High school lacrosse: Hurricane girls, Snow Canyon boys finish as unbeaten league champions

Written by E. George Goold
May 12, 2024

ST. GEORGE — The girls lacrosse team from Hurricane capped off an undefeated season and won the Southern Utah Lacrosse League championship after a 7-6 overtime victory against Snow Canyon Saturday night.

“We fully expected to come in and play our game. They threw us off a bit, for about half the game actually,” Hurricane coach Chad Oliphant told St. George News.

“Our game is a big game, we try not to play it close. We like to play a big game and use the whole field,” Oliphant added. “We’ve got 12 girls on the field at any given time that we trust, and they trust each other, and that’s what makes this group unique.”

Hurricane (10-0) possessed the ball for much of the first half and built up a 4-1 lead.

The resilient Warriors stormed back late in the second half, keyed by back-to-back scores from Allana Young, and tied the game 6-6 to force the sudden death extra session.

Hurricane’s Carly Jones (12) cradles the ball against Snow Canyon in the Southern Utah Lacrosse League girls championship game, St. George, Utah, May 11, 2024 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

The Tigers needed less than a minute for Carly Jones to score the decisive goal.

“They deserved to win as much as we did,” Oliphant said. “Props to Snow Canyon and their coaching staff. They are a classy program and watch out for them in the future.”

The game-winner by Jones was her second goal of the contest. Vennalee Oliphant also tallied for the Tigers and freshman Alegra Guzman led all scorers with her hat trick.

“We wanted to put in as much work as we possibly can and play to our best effort,” Guzman said. “We wanted to come out and play a great game and that’s what we did.”   

Hurricane goalie Izabella Echols made some key stops and Snow Canyon goalie Brinley Baker was a stonewall, keeping her team in the game with several point-blank saves.

Hurricane’s team is a family affair as three Oliphant coaches (Chad, Terra, Tymber) and two Oliphant players (Harlee, Vennalee) are on the roster.

Hurricane’s Alegra Guzman (left) scores against Snow Canyon in the Southern Utah Lacrosse League girls championship game, St. George, Utah, May 11, 2024 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Other family relations on the Tigers roster include Rebekah Vick and Audrey Vick; Chayse Jones, Berkli Jones and Carly Jones; Macey Crockett and Anna Crockett.

Rounding out the championship team were Whitnie Esplin, Bailey Wilson, Chloe Pippert, Ora Wright, Camryn Andra, Bernice Barlow, Graycee Glazier and Angel Howard.

Coach Oliphant said several of the Tigers excel in the classroom as well. The team is a closely-knit group that has played together since the program’s inception a couple of years ago.

“It was crazy. We all worked really hard for it and it came out well,” Guzman said. “We all are a family, put in the work together and we play together in everything. We are just a family.”

Snow Canyon boys unbeaten

Cedar’s Eric Burger (99) and Snow Canyon’s Drake Roberts (right) face off during the Southern Utah Lacrosse League boys championship game, St. George, Utah, May 11, 2024 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Across town Saturday night in Snow Canyon, the Warriors boys lacrosse team (14-0) capped off its own undefeated season and Southern Utah Lacrosse League title with a 9-5 triumph over Cedar.

The game was back-and-forth and hard-fought and the Warriors clung to a 6-5 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Then they dominated the Reds in that final session, possessing the ball for most of the last 12 minutes and pumping in three insurance goals to provide the final margin.

“We were giving it everything we had, and they’re a great team and it was close, closer than we wanted it to be,” Snow Canyon coach Greg Freihofner told St. George News.

“But then we pulled away and went and did it, so I was so happy for the boys,” he added, shortly before getting doused by players with a celebratory water shower. 

A vocal crowd cheered for the Warriors on their home field. They saw senior standout Preston Udy score five of Snow Canyon’s goals in the victory.

Ace Hafen scored two and Trey Kelsch netted the other two markers for the Warriors.

Snow Canyon senior Trey Kelsch (22) moves the ball upfield against Cedar during the Southern Utah Lacrosse League boys championship game, St. George, Utah, May 11, 2024 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Snow Canyon senior goalie David Wilson kept busy, facing 19 Cedar shots in the game. Wilson stopped 14 of them.

“I think we’ve tried to develop a strong culture and the kids are coming out,” Freihofner said, noting the Warriors had 45 players including 17 freshmen on their roster. “Just trying to teach them good lacrosse.”

Cedar finished the season 10-5 and was second in the SULL standings. Statistics from the championship game versus the Warriors were unavailable. 

Saturday night’s games marked the final two contests in the SULL during the high school season.

Boys and girls lacrosse in Southern Utah are both scheduled to be varsity sports sanctioned by the Utah High School Activities Association starting next season.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eric George Goold came to St. George News from southwestern Colorado, where he was a radio news reporter. He has been a journalist for over 20 years in five different states. He graduated with a master's degree in English from Kansas State University and writes nonfiction as well. Goold has been published in Sunstone Magazine and has done multiple public readings about local history. When he has free time, he enjoys chess, movies and dogs.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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