Denver Pioneers 2024

[LaxAllStars]

Denver head coach Matt Brown
30 minute interview with Quint K

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show ... wn-e2a6q1l

[cherrylax]

Did anyone make it out to the games on Saturday? Any insight?

[getitdone]

Did hear they beat Col college fairly easily. Were up 6-1 against Utah and maybe won 8-7 Silstrop and Mic Kelly played well

[PIOLAX]

Did anyone make it out to the games on Saturday? Any insight?

Watched both games, offense looked fluid with the young guys going against Colorado College. Against Utah we started strong and let them crawl back in. Won both games saw some positive but lots more to do. Certainly, need to score more than 8 goals even with a defense with such experience and talent. Man- Down looks to be a huge improvement. no goals in 4 opportunities.

[Puck Swami]

Some interesting DU non-league scheduling tidbits emerged from coach Matt Brown's Oct. 5 podcast with Quint Kessenich:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show ... wn-e2a6q1l

- Denver is playing at Johns Hopkins to open the season this year in Baltimore, and Hopkins will come to Denver for the first time for a regular season game in 2025.
- Cornell is coming to Denver this season (I don't think the Big Red laxers have ever played at DU before).
- Yale, Ohio State, Air Force and Utah are on the schedule

[cherrylax]

Anybody make it out to the alumni game? Heard it was a bit lopsided which is to be expected. Think the classic alumni game needs to go the way of the dinosaur with pro lacrosse getting bigger. Guys just don't want to take the risk and get hurt.

On another note saw that we just committed Justin Tavares from Deerfield and Mimco Junior A. Son of NLL great John Tavares, watching the tape seems like a solid two way middie who contributed to a top 20 team as a sophomore.

[DU-fan]

So many returning players this year.

Does anyone think any of the freshman like Brody Davis, DJ Clark, Gavin Dallas, Greyson Vorgang, or Maddox Johnson will make a contribution this year?

[cherrylax]

So many returning players this year.

Does anyone think any of the freshman like Brody Davis, DJ Clark, Gavin Dallas, Greyson Vorgang, or Maddox Johnson will make a contribution this year?

I foresee a good amount of Redshirting going on, but do think we will see some contributions in the midfield. Brody Davis looks like a prototypical DU SSDM and could be in the mix early. Vorgang is a great player, but very much an attackmen and just can't see him getting the run with Connell ahead of him, plus I have heard the surprise from the fall has been the play of Malawsky who is also a left attackmen.

[Farfromgeneva]

Is Tye Scott just a myth or really going to be seen one day?

[10stone5]

Is Tye Scott just a myth or really going to be seen one day?

This has happened a fair amount with the Pios.
Hopefully, Brown takes much more advantage of the talent.
Course, Pios have their system, and players have to fit the system.

[DU-fan]

Is Tye Scott just a myth or really going to be seen one day?

I think you should drop him in fantasy lacrosse.

[Farfromgeneva]

Is Tye Scott just a myth or really going to be seen one day?

I think you should drop him in fantasy lacrosse.

Talk to the boy. He asked about trades.

[cherrylax]

Have to be fired up about this schedule. Get to see Yale, Cornell, Georgetown, and a dark horse top 15 team Marquette at home is a treat. Very challenging schedule but if somehow they can steal a 2 or 3 wins against Hop, Duke, Cornell, Yale, OSU it would be tough to keep them out regardless of winning the big east.

No cupcakes on this schedule. Excited for the spring.

[darkhaha]

Yes, very excited about this schedule. SOS has definitely improved, and it will be nice to have seven home games after a couple years of only five. Looking forward to a successful start to the post-Tierney era…

Also looking forward to the hockey team’s series with no. 2 ranked North Dakota this weekend. Go DU!

[DU-fan]

Great to see Johns Hopkins and Cornell on the schedule.

Interesting that the UNC games are over. That was a tough home vs. away game agreement with little upside for Denver.

Good to see Duke later in the year too.

[DU-fan]

https://letsgodu.com/2023/12/12/new-loo ... more-93975

NEW LOOK MEN’S LACROSSE FEATURES FAMILIAR FACES IN 2024
DECEMBER 12, 2023 LETSGODU 1 COMMENT
It’s not too early to start the hot stove discussions around DU men’s lacrosse.

