On Wednesday evening at the fields at Quinn’s Junction, the Miners girl’s lacrosse team dominated Alta 16-2 in their home opener.
Park City controlled possession and capitalized in front of the Alta net, taking a 4-0 first quarter lead. The Miners gave up a couple of second-quarter goals but scored more of their own to take a 8-2 lead into the half.
Park City opened their lead up to 14-2 by the end of the third quarter, initiating a running clock mercy rule. The Miners tacked on the final two goals of the game in the fourth quarter.
Sophomores Hadley Flach and Natalia Szwajkun led Park City with five points each. Flach had two goals and three assists and Szwajkun four goals and an assist. Junior Sophia Mondschein and senior Coco Crawford also had four points each.
“I think they played a strong first half,” Miners first-year Head Coach Adam Ghitelman said about Alta. “Their goalie must have made 10-plus saves. … We just kept banging down the door and the floodgates finally opened for us.”
Ghitelman said he is thrilled to be coaching Park City, filling the role after former head coach Mikki Clayton stepped down to spend more time with her family.
Ghitelman is a decorated professional lacrosse goalie in the Premier Lacrosse League, having won a NCAA championship with the University of Virginia in 2011. He has coached in the collegiate ranks at Harvard, USC and the University of Utah.
“It was something I didn’t want to pass on, to be about the community and a part of such a great program with these girls,” Ghitelman said, a Park City resident for nearly a decade. “It’s been the most fun I’ve ever had coaching.”
Despite the Miners also dominating Mountain Crest 27-0 in their season opener Tuesday on the road, Ghitelman believes his team has room to grow. He believes they can improve their defense fundamentals, knowing they sometimes rely on their athleticism.
Park City has the rest of the week off to recover and practice before facing Green Canyon Monday at 7 p.m. at Quinn’s Junction. Green Canyon is 3-0 this season.
The Miners are the defending state champions. They also won state titles in 2021 and 2023. Ghitelman said his goal for this season is to have Park City repeat their state title.
“Of course, run it back, right?” Ghitelman said. “And I think it’s to help every one of these girls develop, get better and become the most versatile and dynamic players that they could be. Continue to raise the bar to the level of lacrosse we could play, and we don’t know what that is.”
Players Mondschein and Crawford said the team is grateful to have such an experienced coach in Ghitelman, who also brought along an entirely new varsity staff.
Crawford said a tougher adjustment this season is being away from Dozier Field, which is under construction this spring. The Miners will play all of their home games at Quinn’s Junction.
“It’s definitely a lot different, but I think our team is adapting,” Mondschein said. “We’re clearly getting great scores in our games.”
Crawford continued: “I definitely feel like we’re on the right path. … We’ve just got to keep working as a team. Bonding on and off the field is so important to us.”
Ghitelman and the crowd Wednesday were enjoying the sun setting over the Wasatch Range as the game concluded. The coach said he hopes plenty of fans make it out to Quinn’s Junction this spring to cheer on and appreciate this team.
“You’re still in Park City and the mountains,” Ghitelman said. “The future is bright. … Just continue to create a community around these girls and encourage the youth, fans and friends to come out.”