April 20, 2016
Notes:
TIME CHANGE
The game time has been moved up to 5 p.m. MT due to inclement weather.
MEDIA INFORMATION
Denver's final game of the regular season will be streamed on Pac-12.com, and stats will be available on Stat Broadcast.
LAST TIME OUT
Denver defeated St. Mary's 15-5 in a snowy senior day game. Nicole Martindale recorded her first career sock trick, while senior captain Christa Reese scored five goals for the third time this season.
ABOUT DENVER
The Pioneers improved to 7-8 on the season and 4-4 in the MPSF after back-to-back wins to close out their home season. Reese leads DU with 43 points, including a team-high 35 goals.
ABOUT OREGON
The Ducks are 9-5 overall and 4-3 in the MPSF. Oregon welcomes Denver after a week off following a 15-3 win over UC Davis.
LAST MEETING
Denver has won four in a row vs. Oregon, including a 16-5 victory over the Ducks a year ago. The Pioneers hold a 12-3 record all-time vs. Oregon
SUPER SHUTOUT
The Pioneers dominated California 16-0 for the first shutout since April 11, 2006 vs. Regis. The victory over the Golden Bears marks the first shutout under head coach Liza Kelly. Goalie Maddy Stevenson played the first 56:39, while senior Bailey Dunning closed out the final 3:21 of the game, keeping a clean sheet for just the third time in DU program history.
ROOKIES OF THE WEEK
Kendra Lanuza was named the MPSF Rookie of the Week for the first week of play in 2016. Lanuza recorded three goals and five assists in the first two games of the season. Elizabeth Behrins picked up the second MPSF Rookie of the Week award for the Pioneers for her first career hat trick and two assists in the 11-5 victory over Marquette.
DOMINATING ON D
The women's lacrosse team has held its opponent to three goals in its first two wins this season. This is the first time the Pioneers have allowed three goals or fewer in two games since the 2010 season. Denver has since gone on to shutout California for the most games allowing three goals or fewer in a season.
OPENING UP
DU lost its second-straight season opener with its first lost to Colorado in school history.
O' CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN
The Pioneers have tabbed three seniors as their captains this season. Emily Conway, Sarah Kasun and Reese will serve as captains.
WELCOME ABOARD
Denver adds eight freshmen to the 2016 roster: Behrins, Maddie Baum, Julia Feiss, Kate Knott, Lanuza, Caroline Lewis, Audrey Schreck and Nicki Wilkinson. DU also welcomes new additions in Dunning, Katy Miele and Kendall Mulvaney.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
2015 MPSF Rookie of the Year Martindale has played in six games this season for Denver. Martindale has scored 13 goals and added five assists in this short time, ranking fourth on DU. The redshirt sophomore recorded her first career sock trick in the 15-5 victory over St. Mary's.
MCKINNON CAN
Senior attacker Rachael McKinnon has played in 74 games in her career, racking up 116 goals in that time. The senior ranks 37th among active NCAA DI players for goals in a career. McKinnon tallied a career-high 51 goals in her sophomore season for the Pioneers.
SAVING STEVENSON
The junior goalkeeper started the final two games of the 2015, earning her first career win in the MPSF quarterfinals. Stevenson has played in 26 games for DU, recording 120 saves in her career. Stevenson's 7.79 goals against average ranks 20th among NCAA DI players.
DEFENDING DENVER
2015 All-MPSF first team member Layne Voorhees has guided the Pioneer defense. Voorhees has played in 54 games, causing 56 turnovers and picking up 89 groundballs in her career. Voorhees has tied her career-high five groundballs three times this season. Denver's defense also returns Conway, Hunter Gray, Kennedy Milburn, Brooklyn Batey and Sybil Pallace.
FRESH STARTS
Five freshmen have made their way into the starting lineup for the Pioneers for at least five games. Wilkinson has made 11 starts; Lanuza has started nine games; Behrins and Feiss have started six games; and Schreck has made five starts.
A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
Since joining the MPSF in 2003, Denver has gone 69-15 in conference play and 59-10 in 10 seasons under head coach Kelly.
NCAA RANKINGS SUMMARY
The Pioneers have earned top-25 rankings in groundballs per game, scoring defense and caused turnovers per game. Additionally, several individual Denver players have made their way into the rankings. Three DU players are ranked in the top-150 in caused turnovers per game: Kasun, Voorhees and Gray. Voorhees also ranks 28th in groundballs per game. After back-to-back games with a career-high eight draw controls, Ellie Knott is ranked 43rd in draw controls per game. Reese is ranked individually in six categories, including 41st in goals. In addition to ranking 20th in GAA, Stevenson is ranked in the top 65 for save percentage, saves and saves per game.
MPSF TOURNAMENT
The top six teams in the MPSF will compete in the 2016 MPSF Tournament at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium at Stanford University. [4/5] USC, [8/9] Stanford and Colorado have already secured spots in the tournament.
SCHEDULE
Thursday, April 28 (Quarterfinals)
Game 1 - No. 3 vs. No. 6 5 pm (MT)
Game 2 - No. 4 vs. No. 5 8 pm (MT)
BYE--No. 1 Seed and No. 2 Seed
Friday, April 29 (Semifinals)
Game 3 - No. 1 vs. Game 2 Winner 5 pm (MT)
Game 4 - No. 2 vs. Game 1 Winner 8 pm (MT)
Sunday, May 1 (Championship)
Game 5 - Game 3 and 4 Winners 2 pm (MT)