Denver women’s lacrosse achieved another significant season milestone after clinching an NCAA tournament berth after Saturday’s 16-14 Big East Championship victory. They are now on a promising path to winning a national championship after securing their fourth consecutive Big East Tournament Title.
The two remaining teams battled in Cincinnati, Ohio on Saturday. UConn was looking for their first win against the Crimson and Gold after losing their last 11 previous matchups.
Denver started strong, with good offense leading to a 5-0 start against UConn. Junior midfielder Caroline Colimore got the scoring going by using her speed to lead Denver to the first goal of the game. Senior attack Sloane Kipp scored two of the first five goals for Denver, creating a solid start for Denver.
In the late first quarter, Denver dominated on the field with effective defense, making it difficult for the Huskies to score.
Overall, both teams’ passing was solid in the second quarter, but the Crimson and Gold maintained a strong effort on the offensive side and outshot UConn by three. On the defensive side, UConn and Denver each had four clears.
Graduate attack Oliva Penoyer had a big play-making second quarter, registering two out of her five assists. After the game, Penoyer was awarded the Big East Player of the Tournament after recording two goals and 13 assists in just two games.
UConn’s offense returned in the second quarter, with Kate Shaffer and Madelyn George scoring the last three goals of the second quarter. UConn brought Denver’s lead down to five going into halftime.
In the third quarter, UConn and Denver stayed even on the offensive side, scoring four goals each. Every time Denver scored, UConn responded with a goal of their own.
Connecticut’s goalkeeper Landyn White made four saves in the third period, which made the overall score closer and gave UConn a chance for a comeback.
DU’s change of direction and fast-paced momentum made it hard for the Huskies to stop offensively. Despite being outscored in the fourth quarter 6-3, Denver put 10 shot attempts up and four on goal.
UConn scored the first six of the seven goals in the fourth quarter to bring the game to a 14-14 tie with less than three minutes to go. Graduate attack Julia Gilbert, who had four goals and one assist in the contest, was a sharpshooter with the game on the line.
She made her way to the left hash of the crease and finished her shot to give the DU the lead, making the score 15-14. Colimore scored a consolation goal with no time left on the clock to give DU the 16-14 victory and their fourth straight conference title.
DU caused 13 turnovers against UConn and won 19 ground balls compared to the Huskies’ 12. UConn had 19 draw controls compared to 15 for DU, and DU outshot UConn 38-25.
Denver women’s lacrosse flourished this regular season and finished with a 15-3 record. The team will travel to Evanston, Illi. to play Stanford in the first round of the NCAA tournament on May 10, which will be broadcast on ESPN+.
