On April 15, Denver hosted the No. 12 University of Colorado Boulder women’s lacrosse at Peter Barton Stadium. They came into the game ranked No. 16 with an 11-2 record.
Denver scored first when redshirt sophomore attacker Caroline Keil found the net just four minutes into the game off an assisted pass from sophomore midfielder Caroline Bowers. The offense kept the pressure on, staying mostly on Colorado’s side of the field.
Soon after, freshman midfielder Karleigh Mutchadded scored another goal with a quick shot off an assist from junior midfielder Kyra Obert to give Denver a 2-0 lead.
Boulder responded late in the first quarter with a goal, but Denver still led 2-1 going into the second.
Momentum shifted in the second quarter, Boulder scored early to tie the game and followed with another goal to take the lead.
Denver answered with another goal from Keil, to even the score at 3-3. Junior midfielder Olivia Ripple added a late goal off an assist from Keil. At the half, Denver held a narrow 4-3 lead.
Denver struggled with fouls in the third quarter, giving Boulder multiple player-up opportunities. Boulder scored three times during the third quarter stretch. Despite solid defensive effort and key saves, Denver could not slow Boulder’s momentum.
By the end of the third quarter, Boulder had taken control with a 6-4 lead.
In the fourth quarter, Boulder added another goal to extend its lead. Denver continued to fight and showed resilience late into the game. Sophomore attacker Eva Thomsen-Marr scored on a free-position shot and later added another goal to cut the deficit to two.
However, Boulder responded with three goals in the fourth. Denver ultimately lost 9-6. The game was competitive, but penalties and a strong second half from Boulder made all the difference.
On April 18, Denver returned home for Senior Day against the unranked Xavier Musketeers and delivered a different performance.
The Crimson and Gold came out aggressive and in control from the start, scoring early and building a 5-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Keil and Ripple helped lead the early scoring, with support from senior attacker Ryan Dineen and Bowers.
Denver continued to dominate in the second quarter, moving the ball well and taking advantage of free-position and player-up opportunities. Denver scored repeatedly and went into halftime with a 12-0 lead.
Denver stayed in control on both defense and offense, extending their lead while shutting down Xavier’s scoring opportunities.
Keil continued her strong performance and set a program record for most free-position goals in a season.
Xavier managed to score once in the fourth quarter, but Denver answered quickly and continued to score more goals, including one from senior midfielder Lindsey Wilmot.
At the end of the fourth quarter, Denver secured a dominant 19-1 victory. It was a strong response after the earlier loss against Boulder and a fitting way to celebrate Senior Day.
Overall, the two games revealed both sides of Denver’s team, as they struggled with penalties in a tough game but came back with a strong, controlled performance in the second.
Denver’s next game will be away against Georgetown on April 25.
