Denver 2019

D1 Mens Lacrosse
10stone5
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by 10stone5 »

lostcoast14 wrote: Wed Apr 17, 2019 4:59 pm Cole French had a terrific game last week, his father would be very proud. Ready has been inconsistent but when he's on, he's great. A coach's call.
Yes.
And ex coach at San Ramon Valley, Pete Worstell.

If it was my call, I’d put Ready back out there, see if this wake up call had any effect knowing you have French there.
lostcoast14 wrote: Wed Apr 17, 2019 4:59 pm Frankly, Dylan Johnson's injury and very tough situation and I understand Ellis Geis injured as well.
Pios have really gotten lit up with injuries.
Geis though has been a pleasant surprise. I really did not think he would be the one freshman who would emerge, but really I suppose it is no surprise given Geis’ mobility, size and a great outside shot doesn’t hurt.
lostcoast14 wrote: Wed Apr 17, 2019 4:59 pm Drew Erickson has a rocket of a shot but he's a lefty attackman and his raw ability is not going to replace Walker or French. I'm sure they've looked at him at middie to get him on the field --
Yes, I am though a bit surprised, he’s got a lot of lacrosse experience. And given the trend toward attack men as middies you are seeing just about everywhere, I really thought he could contribute in some capacity right away.
laxadaisical
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by laxadaisical »

lostcoast14 wrote: Wed Apr 17, 2019 4:59 pm Frankly, Dylan Johnson's injury and very tough situation and I understand Ellis Geis injured as well.
Geis tore his ACL in practice last week; put up 17g/8a shooting 42% (73% on goal), and 19gb through 10 games; Didn't make UA All American and wasn't IL top 100 freshman so not "highly touted"...showed poise when asked to step up as an 18 year old true freshmen. Morocco, Stewart, and Erickson are all equally capable as Geis. Will be relatively young offense next year (Walker, Sullivan, Hannah + all the rest freshman/sophomores). Who knows what Hammond, Marquez & Sillstrop will bring in 2019/20 not to mention incoming 220lb FOGO Stathakis? I know, I know...too early to start thinking about next year, gotta get by Providence this weekend.
darkhaha
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by darkhaha »

Pioneers need to take care of business the next two weeks and build some momentum going into the BE tournament.

I feel for Alex Ready. He has played well in some big games over the years, and he really kept a good attitude last year after Matte started five games. Unfortunately, I think he’s just suffered too many bad outings this year to keep the job. Cole French came in last week and really gave the team a lift, with an explosion to the ball that I just haven’t seen for a while. I would be surprised if French didn’t get the starts from here on out...
DU-fan
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by DU-fan »

Tomorrow is senior day. I would expect most of the seniors to get more playing time than normal.

I would expect Alex Ready to start on Senior Day. But, if he struggles, Cole French will come in.
DU-fan
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by DU-fan »

Nice article by Puck Swami

Denver Thumps Providence Friars, 14-8 to Seal Big East Tourney Berth
by Puck Swami

DU goalie Cole French made six saves in his first start as a Pioneer.

The 12th ranked Denver Pioneers (8-4, 3-1 Big East) men’s lacrosse team clinched a berth in the Big East Tournament on Senior Day, defeating Providence College (6-8, 2-2 Big East),14-8 before a sellout crowd of 2,187 at Barton Stadium on April 20.

Denver used a 62% face-off advantage, a perfect 16-16 clearing game and 19 PC turnovers on the day to dominate possession. This possession advantage led to DU firing some 50 shots at PC goaltender Tate Boyce (32 of which were on cage), who made 18 saves to keep plucky Providence in the game at 8-5 into the fourth quarter.

At that point, the Pioneers depth wore down the Friars on this hot and sunny Saturday afternoon at altitude, as DU poured in six fourth quarter goals to seal the victory and ensure one or two more home games in May in the Big East Championships.

Denver was fired up and hot early in the game, going up 4-0 on the Friars in first eight minutes of the game. But Providence fought back to tie it 4-4 in the second quarter before Denver put away the Friars with a much better offensive output in the second half. Teddy Sullivan, who played sparingly in the first half, was a big difference maker in the second half for DU, seeming to stabilize the jittery Pioneer offense with a nice alley dodge goal to send the Pioneers up 8-5, and then scored the proverbial dagger goal on a pretty feed from Austin French to make it a 12-7 margin in the fourth quarter, a goal from which Providence never really recovered.

Denver was led by Junior Ethan Walker, who had four goals on the day, including the first two of the game to set the tone for the Pioneers. Sophomore Jack Hanna chipped in with a 3-goal hat trick of his own for DU, and senior Colton Jackson put the exclamation point on the game with the final two goals to make the final score 14-8.

