{"id":202301,"date":"2026-04-19T02:07:36","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T02:07:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/202301\/"},"modified":"2026-04-19T02:07:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T02:07:36","slug":"lacrosse-looks-to-stay-perfect-in-asun-play-against-queens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/202301\/","title":{"rendered":"Lacrosse Looks to Stay Perfect in ASUN Play against Queens"},"content":{"rendered":"

SALT LAKE CITY \u2013 The No. 20-ranked University of Utah lacrosse program has clinched its spot in the upcoming ASUN Tournament and will look to secure at least a share of the regular season title in the penultimate game of the 2026 regular season against Queens on Saturday, April 18, at Ute Field. Admission is free for all fans. The game will also be broadcast on ESPN+ with Dane Stewart and Brad Searle on the call.
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\nOpponent: Queens (4-7, 0-3 ASUN)
\nLocation: Ute Field | Salt Lake City, Utah
\nDate: Saturday, April 18
\nTime: 12 p.m.
\nWatch: ESPN+<\/a>
\nLive Stats: UtahUtes.com<\/a>
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\nUTAH LACROSSE: NEED TO KNOWS
\nUtah is in its eighth year as a Division I program, holding a 59-45 overall record.
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\n\tHead coach Andrew McMinn<\/a> is in his fifth season with the Utes and is the all-time wins leader at Utah with a record of 58-26.
\n\tThe Utes are in their fifth season in the ASUN Conference, coming off four consecutive ASUN regular season titles (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) and two ASUN Championships in the last three seasons (2023, 2024).
\n\tUtah is ranked at No. 20 in Inside Lacrosse KANE Division I Media Poll, No. 19 in the USILA Coaches Poll, and is receiving votes in the USA Lacrosse Media Poll.
\n\tNikko DiPonio<\/a> was named the 2025 ASUN Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-America Honorable Mention status by USA Lacrosse, USILA and Inside Lacrosse. He was named a USA Lacrosse Preseason All-America Honorable Mention in 2026.
\n\tDiPonio was unanimously selected as the Preseason ASUN Defensive Player of the Year while Ryan Stines<\/a> was unanimously voted the league’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
\n\tUtah earned the top spot in the preseason ASUN Coaches Poll, the fifth straight year that Utah has been voted at least tied for No. 1 in the preseason ranking in the league.
\n\tPer LacrosseReference, Utah returns 98% of its production in goal, 96% from the stripe, 81% on defense and 78% on offense.
\n\tIn five seasons under Coach McMinn, Utah has set more than 70 program records and has gone 34-4 against ASUN opponents. <\/p>\n

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\nJOINING THE PROFESSIONAL RANKS
\nRyan Stines<\/a> and Nikko DiPonio<\/a> became the first Utah Utes to ever be selected in the Premier Lacrosse League College Draft when they heard their names called during April’s selection show.
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\n\tStines became the first Utah player to hear his name called when he was picked ninth overall with the first pick in the second round by the Utah Archers.
\n\tDiPonio was taken by the defending PLL champs, the New York Atlas, with the 24th overall pick.
\n\tStines was the third attackman taken off the board while DiPonio was the fifth defenseman selected.
\n\tUtah was one of five programs nationally to have multiple players drafted in 2026, along with Syracuse, Maryland, Notre Dame and Ohio State. <\/p>\n

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\nAMONG THE BEST
\nStines and DiPonio were among the 11 players selected nationally in the second round of additions to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List. This marks the second year in a row that Stines has been named to the Tewaaraton Watch List and the first such honor for DiPonio. Utah has now had at least one team member on the watch list in each of the last three seasons. Utah is the only program in the Atlantic Sun Conference recognized on this season’s watch list.
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\nFounded in 2001, the Tewaaraton Award annually honors the top male and female college lacrosse players in the United States. The selection committees are made up of premier collegiate coaches and are appointed annually by The Tewaaraton Foundation. “Tewaaraton” is the Mohawk word for lacrosse, and The Tewaaraton Award symbolizes lacrosse’s Native American Heritage.
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\nBIG MAC ATTACK
\nSophomore Luke McNamara<\/a> has blossomed into one of the nation’s most lethal scorers.
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\n\tMcNamara leads the country with 46 goals (4.18 goals per game) so far this season.
\n\tThe sophomore scores at a prolific rate, finding nylon on 52.9% of his total shots.
\n\tHis 3.20 career goals per game (79 scores in 25 games) are the most among all active Division I players. <\/p>\n

