Junior defender Luca Pivetta was named Atlantic Sun Defensive Player of the Week after Utah’s men’s lacrosse team recorded an 18-0 shutout victory against Queens, according to an April 20 announcement from the league office.
The recognition marks Pivetta’s first career conference weekly award. Utah has now collected 11 weekly honors from the Atlantic Sun Conference this season, which is more than any other team in the league. The Utes have also earned Defensive Player of the Week accolades for three consecutive weeks.
Pivetta played a key role in leading Utah’s defense during the game against Queens. He caused three turnovers and picked up two ground balls while playing all 60 minutes. The Utes limited Queens to just 16 shots, with only six on goal, and forced a total of 14 turnovers while collecting 45 ground balls. Additionally, they stopped Queens on more than half of their clearance attempts.
Utah’s shutout was notable as it was both a program first and a rare achievement at the Division I level—the first such result since 2015 and only the third since 1984. Previously, Utah’s record for fewest goals allowed in a game was three, set last season against Queens.
So far this season, Pivetta has started all twelve games for Utah, contributing fifteen caused turnovers and twenty-two ground balls along with one goal and two assists. He is part of a defensive unit that has allowed an average of just over nine goals per game while causing nearly thirteen turnovers per contest.
Looking ahead, Pivetta and his No.18-ranked teammates will close out their regular season aiming to secure the top seed in the conference tournament when they face Air Force on Saturday at Ute Field.