Freshman Cole French made his first goalie start of his DU career for the win, making 6 saves in the contest on 23 Providence shots.

Matt Grillo led the Friars with a pair of goals and an assist.

Denver next faces Marquette on Saturday in Milwaukee, as the final weekend will determine the Big East tournament seeding.

Tickets for the Big East Tournament (May 2-4) at Barton Stadium are available at the DU ticket office.
Puck Swami
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by Puck Swami »

Thanks for the props on the write-up. I've since updated the story a bit here:
https://letsgodu.com/2019/04/20/denver- ... ney-berth/

The improvement in the DU clearing game to a perfect 16-for-16 was astonishing today, and when you add that to the face-off edge and 19 PC turnovers, DU had more than enough possession (and shots) to beat Tate Boyce's 18 save performance.

Still, I am wondering why we didn't see more of Teddy Sullivan in the first half - it seemed like the more he played in the second half, the better DU became. I also thought Danny Logan and Kyle Smith were excellent today, too. And it was great to see Colton Jackson get a couple at the end - you could see his frustration building with his shooting in the first three quarters.

Hanna's confidence seems to be building - he's handling the ball much better as the year goes on, and his speed variations on his shot are hard for goalies to save, although sometimes, I'd wish he'd just rip it more, as some of his softer shots often end up in the goalie's stick.

It was also interesting to see more playing time for Simmons and Curtis. These guys have the stick skills to be very dangerous - just need more reps to get more comfortable driving and shooting.

All in all, a pretty good day...
DU-fan
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by DU-fan »

Agreed. Denver also only had 7 turnovers, which was impressive.

Jack Hannah has really improved his shooting accuracy too. He took 7 shots, 6 were on goal.

Not sure why Teddy Sullivan did not play as much in the first half. He was great in the second half with shots and 2 goals.

Denver definitely played more midi's today with Riley Curtis, Aaron Boyd, and Alex Simmons playing more.
darkhaha
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by darkhaha »

A good win, although once again we ran into a hot goalie who kept his team within striking distance into the fourth quarter.

Many high notes. As noted in Puck Swami’s writeup above, Pios were perfect on clears, and 62% on faceoffs. Coaches continued to effectively tinker with the midfield lines. Looked like the first line was Jackson, McKone and Rutan in the first half, with Sullivan replacing Rutan in the second half. Second mids were Curtis, Hannah and Simmons. Both lines had significant production, and the ball movement seemed much crisper than it has been for most of this year.

Cole French did a serviceable job in his first start. Let in a couple of soft ones, but also had three big stops in the 3rd quarter when the game was still close. Imagine he will continue to start, with Ready in relief if necessary.

DU played very well overall, but I’m still concerned about the shot selection. As has become a disturbing trend, there were at least four high-to-high, stick-side shots from the outside — which are as bad as turnovers, as they often trigger fast-breaks. In addition, at least three times we failed to convert on the doorstep. Need to get more efficient as the post-season approaches...
10stone5
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by 10stone5 »

darkhaha wrote: Sun Apr 21, 2019 6:56 pm A good win, although once again we ran into a hot goalie who kept his team within striking distance into the fourth quarter.
That was a good win.
Tate Boyce, he can be beaten, but he can also win games almost on his own.
Boyce had 27 saves in a game earlier this year.

Here’s hoping some of the injured players can make it back.
Puck Swami
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by Puck Swami »

Very interesting analysis of DU, the shot clock and turnovers this year by LetsGoDU:

https://letsgodu.com/2019/04/24/shot-cl ... eIOX26NcJ4
thetruth
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by thetruth »

Puck: Very interesting. Thanks for posting.
DU-fan
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by DU-fan »

The shot clock has definitely made the game more fun to watch.

The 20 seconds to clear has made it harder to get the ball across the mid-line and has increased the importance of riding. 80-60 seconds is still a long time for a possession.

But, it is hard to only look at a sub set of the stats. Shots / game is a better metric than goals per game if you looking at the impact of the shot clock. The impact on shooting percentage is also an important stat.

Coaches and Players have been learning how to adapt through the year. I would be interested in seeing the stats broken out for the first half of the year vs. the 2nd half of year.

I keep looking for stats on saves per game this year vs. past years and can't find it. I think the shot clock causes some teams to take weaker shots as the clock is winding down. Teams are definitely taking more shots per game.

It should be increasing the number of saves per game for goalies. I will keep looking or work on the stats when I get a chance.
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DALaxDad
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by DALaxDad »

DU - based on just a quick sample, looks like your instincts are right. Saves per game for the 15 goaltenders with the highest number of saves per game average the following: for 2019 (through 4/24) 13.58 with Edelmann at #1 with 15.09 and Boyce at #15 with 12.64; and for 2018 (season), 12.07 with Braun at #1 with 13.53 and Heger at #15 with 11.31.
10stone5
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by 10stone5 »

Tate Boyce does the Pios a big favor.
A good game between the pipes.
And a last second assist.

