Ever since Michelle Buechner began inviting girls from all over northern Utah County to be part of her club lacrosse team, her program has been successful.
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When the sport became sanctioned by the Utah High School Activities Association in 2019, Buechner began building the program at Skyridge High School. It was only a short time before it became something extra special.
The only part still missing is a sanctioned state championship. However, the Falcons moved within a step of their first crown Tuesday by thrashing Lone Peak 23-6 in a 6A semifinal game at Westminster University’s Dumke Field.
Sophomore Summer Buechner, the coach’s daughter, scored five goals and added six assists as Skyridge improved its record to 20-1 overall. The Falcons have not lost to a Utah opponent all year and were not even threatened — again. They have won the last three tournament contests by a combined score of 68-9.
Going up against Lone Peak, the second-place team in their region that scored 10 goals against them last time, didn’t even shake their routine.
“If (the Falcons) play the game like they can, they won’t lose,” coach Buechner said.
“You just have to trust the team,” said Summer, a sophomore who made the all-state team last year and is a sure bet to do it again this season by virtue of her stat sheet, which shows 70 goals and 80 assists so far.
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“We’ve played in the freezing cold and the blazing hot.”
Summer has also played a lot in her family’s downstairs basement, which has been uniquely renovated to include a long, narrow room where each of the six kids have learned to pass and catch a rubber lacrosse ball countless times.
Summer’s older siblings, which include former Skyridge standouts Haven and River Buechner, also defined the terms of their game, “no rules and anything goes,” and that helped them prepare for difficult times against physical opponents like Lone Peak.
Besides Summer, the Falcons also got four goals from each of Ellie Palmer, Tessa Jamison and Sage Curtis as well as three from Sophia Fife to earn a chance to play in the title contest for just the second time in school history.
“We’ve had a great season and have a chance make it something special,” said coach Buechner. “We knew we couldn’t overlook Lone Peak and had to play the best that we could.”
They hope to do it again Thursday when they take on Riverton, another school looking for its first state lacrosse crown, at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman that will have 10 a.m. start.
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