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PCHS boys’ LAX outmuscles Bingham

Chase Christensen tries to get past a Bingham defender on Saturday afternoon at Dozier Field. Christopher Reeves/Park Record
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Whenever Bingham and Park City boys get together for a game of lacrosse, you can count on seeing a very physical, frantic style of play on the field.

The two teams bring out the passion in one another, and it shows in every team huddle and every crushing hit in transition.

There’s no love lost between these two squads, Park City coach Andy Langendorf freely admits.

"We don’t like each other it’s not a secret," he said. "Our players don’t like each other and it’s always that kind of game. It’s an extremely emotional game and Bingham brings that every time they play."

In Saturday afternoon’s quarterfinal matchup at Dozier Field, the two squads (both nicknamed the Miners) turned in another hard-hitting classic.

Holding a 9-4 halftime lead, Park City wouldn’t give an inch in the second half, keeping Bingham at bay until time ran out and Park City advanced to the state semifinals with a 13-9 victory.

The emotional aspect of Saturday’s game led to several penalties, which Langendorf felt unfairly targeted Park City at times.

"I was a bit upset," he said. "We had a bunch of penalties called against us and there was nothing going the other way. That’s just the way it worked out today."

But Langendorf was pleased with the way the Miners kept their composure on the field and managed to keep Bingham from erasing Park City’s first-half lead. He credited senior leadership for maintaining a sense of control on the field.

"We have some incredible athletes on the team Christian Pompoco, Carson Dutkanych and Colton Kissell," he said. "Those guys are all seniors and they lead like seniors. They play tough."

And, though Bingham held possession for a large portion of the fourth quarter, Langendorf said his defense did a fantastic job allowing only one goal in the final period.

"Defensively, we’ve got a great system in place," he said. "Everyone understands what their role is. It’s not very flashy, but it’s very effective."

Between the pipes, Park City goalie Sheridan Buchholz also had an outstanding game.

"When he’s not nervous, he’s brilliant," Langendorf said. "That’s the goal of the coaching staff make sure we warm him up and settle him down. He’s a tremendous goalie, and as long as he minimizes his mistakes, he’s the best in the state, by far."

Now Park City has a short week ahead of it before taking on Davis in the semifinals. The game, which will be held at Juan Diego High School on Wednesday evening, will be a difficult one, Langendorf said.

"We’re going to review today’s film and we’ll get to work right away," he said. "We’ve got another game ahead of us and it’ll be a tough one no doubt about it. You get down to the final four teams and it really becomes a game of momentum. For us, we have to execute on the front end of the ball we have to score 10-plus goals if we’re going to go forward."

Park City defeated Davis 13-9 earlier this season. But, Langendorf added, the Miners can’t rely on past results if they want to accomplish their goal of a title.

"For us, it’s one step at a time right now," he said. "We really have our focus locked on a state championship and nothing else will be acceptable."

If Park City wins on Wednesday, the state title game will be held on Saturday, May 17, at Dozier Field.


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