When looking at the 2024 team, it starts with two new coaching positions. First, newly elevated head coach Matt Brown, a DU alum and former assistant coach, replaced the iconic Bill Tierney. Second, Brown is joined by David Metzbower former North Carolina, Loyola, and Princeton offensive coordinator who is a legendary coach in his own right. Look for a more wide-open play this season as ‘Brownie’ starts to put his fingerprints on the DU program.

In recent years, DU lost its mantle of invincibility. Speculation centered on recruiting, the shot clock changes, the slow style of play, and an ever-improving Big East conference (all of the programs can thank Denver and Coach T for that). Regardless of the reasons for Denver’s slide, the coaching change feels timely and needed. Still, Denver will be forever indebted to Coach T and his innumerable contributions to lacrosse at DU. It’s important to note that Tierney did not leave the cupboard bare, either.

Denver continues to leverage their “Lacrosse Capital of the West” distinction to identify prospects outside many of the traditional recruiting hotbeds. In a recent podcast episode, Brown told Quint Kessenich that he and his staff scouted 680 players this past off-season – more than three times their traditional scouting pool. While scouring for lacrosse gems, the school has also recorded a record number of visits from recruits. Expect recruiting talent and lacrosse IQ to be near the top of the list for Brown and Metzbower as they put their stamp on the program.

Alec Stathakis is returning at the dot for Denver. According to Brown, Stathakis, along with Jack Hannah, and Wesley Berg in the past, are some of the greatest players in Denver lacrosse history. “[Stathakis] is exactly the kind of guy we want all our players to be.” Stability at the faceoff circle should provide an edge to Denver in most games this upcoming season.

A large cast of returning players will be holding up both ends of the field for Brown as Denver will rely on veteran experience during their spring campaign.

On the defensive end, fifth-year players AJ Mercurio & Jack DiBenedetto will anchor the back line. Those two players along with another fifth-year player Adam Hangland and junior Jimmy Freehill add depth to what Brown calls “a great defensive core.” Expect the defense under Brown to play fast tempo as well, leveraging the various skills of his back-liners, and lean on the leadership skills of his veteran defensive core.

The offense has a familiar look, too with their top 5 scorers, all experienced, returning to campus. In no particular order, fifth-year player JJ Sillstrop (36g/5a) looks to be healthy and in great shape heading into the 2024 campaign. He can lead as a team captain and score in bunches. Of course, DU features a Canadian Junior, Noah Manning (22g/15a) under Brown. Manning can play both the midfield and attack and his international experience will complement the up-tempo style of play under Brown. Senior Michael Lampert (19g/18a) is a fiery player, short and shifty, and will be an energy giver and midfield threat as DU features multiple scoring threats from various areas of the field. Grad Student Richie Connell can play off-ball or in the crease, and he tied for the team lead with 18 assists last season and 16 goals. Finally, senior midfielder Steven Avery (26g/5a) can shoot and score from anywhere on the field. Like many of his other offensive teammates, he has all the experience and game IQ to lead and deliver on the offensive end or dish from the midfield. The fab 5 accounted for 68% of Denver’s scoring last season.

In the cage, Malcomb Kleban is returning with 11 starts under his belt and a .473 save %. He is backed by freshman goalie Nick Catino, NJ.com’s top goalie in the state (2023). If Kleban gets off to a slow start, expect Catino to battle for some playing minutes.

DU’s highest-ranking newcomer is Marek Tzagournis, brother of DU sophomore Chase. The Dublin, Ohio product was the 2023 USA Lacrosse Midwest Boys’ Player of the Year for 2022 and a 2023 U.S. Lacrosse All-American. Many of DU’s incoming recruits were from non-traditional hotbeds west of the Mississippi. This, no doubt, helps create an ‘us against them’ mentality that has aided the Pioneers in the past. Denver rarely lands top 100 recruits who tend to select schools more local to their east coast home geography. As a result, coaching and development are critical factors in driving on-field success.

One intriguing freshman recruit is Jackson Brown who played club lacrosse instead of high school lacrosse. He is a short-stick defensive midfielder from Lacey, Washington, and will no doubt look to continue the proud SSDM tradition at Denver that was perhaps best exemplified by Danny Logan.

