by DENVER – Freshman FOGO Trevor Baptiste (Denville, N.J.) won 25 of 26 face-offs, and 10 different players scored goals, as the [5/5] University of Denver men’s lacrosse team used an explosive 13-1 first half run to top [14/14] Georgetown 19-7 on Saturday afternoon in-front of a school record capacity crowd at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium (3,117).
“We needed this win out here today,” head coach Bill Tierney said. “It’s been quite a struggle, but I’m proud of the guys after a really good week of practice; they came out and performed today. It helps a lot to be at home, and it doesn’t hurt that you’ve got the `Barton Crazies’ out there. I thought that today could have been the day, and I’m proud of the guys for doing what they did, especially in that first half.”
Tewaaraton Watch List member Connor Cannizzaro (Cazenovia, N.Y.) led the way with his third seven point game of the season on four goals and three helpers. Chesapeake Bayhawks draft pick Erik Adamson (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) also found the back of the net four times on Saturday, while junior Jack Bobzien (Littleton, Colo.) got back into his offensive groove with two goals and two assists.
Sophomore Tyler Pace (Coquitlam, B.C.) had a first-quarter hat trick to start the 13-1 first-half run.
Georgetown (6-4, 1-1 BIG EAST) came out of the gates hot getting three unassisted goals from three different goal scorers inside the first 9:08 of the first quarter. The Pioneers (7-2, 1-0 BIG EAST) responded with a school-record 13-1 run off four goals from Cannizzaro and Adamson. Pace had a first quarter hat trick of his own, while Baptiste won 18-of-19 face-offs in the first half. Denver also went a perfect 3-for-3 on the man-up in the first half.
In addition to Pace’s first half hat trick, Cannizzaro had two, Adamson had one and Baptiste scored his fourth of the season directly off a face-off to put Denver up 7-3 at the end of the first quarter. Cannizzaro had two assists in the opening stanza, and Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-American Zach Miller (Seneca Nation) had his first of two first-half assists in the opening 15 minutes.
Led by Baptiste’s face-off wins, Denver picked up right where it left off the in the second, scoring the first four goals of the period including two more from Cannizzaro, and after being down 3-0, the Pioneers led 11-3 with 11:02 to play in the first half. Georgetown’s Bo Stafford netted his 19th of the season to stop the run, but Denver Adamson and Tewaaraton Watch List honoree Wesley Berg (Coquitlam, B.C.) added two more for Denver to close out the first half scoring.
Denver outscored Georgetown 3-1 in the third quarter, including a pair of goals from Bobzien to start and end the period. Berg, Adamson and Cannizzaro had the assists, and Adamson’s fourth goal of the day was Denver’s other tally in the period. Sophomore Max Planning (Alexandria, Va.) tallied his first point of the season, assisting on Berg’s 17th goal of the season.
Freshmen Connor Donahue (Groton, Mass.) and Colton McCaffrey (Parker, Colo.) both scored their first career goals in the fourth quarter, a stanza Denver won 3-2. Junior Bryce Parietti (Centennial, Colo.) scored his second of the 2015 campaign and his eighth career goal in the final quarter of play Saturday.
Senior goalie Ryan LaPlante (Fort Collins, Colo.) made eight saves and gave up just five goals in the first three quarters before being relieved by sophomore netminder Ryan Purcell (Levittown, N.Y.). Georgetown’s Nick Marrocco made a career-high 23 saves in the loss.
Denver continues its BIG EAST opening two-game homestand when the Pioneers welcome Villanova to the Mile High City Friday for a 6:30 p.m. MT face-off. Friday’s matchup will be broadcast nationally on Fox Sports 1.
Limited individual game tickets are still available for the remaining two BIG EAST games at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium. Tickets can be purchased here.
Tickets are on sale now for the 2015 NCAA Quarterfinals at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Fans can purchase tickets for the quarterfinal games at the link here.
Notes:
- Bill Tierney is now 345-118 all-time (31st season) and 73-25 at DU (sixth season).
- Denver is now 71-14 at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium, including 40-5 under head coach Bill Tierney (built in 2005).
- Wes Berg increased him team-leading active-point streak to 28 games (entered week 15th in nation), while Zach Miller increased his to 27 (entered week 19th in the nation).
- The seven first quarter goals are the most for DU in a quarter since Feb. 8, 2014 against Air Force.
- The 13-1 run in the first half is the longest run (with one opponent goal ) in program history.
- Denver is now 28-9 as a top-5 team, including 8-2 as the No. 5 team.
- The Pioneers are now 14-1 at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium as a top-5 team.
- Today’s matchup produced the 20th sellout since Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium was built in 2005. The crowd of 3,117 is the largest home number in program history.