Pios are the number one seed in the BE.
Puck Swami
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by Puck Swami »

Well, from here on out, it's likely single elimination games for the Pioneers, with every remaining game having the Pioneers playing for their season.

That's probably a good thing for a DU team that seems to do everything the hard way this season.

With DU facing Providence for a second time Thursday, the challenge will be how to get more efficient on offense vs. Tate Boyce, who is likely to make somewhere between 10-20 saves against the Pioneers. DU had 50 shots in the last game, and so I doubt they get more than 35 on Thursday as PC tries to tighten things. Changing levels on shots will be more imperative for DU so that the Pioneers don't shoot so many straight into Boyce's stick, as they did last time.

PC will also probably change up wing play to offset the 62% face-offs they gave up against Denver last time out, so DU will probably have to adjust to PC's adjustments.

One thing DU will need to do better on is poor starts (e.g. Marquette), which at this time of the year can kill your whole season.
DU-fan
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by DU-fan »

it looks like DU will play Villanova in the 2nd game.

Georgetown will play Providence in the first game.
Last edited by DU-fan on Sat Apr 27, 2019 5:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.
darkhaha
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by darkhaha »

Not sure if that’s a favor or not. Today’s results put Georgetown, Providence and Villanova in a three-way tie for second. Since Villanova lost to both Georgetown and Providence, I think that makes them the fourth seed, and therefore our opponent on Thursday. They’re the team I least wanted to play in the first round, but at least we’ll get a chance for revenge. Any way you slice it, we need two more wins to get into the big dance…

Credit to the Pioneers for a huge win on Friday. Too many turnovers and another doughnut on man-up, but overall a great comeback win. Cole French stood tall with four huge saves in the fourth quarter...
Last edited by darkhaha on Sat Apr 27, 2019 6:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.
DU-fan
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by DU-fan »

I like our chances against Villanova. Last time we played, we only took 41 shots. We had 50+ shots against St. Johns and Providence. We only had 5 saves against Villanova for a .294 Save %. I am sure we improve in both of those areas.

Some good DU vs. Nova stats:
Streak: L1
Longest Win Streak: 10 Games (3/19/05 - 4/6/18)
Longest Losing Streak: 1 Game (4/6/19 - 4/6/19)

Last 10 Matchups: 9-1 (3/3/07-4/6/19)
Largest Margin of Victory W 22-6 (4/6/18)
Smallest Margin of Victory W 12-11 (4/9/16)
Puck Swami
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by Puck Swami »

Apologies for thinking DU was to play Providence - didn't really know the tie-breaker scenario and should have...

Obviously, DU will be fired-up to play Villanova again Thursday for a chance at some revenge for the loss earlier this season at Barton. DU played a pretty garbage game that day, and there will be a lot of pride on the line this Thursday.

After watching DU all year, I can say that this is certainly the most inconsistent and unpredictable DU team of the last decade/Tierney era. The chances of the Pios going on and winning the next six games in a row for a national title seems virtually impossible, given the huge fluctuations in offensive production, defensive execution, poor man-up and streaky goaltending we've seen to date. Of course, it would be great to be proven wrong, but I think DU's rankng outside the top 10 in lax is completely deserved this season - there just has't been the depth of talent, chemistry or executional ability that we DU fans have seen each year since Coach T came to DU in 2009.

The important thing for DU is to take care of business on its home field this weekend and get to the dance. After that, it will likely be road lacrosse for the rest of the season, and DU will need some very inspired performances to advance against what likely will be more accomplished competition.
10stone5
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Re: Denver 2019

Post by 10stone5 »

DU-fan wrote: Sat Apr 20, 2019 10:00 pm
Denver Thumps Providence Friars, 14-8 to Seal Big East Tourney Berth
by Puck Swami

DU goalie Cole French made six saves in his first start as a Pioneer.

The 12th ranked Denver Pioneers (8-4, 3-1 Big East) men’s lacrosse team clinched a berth in the Big East Tournament on Senior Day, defeating Providence College (6-8, 2-2 Big East),14-8 before a sellout crowd of 2,187 at Barton Stadium on April 20.
I meant to post this earlier.
One thrilling thing for California and Pios lacrosse fans.

Three players from San Ramon Valley’s 2015 NCal state title team were on the field, playing in that game against Providence. Austin and Cole French started of course, and also Drew Erikson got in that game.
Quite a milestone for a team that started up lacrosse only in 2001.
San Ramon Valley 2015 NCIF state title roster——
https://www.maxpreps.com/m/team/roster. ... 40424d5e7d
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