Local fans will see new turf at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium. The brainchild of athletic director Josh Berlo, the artificial turf design builds on DU’s rocky mountain location and branding as the Lacrosse Capital of the West. Like it or not, it is a bold statement from Denver Lacrosse and drives home the DU brand.

In non-conference play, the Pioneers open at Peter Barton against Air Force (Feb 10th), Cornell (Feb 24th), LeMoyne (Mar 2nd), and conclude with Yale (Mar 10th). The Pioneers host three conference tilts: St. Johns (Apr 5th), Georgetown (Apr 13th), and Marquette (Apr 26th). Denver opens on the road against Johns Hopkins followed by Utah, Ohio State, and Duke. Road conference games send DU to Villanova (Mar 20th) and Providence (Apr 30th). Villanova is hosting the Big East tournament in early May. The home schedule dates and timing are much better than last season when they spent extensive amounts of time on the road with a limited number of home games.

USA Lax Magazine ranked DU at #11 in its “Way too early” rankings and predicts a first-place finish in the Big East. The magazine further opined that DU’s experience may even carry them to a Championship Weekend appearance. Based on DU’s returning experience, along with Georgetown graduation losses, expect Denver to be in the hunt for a Big East title under Matt Brown in his inaugural season at the helm.

[cherrylax]

https://letsgodu.com/2023/12/12/new-loo ... more-93975

NEW LOOK MEN’S LACROSSE FEATURES FAMILIAR FACES IN 2024
DECEMBER 12, 2023 LETSGODU 1 COMMENT
It’s not too early to start the hot stove discussions around DU men’s lacrosse.

When looking at the 2024 team, it starts with two new coaching positions. First, newly elevated head coach Matt Brown, a DU alum and former assistant coach, replaced the iconic Bill Tierney. Second, Brown is joined by David Metzbower former North Carolina, Loyola, and Princeton offensive coordinator who is a legendary coach in his own right. Look for a more wide-open play this season as ‘Brownie’ starts to put his fingerprints on the DU program.

In recent years, DU lost its mantle of invincibility. Speculation centered on recruiting, the shot clock changes, the slow style of play, and an ever-improving Big East conference (all of the programs can thank Denver and Coach T for that). Regardless of the reasons for Denver’s slide, the coaching change feels timely and needed. Still, Denver will be forever indebted to Coach T and his innumerable contributions to lacrosse at DU. It’s important to note that Tierney did not leave the cupboard bare, either.

Denver continues to leverage their “Lacrosse Capital of the West” distinction to identify prospects outside many of the traditional recruiting hotbeds. In a recent podcast episode, Brown told Quint Kessenich that he and his staff scouted 680 players this past off-season – more than three times their traditional scouting pool. While scouring for lacrosse gems, the school has also recorded a record number of visits from recruits. Expect recruiting talent and lacrosse IQ to be near the top of the list for Brown and Metzbower as they put their stamp on the program.

Alec Stathakis is returning at the dot for Denver. According to Brown, Stathakis, along with Jack Hannah, and Wesley Berg in the past, are some of the greatest players in Denver lacrosse history. “[Stathakis] is exactly the kind of guy we want all our players to be.” Stability at the faceoff circle should provide an edge to Denver in most games this upcoming season.

A large cast of returning players will be holding up both ends of the field for Brown as Denver will rely on veteran experience during their spring campaign.

On the defensive end, fifth-year players AJ Mercurio & Jack DiBenedetto will anchor the back line. Those two players along with another fifth-year player Adam Hangland and junior Jimmy Freehill add depth to what Brown calls “a great defensive core.” Expect the defense under Brown to play fast tempo as well, leveraging the various skills of his back-liners, and lean on the leadership skills of his veteran defensive core.

The offense has a familiar look, too with their top 5 scorers, all experienced, returning to campus. In no particular order, fifth-year player JJ Sillstrop (36g/5a) looks to be healthy and in great shape heading into the 2024 campaign. He can lead as a team captain and score in bunches. Of course, DU features a Canadian Junior, Noah Manning (22g/15a) under Brown. Manning can play both the midfield and attack and his international experience will complement the up-tempo style of play under Brown. Senior Michael Lampert (19g/18a) is a fiery player, short and shifty, and will be an energy giver and midfield threat as DU features multiple scoring threats from various areas of the field. Grad Student Richie Connell can play off-ball or in the crease, and he tied for the team lead with 18 assists last season and 16 goals. Finally, senior midfielder Steven Avery (26g/5a) can shoot and score from anywhere on the field. Like many of his other offensive teammates, he has all the experience and game IQ to lead and deliver on the offensive end or dish from the midfield. The fab 5 accounted for 68% of Denver’s scoring last season.

