Take in a University of Denver athletic event and you are likely to see some of the finest collegiate athletes in the country.
Exaggeration, you say? Hardly.
Denver fans love to boast about having the best teams in the land – but only one program can “win it all” in any given sport in any given year. An equally tough accomplishment is coaching and playing at a consistently high level. Continue reading Denver spoiled by individual riches
At this very moment on Feb. 20, 2017, for the first time in history, our two flagship sports, ice hockey and men’s lacrosse, are both ranked #1 in the country in all the major polls of those two sports.
For our small private school in the Rockies with 5,500 undergrads and a budget 1/10th the size of some of the large D-I football powers, with our opponents spread out all over the country and requiring jet planes to get to 85% of DU away games, this is an astonishing, epic achievement.
Additionally, our men’s soccer team finished #3 in the country this fall. And our women’s gymnastics team is currently ranked #8 in the country, the highest the program has ever been ranked. And DU women’s lacrosse is undefeated this year and ranked #14/15 in the country. And our nationally ranked swim teams (#20 men’s and #26 women’s) just swept the podium in EVERY EVENT at the Summit League Championships last week.
I say all this because we need to take a moment to realize just how frickin’ good our athletics program is right now. No program in the country gets better performance for the buck than DU does. And now is the time to tell your friends from bigger schools that the Pioneers are on top of the country in two sports. Let’s hope both can end their seasons with a National Championship.
For those of us oldsters who remember the days when DU played hockey in a decrepit old WWII surplus naval drill hall and DU lacrosse played mostly clubs and small colleges on muddy fields in front of 50 people, we can only say how proud we are to see just how far DU has come as a national sports power.
Go Pios!
DU women’s lacrosse (3-0) returns to Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium for their 2017 home opener this Saturday against Louisville (3-0) at 3:00 pm, following the men’s lacrosse game against Duke. US Lacrosse Magazine has the Pioneers checking in at #16 nationally.
Why not stay for the second game Saturday and see two excellent women’s teams face off? Continue reading DU Womens’ Lacrosse opens new era in style
Lacrosse’s roots run deep in the cultural tradition of the Native American Iroquois people. The Iroquois inhabited what is now New York, Pennsylvania, as well as other parts of the Northeastern US and the lower parts of Ontario and Quebec, Canada. Eventually, the sport was modified and played by the Plains Indians as well. Lacrosse is seen by many Native Americans as a gift by their Creator and a way to generate a spiritual connection with their Spirit. Continue reading Native American lacrosse tribute would meet with universal support
Continue reading Leftovers & Loose Ends: Denver Holiday Break Update
When Denver centerback Kortne Ford (above/Photo by David Grooms) carved open the Clemson backline to convert Alex Underwood’s cross to score the game-winning goal in Dec.2’s NCAA Soccer Quarterfinal with a minute left in the game to book a first-ever DU berth in the College Cup, it set off a big celebration for every Pioneer fan.
I would argue that it may have been one of DU’s greatest collegiate sporting achievements of all time. Here’s why: Continue reading Puck Swami: Is the men’s soccer team making the 2016 College Cup DU’s greatest sporting achievement?
Announced Monday morning (May 3) Denver women’s lacrosse will join its male counterparts in the BIG EAST conference effective immediately in the 2017 season. The Pioneers become the tenth team alongside Butler, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Florida, Georgetown, Marquette, Temple, Vanderbilt, and Villanova competing in the BIG EAST. Continue reading Women’s Lacrosse to Join BIG EAST in 2017
Denver (9-9) hung close to undefeated USC (18-0) in the first half but the Trojans scored four unanswered goals to start the second half and blew the game wide open.
Denver drew first blood at 24:41 on a fast break goal by Elizebeth Behrens. USC tied the match on a free shot by Cynthia Del Core at 19:39 to even the score, 1-1. A minute later, DU’s Nicole Martindale gave Denver the lead again, 2-1. Denver called a timeout at the 16:03 as the momentum begun to shift to the Trojans and DU fouls started to give USC numerous penalty shots. DU junior goalie Maddie Stevenson held up to the mounting pressure. At 12:57, after a long DU offensive possession USC gained control and created a fast break goal by Amanda Johanson to tie the contest. Six minutes later, USC scored again on a Johanson assist to Cynthia Del Core. Layne Vorhees fouled at 7:05 set up a penalty draw and goal by the Trojans Amanda Johanson – and a 3-2 SC lead. At the 2:00 minute mark, USC’s Gabby McMahon scored to double SC’s lead. Martindale countered for DU with only six seconds left to close out the opening frame 4-3, Trojans. Continue reading USC Runs Away from DU 10-5
Thanks to Thursday night’s victory over UC-Davis, DU Women’s Lax will advance to the MPSF semifinals against undefeated USC (17-0).
So what do we know about USC?
It’s a private football school that also offers academics. One of their football coaches was removed because he was drinking before, during, and after games. O.J. went there. Most students go there because it is easier to spell than UCLA. The University neighborhood is known as Fortress USC – with an accompanying high crime rate. Want a job in LA? It is known as the ‘University of Special Connections’ – which is better than its other nickname, ‘the University of Spoiled Children’. Continue reading Preview: DU Women’s Lax Gets USC in Semis
DU demolished UC-Davis, behind a 41 minute run, to avenge an earlier defeat against the Aggies to advance to the MPSF semifinals tomorrow night.
UC-Davis drew first blood at 27:40. Denver responded 40 seconds later with a goal by Sarah Kasun with an assist from Nicole Martindale to tie the score. UC-Davis’ Sam Axenroth made it 2-1 at 25:56. DU knotted the score 2-2 on Audrey Schreck’s penalty shot. Denver took their first lead, 3-2, on a nifty shot from Casey White – a lead DU would never relinquish. Early in the game, UCD was putting pressure on Reece and double-teaming Nicole Martindale so the pair were looking for assists. However, a free position strike by Reece doubled the score to make it 4-2. That goal seemed to open the flood gates for the scoring duo. Elizebeth Behrins made an unassisted goal to make it 5-2 on a low shot into the net. Denver won the draw and kept the pressure on the Aggies and extended the lead on a Christa Reece goal assisted by Audrey Schreck. Then, at 7:25 Martindale scored again to make it 7-2. Once again, Denver took control of a loose ball and Reece made it a hat trick to extend DU’s lead to 8-2 with 1:12 to go in the first half. The half ended 8-2 with DU enjoying a 7-goal run. Denver got off 17 shots to UC-Davis’ 11. Continue reading DU Crushes UC-Davis – Advances to MPSF Semis
