DENVER – The [13/13] University of Denver men's lacrosse team defeated Cleveland State 10-6 in the final game of the 2020 Faceoff Classic Sunday at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.
 
Junior Jack Hannah (Milford, Ohio) netted his second hat trick of the season to lead the Pioneers offense, pushing his season goals tally to a team-high 11. Senior Schuyler Blair (Huntington Beach, Calif.) and sophomore midfielder Alex Simmons (Smithville, Ontario) each found the back of the net twice. Senior attack Ethan Walker (Peterborough, Ontario) had a goal and two helpers to stretch both his goal and point streaks to 17 games.
 
In addition to his ninth goal of the season, freshman attack JJ Sillstrop (Encinitas, Calif.) had a game-high four caused turnovers in the Denver ride, good for a tie for ninth in a single-game in Denver's Division I history. Freshman LSM Malik Sparrow (Aurora, Colo.) had a team-high four ground balls in the Pioneers third win of the campaign.
 
Denver stepped up its ride in the final 40 minutes of the game. Following Cleveland State's 7-for-7 start in the clearing game, the Pioneers forced nine failed clears in the Vikings final 15 attempts. In addition to Sillstrop's four caused turnovers, freshmen Adam Hangland (Centennial, Colo.), AJ Mercurio (Reno, Nev.) and Alec Stathakis (Northville, Mich.) all had two caused turnovers apiece.
 
The two teams played to a 2-2 opening quarter on a cool, but better than originally forecasted Sunday night in the Mile High City. Cleveland State scored the first and third goals of the quarter, but Hannah had the answer to the Vikings' first two goals with his ninth and 10^th goals of the season.
 
Cleveland State got the first two goals of the second quarter, but Denver answered with three-straight tallies to end the second to take a 5-4 lead into the locker room. Simmons netted his fifth of the season, Blair found the back of the net for the third time in 2020 and Sillstrop scored his ninth of his rookie campaign to give Denver the advantage.
 
Freshman Jack Thompson (Castle Rock, Colo.) came on in relief of Josh Matte (Issaquah, Wash.) in the middle of the second quarter, but didn't see a shot on goal in the final 9:18 of the first half. Thompson would finish with two saves and two goals allowed in the final 39:18.
 
Denver outscored Cleveland State 2-1 in the third quarter to push the lead to 7-5 heading into the final 15 minutes. Simmons scored his second of the night and Hannah completed his third career hat trick with his 11^th of the year.
 
Blair opened the fourth quarter with a goal a little less than four minutes into the final stanza. Hannah fed Walker to make it 9-5 with 4:45 to go and Walker delivered a pass to sophomore Drew Erickson (Danville, Calif.) on top of the crease to make it 10-5.
 
The Pioneers have reached double digits in goals 139 times under head coach Bill Tierney, and improved to 123-16 in those contests on Sunday.
 
Denver has not lost in the Faceoff Classic since falling to Penn 11-7 in March of 2010.
 
UP NEXT:
The Denver men's lacrosse program, Presented by Your Hometown Toyota Stores, will wrap-up its four-game homestand next Sunday when the Pioneers host nationally ranked North Carolina at 12 p.m. MT. The game will be broadcast live on the BIG EAST Digital Network, Altitude TV and 104.3 The Fan.
 
2020 DENVER ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME RECEPTION: Denver announced its 2020 Athletic Hall of Fame class in January. The inductees will be honored on the DU campus May 16. For more information, registration for the reception and donation information, click here. 
 
SHOP PIONEERS:
Get dressed for Game Day! Get your Pioneers gear at ShopPioneers.com, the official online store of University of Denver Athletics.
 
TICKETS:
For all Denver Athletics ticket inquires, call 303-871-GOAL (4625), or visit DenverPioneers.com. Season tickets for the 2020 lacrosse season are on sale now, and can be purchased here.

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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