Utah Stuns #8 UMD

by Tim Haslem CollegeLAX

The No. 16 Utah Utes beat No. 8 Minn-Duluth on Sunday in Salt Lake City by the score of 13-5 as UMD dropped its second in a row during a disappointing road swing in Utah.

Both teams started the game with long possessions which led to the first goal of the game at the 10:30 mark in the first quarter for Minn-Duluth. The Bulldogs scored just seconds later to take a quick 2-0 lead.

Utah (4-2) scored a man-up goal with 3:32 remaining in the first but Minn-Duluth answered right back and lead 3-1 after the first quarter.

Utah scored two goals in the beginning of the second quarter to tie the score at 3. Minn-Duluth answered back to regain the lead but it would be the last time the Bulldogs were ahead. Utah went on a 4 goal run which included two man-up goals to take a 7-4 lead into halftime.

Utah didn’t let up and poured on a 5 goal third quarter and held the Bulldogs scoreless, giving the Utes a 12-4 lead.

Minn-Duluth (2-2, 2-0) scored at the 12:56 mark in the fourth quarter which gave the Bulldogs new life but the Utah defense wouldn’t give way. Utah tacked on one more goal midway through the fourth en route to the victory.

“We had a plan on things we wanted to do and I think we did them well,” said Utah Head Coach Craig Morris. “It’s great to go up against really great lacrosse teams because they keep pushing us to get better even though we got them today.”

Utah was led my Senior Attackmen Mark Manning who had 2 goals and 3 assists. Utah narrowly won the face-off battle, winning 10 and losing 9.

Minn-Duluth had 10 penalties overall which led to 3 man-up goals for Utah.

“We just didn’t execute,” said Minn-Duluth Head Coach Frank Clark. “They hit their shots and we didn’t. That team that showed up today can’t show up. If we don’t learn from this game then we won’t get better. If we get better from it then the game was worth it.”

Utah will face No. 6 Colorado on Friday in a key RMLC match-up. Minn-Duluth will travel to Oregon in two weeks to face No. 24 Oregon on March 18 and No. 6 Colorado on March 19.