High school boys lacrosse: Brighton, Park City set for 5A championship rematch

There’s a simple reason why the Park City boys lacrosse team doesn’t allow goals. The Miners, of course, praise their defense, but they also keep possession for a long time. There is no shot clock in lacrosse, and using crisp passing and timely scoring, Park City is now just one game away from the 5A state title. Hunter Hutchison and Henry Alnwick scored three goals apiece and Wade Birch added two scores and three assists as the Miners ended East’s “Cinderella” tournament run Wednesday with a 12-6 win at Westminster University. The top-seeded Miners were never threatened. They led 4-0 after the first period and 9-2 at halftime. After that, coach Mike Persky’s club mostly held on to the ball and limited East’s scoring chances. Senior goalkeeper Max Gordon was credited with 10 saves, most which came in the second half when the Leopards turned up the heat to try to rally from the deficit. “Our boys really came together,” Gordon said. “It was all about our team (defense).” “We have great seniors,” added Persky. “Not all of them play but they all support each other. East is a region opponent, so we knew what they could do and we figured they’d be physical, but I like to think we’re pretty physical, too.” Persky praised his son, Chris, a former college player on the East Coast who has taken control of the defense, and the father/son duo have their sights set a little higher than last season, when they fell to Brighton in the title contest. With the win Wednesday, the Miners improved their record to 17-3 and will have a rematch against the Bengals Saturday at 11 a.m. at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman. Park City’s only losses this season have come to a pair of Colorado powerhouses and 6A champion Corner Canyon. Against 5A opponents, the most goals they’ve allowed has been six — both times against East. The Leopards came into the tournament as the No. 12 seed after finishing in third place in Region 4. However, they were clearly frustrated by Park City’s ability to hold on to the ball after gaining momentum following upset wins over Bountiful and Wasatch. Will Pearson-Ortolani led East with two goals, while Riley Pearson-Ortolani, Bailey Pearson-Ortolani, Oscar Keegan and Kade Black chipped in one each. Momentum is often a key factor in sports, and that was apparent Wednesday in the late 5A boys semifinal match between long-standing rivals Brighton and Alta. Brighton led the entire way but the Hawks rallied to cut the margin to 10-9 with 6:09 left in the game. Bengals coach Chris O’Donnell said he didn’t have time for a pep talk. He just had to hope someone would step up. It didn’t take long. Gabe Carrera scored six goals and Zac Anderson had five, and each played a part as the Bengals exploded for five goals in a three-minute span late in the match as Brighton earned a chance for its third straight championship with a 12-6 win at Westminster University. “I really don’t know what I would have said,” O’Donnell said. “It’s Alta, and they’re a region opponent. We know each other and we both really wanted to win. It’s about who wanted it more.” O’Donnell also said Seabastian Ramirez made a big contribution, showing extra effort in the face-off in the final minutes. During Brighton’s scoring run, Alta rarely had possession and, when Anderson, Carrera and Bode Linford found the net, the momentum only grew. With the win, Brighton improved to 14-3 and advanced to play Park City in Saturday’s title game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman. Alta, which defeated the Bengals 14-13 a month ago on Brighton’s home field, hurt itself with a slow start. The Hawks trailed 9-2 at intermission but shored up their defense, and then Trevor Goins’ three goals finally got their fans excited. The outcome, in fact, was in doubt until Ramirez took control on the next face-off and Brighton scored 33 seconds later. Another goal followed only nine seconds afterward and the match was decided. Alta, the No. 3 seed, finished its season with a 17-3 record. Both the Hawks and Brighton lost to Park City in regular-season games.