In the cage, Malcomb Kleban is returning with 11 starts under his belt and a .473 save %. He is backed by freshman goalie Nick Catino, NJ.com’s top goalie in the state (2023). If Kleban gets off to a slow start, expect Catino to battle for some playing minutes.

DU’s highest-ranking newcomer is Marek Tzagournis, brother of DU sophomore Chase. The Dublin, Ohio product was the 2023 USA Lacrosse Midwest Boys’ Player of the Year for 2022 and a 2023 U.S. Lacrosse All-American. Many of DU’s incoming recruits were from non-traditional hotbeds west of the Mississippi. This, no doubt, helps create an ‘us against them’ mentality that has aided the Pioneers in the past. Denver rarely lands top 100 recruits who tend to select schools more local to their east coast home geography. As a result, coaching and development are critical factors in driving on-field success.

One intriguing freshman recruit is Jackson Brown who played club lacrosse instead of high school lacrosse. He is a short-stick defensive midfielder from Lacey, Washington, and will no doubt look to continue the proud SSDM tradition at Denver that was perhaps best exemplified by Danny Logan.

Local fans will see new turf at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium. The brainchild of athletic director Josh Berlo, the artificial turf design builds on DU’s rocky mountain location and branding as the Lacrosse Capital of the West. Like it or not, it is a bold statement from Denver Lacrosse and drives home the DU brand.

In non-conference play, the Pioneers open at Peter Barton against Air Force (Feb 10th), Cornell (Feb 24th), LeMoyne (Mar 2nd), and conclude with Yale (Mar 10th). The Pioneers host three conference tilts: St. Johns (Apr 5th), Georgetown (Apr 13th), and Marquette (Apr 26th). Denver opens on the road against Johns Hopkins followed by Utah, Ohio State, and Duke. Road conference games send DU to Villanova (Mar 20th) and Providence (Apr 30th). Villanova is hosting the Big East tournament in early May. The home schedule dates and timing are much better than last season when they spent extensive amounts of time on the road with a limited number of home games.

USA Lax Magazine ranked DU at #11 in its “Way too early” rankings and predicts a first-place finish in the Big East. The magazine further opined that DU’s experience may even carry them to a Championship Weekend appearance. Based on DU’s returning experience, along with Georgetown graduation losses, expect Denver to be in the hunt for a Big East title under Matt Brown in his inaugural season at the helm.

Excellent write up. Very excited for the season to start. Really getting 2011 vibes from this team, having a few guys fly under the radar and adding in a talented freshman class hopefully ends up getting the pio's back in the tournament and beyond.

Everything I've seen about the pioneer's in the media has been about all the great players they are returning, but no offense to those guys, none of them have played in an NCAA tournament game. Yes we bring back almost 100% of our offense, but that offense was 43rd last year just above Cleveland State in scoring. What are the changes/additions that need to be made? Defensively we're in a good position, bringing nearly everyone back from the 8th best D in the league. Per usual Denver's biggest question mark on D will be in the cage. Kleban showed flashes last year but 47% is not going to get the job done.

It's going to be interesting how this team's mentality changes under new leadership. Personally I would expect the 2024 pio's to run and gun a bit more, while being able to trust that there defense will get a stop, and they can win the next FO.

[cherrylax]

Getting us back on the page 1 as the pio's are back on campus. No shock departures or arrivals as we have seen in some years past. Looks like the team did a little retreat to a ranch in the mountains prior to jumping into practice.

Any updates on the team?

[Jumbo]

Scrimmage this weekend at USNA. Going to be cold. But should be evenly matched teams.

[DU-fan]

Scrimmage this weekend at USNA. Going to be cold. But should be evenly matched teams.

It looks cold watching the Ravens.

Can someone share updates on scrimmages? Playing both Highpoint and Navy on Sunday.