1 / 11

Payson players react after scoring a goal against Bear River in the 4A girls lacrosse state finals at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

2 / 11

Payson's Morgan Jacobson (10) and Bear River's Makenzie Mickelsen pursue the ball after the draw in the 4A girls lacrosse state finals at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

3 / 11

Payson players walk off the field after a 12-9 loss to Bear River in the 4A girls lacrosse state finals at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

4 / 11

The Payson girls lacrosse team poses with the 4A second place trophy at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

5 / 11

Payson players hug after losing the 4A girls lacrosse state finals to Bear River 12-9 at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

6 / 11

Payson assistant coach Nick Miller greets players as they leave the field after a 12-9 loss to Bear River in the 4A girls lacrosse state finals at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

7 / 11

Payson players react at the end of 12-9 loss to Bear River in the 4A girls lacrosse state finals at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

8 / 11

Players on the Payson sideline yell encouragement during the 4A girls lacrosse state finals against Bear River at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

9 / 11

Payson's Noel Muhlstein (4) carries the ball against Bear River in the 4A girls lacrosse state finals at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

10 / 11

Payson's Leah Sorenson (29) takes a shot on goal against Bear River in the 4A girls lacrosse state finals at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

11 / 11

Payson's Carol Yost (left) fights for the ball against Bear River's Makenzie Mickelsen during the 4A girls lacrosse state finals at Zions Bank Stadium on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

❮ ❯

HERRIMAN — The only way to take on a juggernaut like Bear River is head on — and that’s just what the Payson girls lacrosse team did.

The Lions came into the 4A state finals as a heavy underdog against the unbeaten Bears, who were aiming for their third straight state title.

Payson gave Bear River all it could handle but ran out of time and fell short in a 12-9 loss at Zions Bank Stadium on Thursday.

“I told the girls that we were the underdogs and there was no pressure on us,” Lions coach Mark Jacobson said. “All the pressure was on Bear River. We came into this this game and we’d beaten some really good teams. I thought our confidence level was really high. Everybody on our bus, everybody in our locker room expected to compete at a high level and possibly win this game.”

It was the closest game the Bears had played in all season: Bear River outscored their previous 19 opponents by an average of 14 goals per game and its closest contest was a four-point win against 6A Syracuse (12-8) in March.

“I definitely feel like a lot of us really just laid it all out there, mainly because for a lot of us it was our last time with each other,” said Lions senior and leading scorer Morgan Jacobson. “We did the best that we could. It wasn’t the outcome that we wanted, but I couldn’t be more proud of the way that we played it out. I thought it was great.”

Payson competed well from the start and trailed by one, 5-4, after one quarter, and by three, 8-5, at halftime.

“We started off really strong,” Coach Jacobson said. “We were quick and decisive. Then Bear River, they adjusted to how we were attacking them and it slowed us down. They kind of put the brakes on us for a little bit.”

A goal from Leah Sorenson put the Lions in good position, trailing just 9-7 entering the fourth quarter.

Bear River’s Shelby Wilkinson scored twice and Makenzie Mickelsen added a goal for a 12-7 lead with 8:17 to play but Payson had one final surge left. Noelle Muhlstein grabbed a loose ball and scored with 2:30 to play to trim the deficit to 12-8 and moments later Sorenson speared a ball out of the air and found the back of the net to make it 12-9 with 1:51 left.

Payson won the subsequent draw and went on the attack but a turnover gave the ball back to Bear River, who essentially ran out the clock to win the title.

“I’m so proud of how we have progressed, from the beginning of the season to the end,” Morgan Jacobson said. “We’ve been setting up this legacy for Payson, coming in here and setting that tone that Payson is here, we’re ready to play and we’re going to be back here every year.”

Megan Jacobson and the other eight seniors on the roster actually began their careers with a game against Bear River to open the 2021 season.

“Bear River was my first and last team,” Megan Jacobson said. “That’s crazy. I know it’s kind of a full circle moment. We never played them in between, we only played the first and last games against them.”

Bear River completed the 2024 season with a 20-0 record and compiled a 69-2 mark over the past three campaigns.

Payson finished 2024 with a record of 18-2, winning 13 straight games since April 8 before the loss in the championship game.

“I’m super proud of my girls,” Coach Jacobson said.. “They gave it everything they had. Bear River, that’s a quality team. It’s exciting to see that we’re getting to that level. I can’t say enough about these girls. They played their hearts out.

“We’re starting to build a youth program in Payson and we are starting to get a lot of young ladies involved. We’ve just got to follow in the footsteps of the Bear Rivers and the Park Cities of this state, developing players at a young age.”

Newsletter