The DU men’s lacrosse (7-7, 2-3) fell 18-11 at Marquette to close out a choppy season. DU reeled off three straight goals to open the game but Marquette exited the first quarter with a 5-4 lead. Cody Malowski knotted up the game, 5-5, but the Pioneers lost contact when the Golden Eagles reeled off three straight goals by halftime to lead 8-5. The Golden Eagles opened the half with a pair of goals from Carson Brandt to double up DU, 10-5. MU held a four goal edge heading into the final period. The teams traded a pair of goals before MU went on a run to close out the game, 18-11.
Marquette advanced to the Big EAST tournament and Denver puts away their sticks for the season. Denver’s last Big EAST Tournament Championship was in 2015, ten years ago. In the past five seasons, DU were regular season BIG East champions and NCAA Tournament participants in 2021 and 2024.
Denver has nine seniors to include key contributors like Noah Manning, Casey Wilson, Jimmy Freehill, Mic Kelly, Jack Tortolani, and Malcolm Kleban. Matt Brown and his coaching staff will be charged with retooling the roster to move back into conference contention next season.
Denver women’s lacrosse (12-5, 5-1) took the Big EAST regular season title at Peter Barton Stadium on Senior Day, 17-7. The win marked the team’s seventh win in their last eight tries. The #1 seed Pioneers travel to Philadelphia Thursday for a Big EAST semifinals against Georgetown. The winner faces the winner of the UConn vs. Villanova tilt.
Photo: Courtesy of Marquette Lacrosse
Congrats to women’s program!! As far as the men’s program, very disappointing finish – last two games. Outplayed, out coached, FO wins minimal – if you have national aspirations but can’t qualify for BE tourney shows we need a tune up – Good Luck!!
Ugh. This one hurt.
While a 7-7, .500 season is the statistical epitome of mediocrity, it likely feels a lot worse for the DU men’s team, which was coming off a surprising final four berth in 2024.
This 2025 DU team beat some pretty good teams it should probably not have beaten in Duke and Georgetown, yet the poor finish to the season in those last two league losses to Providence and Marquette also proved that the team was not improving when it needed to be. To be hosting the BET this year and not make it to the top four in a league DU used to dominate feels humiliating…
When the coaches review this season, they will find the same thing that the DU fans saw on the field – that a lack of quality roster depth, inconsistent performances, and failures on the fundamentals are a recipe for a regression to mediocrity.
The lack of quality roster depth is glaring and it’s a function of a gradual fall off in recruiting, where DU is just not getting the high level of talent it used to stockpile. That’s on the coaches.
And the inconsistencies in performance are not just a talent fall-off, but deficient coaching of fundamentals.
1) The face-off position, once the envy of the sport under Baptiste, Ierlan and Stathakis, fell apart completely, ranking #67 out of 74 teams. This was a horrendous, negligent, face-plant level failure of recruiting and development.
2) The DU offense, once feared and deep, fell to 45th this year nationally and looked terribly stagnant for large chunks of this season. Honestly, the lack of offensive development since the shot clock came in remains quite glaring.
3) The clearing game was godawful at 80% (#69 out of 74). There is no reason DU should be that poor in fundamental execution.
These aspects of failure need to be fixed, and whether it’s through the portal, coaching up existing players or getting new coaches, DU cannot be a contender until those things improve.