By KAREN DUFFIN
Those who have gotten used to cheering for the Utes recently will have to get back to Cougar mentality for tonight’s lacrosse game.
BYU meets the University of Utah tonight in their first matchup since the Utes joined the newly re-organized Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Lacrosse League.
Although Utah has always had a lacrosse team, this is the first year it is regulated. This will be only Utah’s third game in the league, where the Utes are 1-1.
Unlike some of the other in-state teams that also joined the league this year, Utah could actually give the Cougars some competition. BYU head coach Jason Lamb said Utah is one of the best new programs in the league.
“We anticipate this will be a good game. It should be closer than the Utah State or Utah Valley games — somewhere in between,” Lamb said.
Although the Utes should give BYU a run for their money, Lamb said they still expect to pull off a victory.
No matter the outcome, it is sure to be a physical and intense game due to the ongoing rivalry that accompanies any BYU-Utah matchup.
“We beat Utah 22-1 several years ago, but it was by far the most physical and intense game of the year,” Lamb said. “Any time we play Utah it will be that way.”
The Cougars intend to use this game as a practice for what they say will be the biggest game of the year on Friday at home against the University of Arizona. After the Utah and Arizona games, there will be only one more home game this season.
The BYU-Utah game will be tonight on Haws Field at 7. Admission is $3 for the general public and $2 for students.
