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.

A field unlike any other…. @DU_WLAX @DU_MLAX pic.twitter.com/epXIDw2FaZ

— Todd Rinehart (@ToddRinehart) October 1, 2023

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.