David Carle has completed his incoming freshman class – and still no official word as to whether Ian Mitchell will be departing before his senior season, though it is still all but a given that he will sign with the Chicago Blackhawks. The incoming class includes two 2019 NHL Draftees in D Antti Tuomisto, Assat U20 (Finland) 2nd round pick (35th overall) of the Detroit Red Wings and F McKade Webster, Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) 7th round draft pick (213 overall) of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The remaining three members are F Connor Caponi, Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) from Brookfield, Wisconsin, D Reid Irwin, Sherwood Park Crusaders (AJHL), from Victoria, B.C, and D Josh Luedtke, Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) from Minnetonka, MN. We will have more on this incoming class later this year in our annual season preview.
A new proposal discussed at recent NCAA meetings would reduce the college soccer regular-season schedule – for both the men and women – from 25 to 23 total matches but would expand the campaign across the entire school year. The first half would consist of 13 games in the fall and end around Thanksgiving before picking back up in the spring with nine more matches. In DU’s case, non-conference games would likely be held in the fall and conference matches and championships would be held in the spring. The College Cup would fall between lacrosse’s Championship Weekend which coincides with Memorial Day and baseball’s College World Series. Three exhibitions would be spread around the year, as opposed to the current setup of five meaningless exhibition games all set in the spring offseason. Continue reading Pioneers Support Vote to Extend College Soccer Season→
DU has formally announced its 2020 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees.
The ceremony will feature a return to campus by hockey head coach George Gwozdecky, one of Denver’s greatest coaches, who led DU to a pair of national championships, multiple NCAA appearances and an imposing 443-267-64 record in 19 years with the Pioneers between 1994 and 2013. The evening is sure to be a special one as ‘Coach Gwoz’ finally gets some of the eternal recognition that he so richly deserves as a legend in the Pioneer family. Continue reading Coach George Gwozdecky Headlines DU’s 2020 Hall of Fame Class Induction Event→
An old college paradigm has college soccer teams playing multiple games a week in a packed fall schedule resulting in injuries and decreased playing quality as top players flee the collegiate soccer model for the pros.
Unlike the rest of the soccer world, which plays once a week nearly year-round, college soccer funnels all of its games into a tight, four-month span between September and December, with many teams playing three games a week. The result is more player injuries, additional fatigue, extensive weekly travel, and academic hardship on student-athletes. The short season also forces the best part of the season (and postseason) into freezing weather in many parts of the country, which reduces spectator interest. Continue reading Collegiate Soccer is at a Scheduling Crossroads→
Top Moment of the Decade: DU’s 2015 NCAA Lacrosse Championship transcended DU – it was a watershed moment in the history of lacrosse in America as this victory moved it from an eastern game to a national game.
A 30-minute rain delay and soggy field met the Denver Pioneers Thursday night at Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium in Springfield, Missouri. The first half was a defensive affair between the Denver Pioneers and the Missouri State Bears. Denver tried to attack down the middle of the field with long runs from Preston Judd. Missouri State worked their offense from the wings and launched kicks into the box. Most of the half, Denver packed the defensive end, content to make long forays into Bear territory. Neither team could score a goal with the Bears earning the best opportunity to score at 30:02. MSU’s Jack Denton fired a shot from the top of the box low right and Denver’s keeper Will Palmquist made a sliding save. The Bears had 5 shots and 3 shots-on-goal while Denver could only muster 3 shots for the half. Continue reading MSU Wears Down Denver in NCAA Playoff Win, 1-0→
As the only undefeated soccer squad in Division I, it was time for #12 Missouri State Bears to flash the disrespect card. The Bears’ head coach, Jon Learny, following the NCAA Tournament selection show Monday, did little to brush off the frustration of losing a first-round bye when he told the Springfield-News Leader, “A bunch of suits in Indianapolis determine this crap, not us,” Jon Leamy said. “We play games and that’s what we like to do. We’ll go anywhere at any time to play. Teams need to play each other and that’s how we find out who’s best.”Continue reading Denver to Battle Tough Missouri State Side in Tonight’s NCAA First-Round Match→
Photos:Courtesy Jason Evans. Pioneers celebrate Judd’s game winning goal (above).
The low point came a month ago (10/19) with a loss to Summit League member Western Illinois. Said head coach Jamie franks, “I’m very disappointed with my group. The mentality of the group was wrong. We just got out worked today. The success of the program has always been built on three things that you can control: your positioning, your work rate and your mentality. This season, this team’s work rate and their mentality have been poor. They have not been open to criticism. There has not been ownership every day to try to bring their best and get better. For that, we haven’t gotten results.” The team fell to 2-7-2 overall, 0-1-1 Summit League. Continue reading Denver Resurrects Season, Earns NCAA Bid→
