Denver 2019

[laxadaisical]

Attack - lost 7, gained 4 recruits, returning 7 (11 total, 3 down from 2018)
Midfield - lost 7, gained 7 recruits, returning 13 (20 total, same as 2018)
Faceoff - lost 1, gained 2 recruits, returning 2 (4 total, plus 1 from 2018)
Goalie - lost 2, gained 2 recruits, returning 4 (6 total, same as 2018)
Defense - lost 2, gained 3 recruits, returning 8 (11 total, plus 1 from 2018)
LSM - lost 0, gained 2 recruits, returning 3 (5 total, plus 2 from 2018)

[DU-fan]

@laxadaisical

Nice analysis. Very interesting. Although, I would count Sean Mayle as an LSM last year. Was he listed as defense?

[Dunker]

Only 1 home game in month of March on March 30th. Brutal travel schedule, but that's the case most years. Ethan Walker might have the combo quickest release/fastest shot in college lax. I cannot follow his shots even on re-play. He is "The Rifleman" or Paladin from "Have Gun Will Travel". Steph Curry was at DU basketball practice Saturday where he spoke to kids in the locker room and attended the hockey game that evening. GS practiced at DU.

[DU-fan]

Overall Team State and Providence Breakdown
Colo. - 12
Calif. - 11
Ontario - 5
Md. - 4
Texas - 3
Ohio - 3
Wash. - 3
Conn. - 2
Ariz. - 2
Va. - 2
N.J. - 2
Ore. - 1
Ill. - 1
Mass. - 1
Pa. - 1
B.C. - 1
Nev. - 1
N.C. - 1
N.H. - 1
Total - 57

Freshman State and Providence Breakdown
Colo. - 4
Calif. - 4
Ontario - 3
Ohio - 1
B.C. - 1
Va. - 1
Texas - 1
Mass. - 1
Wash. - 1
Md. - 1
N.J. - 1
Total - 19

I don't recall a year with so many freshman.

[laxadaisical]

@laxadaisical

Nice analysis. Very interesting. Although, I would count Sean Mayle as an LSM last year. Was he listed as defense?

You're correct, I had Mayle in the wrong bucket.

[laxadaisical]

The geographic breakdown by DU-fan is great, I was curious about that. 2/3 of the incoming class is non-eastern.

[Dunker]

6 Canadians blending in with some pretty good players makes me think we will contend for a NC in 2019. We have never had 3 long poles as good as Newfeldt, Johnson, and Gaines. We may look like an uptempo version of Tierney's championship Princeton teams.
If you are a DU sports fan for all sports, we will throw out the best potential DU hoops team in a long time, like 70-71. That team had 3 pros on it

[DU-fan]

It is too quiet on this board. Spring will be here soon...

From Lax Magazine WAY-EARLY 2019 RANKINGS, June 8, 2018

6. DENVER
2018 record: 13-4 (5-0 Big East)

Last seen: Unable to stop Albany’s dynamic offense, resulting in a 15-13 loss that left them a game shy of the program’s sixth trip to Memorial Day weekend in eight years.

Senior starts lost: 41 of 170 (24.1 percent)

Senior scoring departing: 80 of 307 points (26.1 percent)

Initial forecast: There might not be a greater graduation loss for anyone in Division I than Denver faceoff maestro Trevor Baptiste. It’s not just that he was a four-time first team All-America pick. Rather, he was an insurance policy the Pioneers could always turn to when their defense wasn’t as stout as it needed to be or its offense wasn’t quite as efficient as normal. The latter was the case more than usual in 2018, and Denver will have much of the same group back next spring. Attackmen Ethan Walker (48 goals, 22 assists) and Austin French (29 goals, 31 assists) should again pace the offense, with Colton Jackson (22 goals, 12 assists) anchoring the midfield. A pair of Dylans (Gaines and Johnson) provide a good start for the close defense, and Alex Ready is a tested in the cage after starting for much of the last three years. But faceoffs are anyone’s guess, with Ryan Harnisch (17 of 44), Danny Logan (5 of 9) and Sean Penna (4 of 9) the only options on the roster who have taken a draw for the Pioneers. Denver will still be the favorite in the Big East, but their margin for error just won’t be the same as it was the last four seasons.

Is DU ranked too low, too high, or just right?

[gunnerz]

At this point I'm more interested in the actual schedule for 2019.

[admin]

Shane Osbourne from La Salle going to Denver.

[Dunker]

At this point I'm more interested in the actual schedule for 2019.

Schedule being released today. I will share if on DU Have Spirit page on Facebook. Not sure how to share it here.

[Dunker]

DU-FAN

19 freshmen is odd, but if you look at the resumes, it makes some sense. Probably 4-8 of the kids were very good HS laxers, but not DU caliber recruited athletes. Some of the kids should be considered similar to preferred walk-ons. ( out of the bunch, some kids get better and play when they become upperclassmen) You need a larger roster these days for practices because kids leave for numerous reasons and injuries can mount-up. Also, remember, 10-15 practice players are needed to emulate an opponent's offense and defense. (in football, we call it the scout team)

[gunnerz]

Schedule: https://denverpioneers.com/schedule.aspx?path=mlax

[a fan]

Whew. That's one lame home schedule. One single home game (barely) in March.

Can't wait to see what Tierney has cooked up for the new shot clock defense.

[Dunker]

God awful home schedule 2 years in a row, but we knew that was coming. To make championship weekend, DU has to endure this: 1 flight to Delaware for a scrimmage Feb 2, 6 flights to play 7 regular season road games, 1 flight to California for a neutral site game with Notre Dame, 1 flight for NCAA quarterfinal game, and finally a flight to Philly for championship weekend.

[laxadaisical]

Also backfilling 7 non-returners with extra freshmen

DU-FAN
19 freshmen is odd, but if you look at the resumes, it makes some sense. Probably 4-8 of the kids were very good HS laxers, but not DU caliber recruited athletes. Some of the kids should be considered similar to preferred walk-ons. ( out of the bunch, some kids get better and play when they become upperclassmen) You need a larger roster these days for practices because kids leave for numerous reasons and injuries can mount-up. Also, remember, 10-15 practice players are needed to emulate an opponent's offense and defense. (in football, we call it the scout team)

[laxadaisical]

Re: schedule sucks... icon_puke
3 of the last 5 games are at home, allowing for rest and recuperation before the BE tournament, also at home, which allows rest for the NCAA tournament. I think its very strategically setup up for the best end of season performance, which has been an issue in the last few years.

[a fan]

Excellent point----I think we were looking at the schedule from a DU fan's perspective, not from a strategic standpoint.

[laxadaisical]

2019 recruit ranking is out https://www.insidelacrosse.com/recruiti ... ision+I/1#
Mostly 4-star recruits; class is 12th ranked behind the usual suspects, but only 6 of the 11 DU players have an IL ranking, so team rankings are meaningless

[Dunker]

Recruiting: Looks a little down as far as publicized players go, but we get kids from non hot beds who are often not rated too highly. "Trust the proscess"

Schedule: Don't give too much credit to Tierney for the end of schedule rest and recharge. The last 5 games are always BE games and this is the alternate year where we have 3 BE home games. BE Tournament at Barton is a big plus, but we don't always win at home. To please hometown fans, going back to playing a marquis match-up at Mile High might be the answer. Maybe a Hop, Md, UVA, and or some other brand school would fly west if they don't have to play in Barton. If we end up having to play Cleveland State and Utah every year, our options become less for home and home with mid range teams eastern teams..