TOWSON, Md. – Sophomore Ted Sullivan (Tucson, Ariz.) netted the second hat trick of his Pioneer career, including the game-winner with 73 seconds to go to carry the [13/13] University of Denver men's lacrosse team past [7/8] Towson 7-6 on Saturday afternoon at Johnny Unitas Stadium.
 
Denver's defense held Towson to just 23 shots in the contest and 14 on goal in the fourth-consecutive one-goal game in the series. Senior Alex Ready (Lancaster, Pa.) saved eight of 14 shots on goal from the Tigers, including all three in the fourth quarter in his 36^th career victory, six off the program record set by former Volunteer Assistant and 2015 National Champion Ryan LaPlante.
 
Senior Dylan Gaines (Baltimore, Md.) limited Towson leading scorer Brendan Sunday, who entered the game 10^th in the country in goals per game, to just one goal and three contested shots on Saturday afternoon. Redshirt-senior LSM Matt Neufeldt (Naperville, Ill.), who moved down from his LSM position to close defense for the first time since being benched in his freshman year at Maryland, fit right in causing four turnovers and picking up five ground balls to lead the Pioneers in both categories.
 
Going up against the second-best faceoff winning percentage in the country and the best ground ball guy in the country Alex Woodall, freshman Brett Boos (Parker, Colo.) played his part in winning five faceoffs, but also limiting Woodall to more than eight ground balls under his average.
 
After a scoreless opening 9:12, senior Quinn McKone (Novato, Calif.) found the back of the net for the second time this year to give Denver the first-quarter lead. Koby Smith tied things up just under a minute later before one of the wildest sequences gave Denver the lead back at 2-1 two minutes later. Junior Ethan Walker (Peterborough, Ontario) picked off a pass from goaltender Tyler Canto and fed senior attackman Austin French (Danville, Calif.) in the middle of the field. French's shot was stopped by Canto before then ricocheting off a Towson defender and into the back of the net. Grant Maloof tied the score up at 2-2 at the end of the one with his 10^th of the season.
 
Denver retook the lead with Sullivan's first of two in the second quarter to make it 3-2. Luke Fromert and Timmy Monahan combined to give Towson its first lead of the game, but Sullivan's goal with 3:29 to go closed out the first half scoring and the teams went into the locker room tied at 4-4.
 
After three saves from Canto on Denver's opening possession of the second half, Towson's leading scorer Brendan Sunday found the back of the net to make it 5-4 Towson with 9:53 to go in the third quarter. Monahan got his second of the day to make it 6-4 at the end of three.
 
Denver scored all three goals in the fourth quarter in its first two-goal fourth quarter comeback since March of last year at Georgetown (last one before that was March 7, 2015 vs. Notre Dame).
 
Walker's 16^th goal of the year came on a hockey stick style whack at the ball at his waste, putting into the empty net off a rebound from a Sullivan shot with 13:43 to go. Senior Colin Rutan (Walnut Creek, Calif.), who scored the game-winning goal in that 2018 Georgetown come-from-behind win, leveled the score at 6- with 4:48 to play off a feed from Sullivan for his third assist of the year. Sullivan netted the winner and his eighth of the year with 1:13 to play to cap off the comeback.
 
The Pioneers are now 42-2 when holding their opponents to single-digits under defensive coordinator John Orsen, who joined the staff in 2015.
 
UP NEXT: The Denver men's lacrosse team, Presented by Your Hometown Toyota Stores, will stay on the east coast over the weekend to take on [-/RV] Princeton on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET/4 p.m. MT on ESPNU. The game will mark head coach Bill Tierney's return to the campus he coached at for 22 seasons.
 
TICKET INFORMATION: Single game tickets for the remaining home games are on sale, and can be purchased here.
 
Postseason Watch Party Locations:
For all nationally televised 2019 postseason contests throughout Denver Athletics, join one of Denver's Official Watch Parties at the following locations: Crimson and Gold, Stadium Inn, The Pioneer and Smiling Moose.

Fans interested in making a donation to the men's lacrosse program can do so by clicking here. Your contribution will make a direct impact on the success of YOUR Pioneers. Thank you in advance for your unwavering support of our student-athletes and their quest for excellence.
 
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