DENVER – University of Denver men's lacrosse junior senior goalie Malcolm Kleban was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week and graduate student faceoff specialist Alec Stathakis was named the BIG EAST Specialist of the Week for the second-consecutive Monday, the conference office announced.
 
In Monday's polls releases, Denver moved up a spot to fifth in the latest Inside Lacrosse Media Poll, while also moving up a spot to seventh in the USILA Coaches' Poll following a 16-8 victory over [RV/RV] Utah on Saturday afternoon in Salt Lake City. Denver is in the top-five in the media poll for the first time since April 5, 2021. 
 
After a new career-high 14 saves the week before against Air Force, Kleban matched his performance on the road last Saturday, stopping 14 of the Utes 22 shots on target on the afternoon. Kleban made nine of his 14 saves in the second half, including five in the fourth quarter to prevent a late Utah run. The Denver netminder has made single-digit saves in each of his last two starts.
 
Stathakis went 18-of-26 from the stripe, picking up 10 ground balls off his 18 wins. The Denver graduate student held the draw advantage in each of the four quarters individually, including a 7-3 start to the first quarter to get the Pios off on the right foot.
 
Denver vs. the USILA Top-25
No. 2 Duke – March 24 – Neutral (in Baltimore, Md.)
No. 6 Cornell – February 24 – Home
No. 9 Johns Hopkins – Away – W, 13-12 (OT)
No. 10 Yale – March 10 – Home
[19] Georgetown – April 13 – Home
[20] Ohio State – March 17 – Away
[RV] Marquette – April 26 – Home
 
UP NEXT:
[7/5] Denver will host a top-10 showdown in Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium on Saturday afternoon as the Pioneers welcome [6/8] Cornell to PBLS at 12 p.m. MT. The game will be broadcast live on Pioneer Vision and 104.3 The Fan HD3.
 
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