Denver men’s lacrosse’s aspirations of reclaiming the national title were eradicated during the first round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Tournament, as the Denver Pioneers fell 10-9 to the Towson University Tigers. Costly turnovers and poor execution darkened Denver’s fate, as the visiting No. 10 ranked Tigers stunned No. 2 ranked Denver on May 15. The tenacious Pioneers fought down until the last seconds, but couldn’t overcome previous errors to prevent the heartbreaking outcome.
“We just couldn’t seem to get things going,” head coach Bill Tierney said. “Our three goals in the first half were all man-up goals. We had the ball and we had our chances. I thought we showed a lot of heart and a lot of grit, 40 seconds [left in regulation], down [by] three and almost pulling that thing out. It’s a game of plays and a game of runs, we just didn’t make enough of either.”
Despite Tewaaraton nominee Trevor Baptiste’s (Denville, New Jersey) nearly perfect faceoff performance—winning 20-of-22 at the X—Denver’s 14 turnovers doomed the Pioneers. Towson’s defense rectified poor faceoff performances with exceptional defending against Denver’s high-rolling offense. Redshirt senior goalie Tyler White detained Denver’s offense, as he completed the game with 13 saves. Senior attackman Spencer Parks dominated the Tiger’s offense with four goals and two assists to deliver the victory.
From the start, Towson overpowered Denver, forcing four turnovers and denying Denver’s attack from shaping an early lead. The Tigers tallied the first score 6:04 into play, as Joe Seider beat Denver freshman Dylan Johnson (Englewood, Colorado) on the run after Johnson lost his stick. The Pioneers countered just over a minute later, as Zach Miller (Steamburg, New York) finished down low, off of a feed from sophomore Brendan Bomberry (Ohsweken, Ontario). The Tigers would take the lead 2-1 as the opening frame closed.
Denver broke through Towson’s steady defense while ending the Tigers’ second quarter, three-goal run, with 3:44 remaining in the first half. After drawing a tripping foul, Connor Cannizzaro (Cazenovia, New York) provided the Pioneers with momentum as he netted a long-range shot. Just under two minutes later, Tyler Pace finished on the door-step off a feed from Miller. The Pioneers maintained momentum heading into the locker room as they trailed Towson 3-5.
The Tigers and Pioneers split scoring during the third quarter with two apiece. Towson converted 3:11 into the second half to double its lead 6-3. It wasn’t until 9:05 later that the Pioneers would net their first of the half. Miller weaved past his defender to score just outside of the crease. Freshman Colton Jackson (Highlands Ranch, Colorado) ignited momentum for Denver after picking up a rebound from Cannizzaro and firing a shot outside the arc with 1.5 seconds left in the quarter.
Jackson carried momentum over as he scored on the crease 3:13 into the final stanza to trail the Tigers 6-7. A minute and ten seconds later, Connor Donahue (Groton, Massachusetts) equalized the score for the first time in the game at seven apiece. The Tigers contrived a three-goal run that would seal the win.
With just under one minute left to play and trailing by three, the Pioneers battled back as Cannizzaro flew behind the cage and shot past White to score. Miller added another tally with 13.3 seconds left to bestow hope for the Pioneers, who trailed 9-10. Following a Denver timeout, Baptiste won the final faceoff and junior captain Tyler Pace (Coquitlam, British Columbia) picked up the loose ball. As the clock wound down to zero, Denver was unsuccessful in executing its final efforts, ceasing to advance in the tournament.
Denver’s senior class graduates with an overall 60-13 record. While the Pioneers failed in finishing their quest of repeating a national title, the program hopes to continue its success and prominence as the lacrosse capital of the West, both expanding and striving in the sport for years to come.
“We don’t want to be a one-hit wonder,” Tierney said. “We’re here to sustain and excel in the classroom, in the community and on the field. We didn’t excel in the end here, but we went 12-1 on the regular year [and] won a BIG EAST regular season championship. I’m really proud of these young men.”