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\nNO SHORTAGE OF FIREPOWER
\nThrough the first 11 games of the 2026 season, Utah has boasted one of the nation’s best offensive attacks.
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\n\tUtah leads the nation in assists per game (9.73), ranks second in goals per game (16.00) and points per game (25.73), and third in scoring margin (+5.82).
\n\tOnly two teams – No. 4 Richmond and No. 15 Duke – have a higher scoring margin, and Utah is one of six teams at +5.00 or better.
\n\tMcNamara (4.18, 1st) and Stines (2.91, 12th) both sit in the top 15 nationally in goals per game, while Zachary White<\/a> ranks 16th in the country with 2.09 assists per outing.
\n\tStines (51) and McNamara (50) have both eclipsed 50 points this season; Utah is one of four teams nationally with multiple 50-plus point scorers (Bellarmine, Virginia, Georgetown), and Stines ranks 12th nationally in points per game (4.64) and McNamara ranks 17th (4.55).
\n\tUtah has also made the most of opponent penalties, as McNamara ranks third nationally with seven man-up goals.
\n\tMuch of Utah’s success can come down to possession time – Utah leads the NCAA in ground balls per game (39.55), ranks second nationally in caused turnovers per game (12.27), seventh in clearing percentage (.912) and 23th in faceoff win percentage (.545). <\/p>\n

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\nRECORD WATCH
\nThis season’s Utah team has already left its mark on the record book, with a number of players looking to set career records before season’s end.
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\nNUMBERS TO KNOW<\/p>\n


\n\t46 \u2013 Ryan Stines<\/a> is riding a 46-game point streak, scoring at least a point in every game since May 5, 2023. He has also scored a goal in each of his last 18 games dating back to March 29 of last season.
\n\t2 \u2013 Nikko DiPonio<\/a> leads the ASUN and ranks second nationally with 2.73 caused turnovers per game, and as a team, Utah ranks second in the NCAA with 12.27 per contest.
\n\t10 \u2013 Luke McNamara<\/a> became the first NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse player to score 10 or more goals in a game since the 2020 season when he net 10 against Iona.
\n\t1999 \u2013 Utah became the first squad since the turn of the century to eclipse the 30-goal mark when it dropped 32 against Iona. The last team to put up a 30-burger was Johns Hopkins against Saint Joseph’s on April 21, 1999.
\n\t16 \u2013 Utah is averaging 16.00 goals per game through the first 11 games of the season, the second-best mark nationally and the highest in the ASUN.
\n\t217 \u2013 Ryan Stines<\/a> became Utah’s all-time career points leader against Virginia, scoring once to log his 217th point as a Ute to break the program record.
\n\t63 \u2013 Utah has outscored its opponents by 64 goals this season, owning a 176-112 scoring margin. Only two other teams (Duke, Richmond) boast a +64 margin or better.
\n\t3324 \u2013 No goalkeeper in Division I Lacrosse has spent more time in the cage than senior Colin Lenskold<\/a>. Lenny has played 3,324 minutes in front of net for Utah and was named the ASUN Defensive Player of the Week last week after making 13 saves against Jacksonville. <\/p>\n

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\nLOOKING BACK
\nUtah clinched its spot in the ASUN Tournament and improved to 3-0 in conference play with a come-from-behind victory over Jacksonville.
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\n\tThe Utes fell behind early, trailing 4-0 after the first quarter, but came back to win thanks to a four-goal scoring run in the fourth. Utah held Jacksonville to its lowest goal total of the season.
\n\tUtah held a 45-35 shot advantage and a 27-21 edge in shots on goal despite trailing in faceoff wins (7-13) and ground balls (28-40).
\n\tColin Lenskold<\/a> tallied 13 saves in the cage, matching his season high, with seven of those coming in the second half while Utah mounted the comeback.
\n\tNathan Chalmers<\/a> led the Utah offense with his first career hat trick, scoring the tying and go-ahead goals in the fourth quarter. The sophomore put all four of his shots on goal, finding netting on three of them.
\n\tDiPonio paced the Utah defense with a caused turnover and a team-best six ground balls. His CT was a monumental one, as he became the first player in Utah program history to log 100 ground balls in a career. <\/p>\n

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\nLOOKING AHEAD
\nUtah will close out the regular season on Saturday, April 25, at Ute Field when the Utes take on Air Force on Senior Day. Admission will be free for all fans.
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\nSTAY CONNECTED
\nFans can follow along on social media (X: @UTAHLacrosse<\/a> | Instagram: @utahlacrosse<\/a>), and the official mobile app of Utah Athletics, Utah360 — download\u00a0here<\/a>.