Photo by: Ryan Lumpkin
After the conclusion of the Eastern College Athletic Conference lacrosse tournament on May 4, a lone Pioneer was named to the All-Tournament team. Freshman defenseman Carson Cannon became the only Denver player on the team among representatives from Ohio State, Fairfield and conference champions Loyola.
“It means a lot to me, but at the same time I have to thank my teammates because if they didn’t play well, I probably wouldn’t have made the All-Tournament ECAC team,” said Cannon. “So I’ve got to give a lot of thanks to my team, but it means a lot to me.”
Despite Cannon’s humble response to the honor, head coach Bill Tierney recognized what an asset this incoming freshman has become on the defensive line.
“Carson has been phenomenal,” said Tierney. “As a freshman from Minnesota, we didn’t know what we were getting, but from the first day of practice back in the fall, he has been phenomenal.”
While Tierney did not know what to expect from the Stillwater, Minn., native, Cannon did not know what to expect from Denver.
Fortunately for the freshman, redshirt sophomore Drew Babb and junior Kyle Hercher were there to help guide him and ease the transition from high school to Division I college lacrosse.
“The defensemen, Kyle Hercher and Drew Babb, have guided me a lot coming up, teaching me the defense and everything like that,” said Cannon. “When I came here, I really had no idea what I was doing, and they taught me a lot of stuff, so it’s been really helpful to have them here.”
Prior to Denver, Cannon grew up playing about every sport he could, including both lacrosse and football. On the football side, he played seven years as a wide receiver and safety and was named an all-conference player his junior season and was the defensive captain his senior season. Because of the similarities in the sports, Cannon’s football experience helped to further his lacrosse game.
“A lot [of my experiences helped me]; football is a tough sport,” said Cannon. “The physicality, obviously, is the first thing and just the quickness, the change in direction, things like that [help].”
During his pre-Denver lacrosse career, Cannon played six years of lacrosse on defense. He was named team captain his senior year, All-State Honorable Mention his junior year and played in an all-star game.
“It was a lot of fun in high school to play in an all-star game, but coming here, obviously the competition is completely different,” said Cannon. “All the guys are so much bigger, faster, stronger, so this was a whole new experience. The guys are unbelievable. It’s taken a while to adjust to it, but I’m feeling pretty comfortable now.”
As with most freshmen, the transition into collegiate academics and athletics has been the biggest challenge for Cannon.
“The biggest challenge is probably trying to adjust to school and play lacrosse at the same time,” said Cannon. “With all the lacrosse and academics, it’s a lot on our plate, but I’m starting to get a pretty good handle on it as of lately.”
As evident by his recent performances as in the ECAC tournament game against then-No. 3 Loyola, Cannon is adjusting well to the new lifestyle.
“He has covered most teams’ top players and, under the radar, done an amazing job,” said Tierney. “Loyola’s – top team in the country – Mike Sawyer, who is averaging four goals a game, Carson held him to one that game, that’s why he was named to the All-Tournament team. We had a couple other guys perform to that level [All-Tournament team] this weekend, certainly Jeremy Noble and Chase Carraro, as well.”
Cannon has learned this year to face big opponents with strong shooters like Sawyer, so his experiences had prepared him for the threat that came with defending Sawyer.
“I knew Mike Sawyer was a really good player, so I knew I was going to have to play tough, play smart,” said Cannon about his game plan against Loyola in the ECAC tournament. “He’s been a really good player in the ECAC for a few years now, so I just came in focused and ready to play, and fortunately a lot of things went my way. Of course I have to thank my goalie, Ryan LaPlante, because he saved them probably four or five times that game.”
Aside from the honor of being named to the All-Tournament team, Cannon has had several other accomplishments to draw on, one of the most impressive being that he is a top defenseman on a defensive line made up of almost exclusively underclassmen that has lowered their goals against average from last season when Denver boasted an older, more experienced defensive line.
Despite being named to the ECAC All-Tournament team and being a key part of Denver’s all-star defense, Cannon chose another experience this season as the best memory as a Pioneer so far.
“The Duke game, definitely,” said Cannon. “That win was huge for us. As time expired, beating them was unbelievable. I can’t even describe it.”
The team upset then-No. 4 Duke in the Mile High Classic on April 27 with a final score of 15-9, with Cannon posting yet another standout performance, especially for a freshman.
“Coming out of it, I think it gives Carson a lot of confidence,” said Tierney. “Even though our big scorer is a senior, Mark Matthews, I think our young troops are coming along; Wes Berg, Chase Carraro and a lot of the young players that have played all year for us now, this is their first tournament experience. But, I think by now, they’re ready to play against the top competition, and Carson has been phenomenal.”
