There was great excitement when Matt Brown was announced as the replacement for legendary head coach Bill Tierney to lead DU men’s lacrosse. It would be wrong to say DU had lost their way since their national championship in 2015. Heck, in the past nine seasons, the Pioneers played on Memorial Day in 2017 and secured 2016, 2018, and 2021 NCAA Tournament bids. But, despite all of that and winning six BIG EAST regular season titles since the program’s 2015 high water mark, Denver has failed to win a single BIG EAST Conference Tournament title. Not exactly chopped liver for a program that is always a difficult out, especially at Peter Barton Stadium, but their seemingly annual Memorial Day pilgrimage to Championship Weekend had become nonexistent in recent years.

In the understatement of the century, Matt Brown was a popular choice to succeed Bill Tierney.

Over the past nine seasons, though, some fans theorized recruiting as an issue, especially in Canada, where DU sourced many of their top former prospects that led them to the peak of the sport in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The shot clock, put in place ahead of the 2019 season, was posited as a barrier for Denver’s slow, methodical offensive style. Had Denver become too conservative under Tierney, fearing mistakes or turnovers? Or, maybe things had just grown stale and just needed a change. No matter the reason, Denver slowly faded and their presence in the top 10 became rarer.

The new-look Pioneers under Brown are not really new, though. They have a ton of returning experience, especially on defense this season in what feels like a do-or-die campaign. Sixteen players are either seniors or graduate students, most gobbling up key minutes. The buzz around campus grew as this season’s men’s lacrosse team took shape and rolled to the #5 seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament despite the BIG EAST Semifinal loss to Villanova.

In a true rarity, Denver returned every point from last year’s team. Denver scores from multiple positions. JJ Sillstrop is a grad student and leading scorer and enjoyed a fully healthy season, leading the team with 46 points. Noah Manning (31), Michael Lampert (44), Richie Connell (20), and Steven Avery (12) have all been 30-point scorers in the past but are sharing the scoring wealth this season. Add red-shirt freshman Cody Malawsky (31) and junior midfielder Mic Kelly (27), and the Pioneers have many scoring options. Combine Denver’s offensive weapons with Matt Brown’s offensive acumen and the added brilliance of offensive coordinator Dave Metzbower – a big splash when he was hired – and Denver poses problems for any defense, even one as decorated as Notre Dame’s #4-ranked scoring defense.

The defense is coached by returning assistant John Gallant and his group has rapidly improved throughout the year, making key stops when needed. Their best effort will be needed against the high-octane #1 Notre Dame offense (15.87 goals per game) in the first national semifinal on Saturday in Philadelphia. DU’s senior goalie Malcolm Kleban is playing his best when it counts with a .510 SV% (compared to Notre Dame’s Liam Entenmann at .551, good for 14th nationally). DU’s Casey Wilson (SSDM) has Team Canada experience while AJ Mercurio, Jack DiBenedetto, and Adam Hangland all returned for their fifth years on defense.

Sure, the Pioneers will have to reload after this all-or-nothing campaign, but Brown has a plan for that, too (plus, there’s no sense in worrying about that until this campaign is over). Under Brown, the Pioneers are hyper-focused on player recruiting and increasing campus visits. Brown can sell a great gameday environment and a veteran coaching staff with a proven record. He also might be able to market another national championship on the Peter Barton flag pole. And hell, if all goes well this weekend, DU might just need to make room for a second #1 flag for the rest of the summer.

Top photo courtesy of Denver Athletics