DENVER – The [1/1] University of Denver men's lacrosse program will close out its three-game homestand on Sunday afternoon when the Pioneers welcome [15/12] Yale to Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium. Opening faceoff is set for 12 p.m. MT, and will be broadcast on Altitude, Pioneer Vision and 104.3 the Fan HD3. Sunday's top-15 clash is presented by CommonSpirit Health
SERIES HISTORY:
- Yale has won the three previous meetings between the two programs, including a 16-13 Yale win at Barton in 2022 and a 11-9 Yale win in New Haven a year ago.
LAST TIME OUT:
- Denver broke open a 5-5 halftime score with a 10-1 run to race out to a 15-6 win over Le Moyne last Saturday night at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium. Michael Lampert netted his second hat trick of the season and JJ Sillstrop had a five-point afternoon.
BACK IN THE TOP-5:
- The Pioneers got back in the top-5 of the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll on Feb., 19, Denver's first appearance in the top-5 since April 5, 2021.
- On Feb. 26, Denver was ranked in the top-4 of both polls for the first time since April 30, 2018.
- On March 4, 2024, Denver moved back into the No. 1 spot nationally for the first time since March 13, 2017.
WILLIAM G. TIERNEY HEAD MEN'S LACROSSE COACH MATT BROWN:
- On April 19, 2023 long-time associate head coach Matt Brown was named the next William G. Tierney Head Men's Lacrosse Coach, following Tierney's retirement announcement to take effect after the 2023 season.
- In his 14 seasons under coach Tierney, Brown served as the offensive coordinator. Under his guidance, the Pioneers' offense was consistently ranked within the top -10 in scoring offense, ranking as high as No. 3. Brown helped the Pioneers to make it to the NCAA Tournament 11 times.
- Brown first joined the staff as a volunteer assistant under Jamie Munro in 2007. When Tierney replaced Munro in the summer of 2009, Tierney and his son Trevor hired Matt Brown as the offensive coordinator.
- Outside of NCAA lacrosse, Brown is one of the founders and directors of Denver Elite Lacrosse and directs the Denver Elite Box Lacrosse Program, which is a founding member of the USBOXLA. USBOXLA began the Colorado Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (CCBLL) in the Summer of 2017, which has led to the creation of six leagues nationally.
- Brown serves as the head coach for the Canadian National Lacrosse team, a tenure that started as the offensive coordinator in 2012.
- As a student-athlete, Brown was a four-year starter for the Pioneers from 2002-05. While at DU, Brown played 56 games and accumulated 137 points and 113 goals, fifth on the DU's career goal list.
DEFENDING THE LACROSSE CAPITAL OF THE WEST
- 121-25 since Peter Barton was built in 2005
- 57 sellouts, including five in 2014, 2015 and 2018, eight in 2016 and 10 in 2017.
- Denver has finished in the top-10 in the country in average attendance in each of the last eight seasons (excluding 2021 due to COVID-19).
- The Pios have finished in the top-5 three times, 4th in the shortened 2020 season, 5th in the 2015 National Championship season and fifth in the 2023 campaign.
- Denver has had at least one sellout in every season since 2011 (13-straight).
- Denver vs. Cornell on Feb. 24 (65-sunny) drew 3,025 fans, the second most at a game in the program's Division I history.
DENVER AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
- Denver is 75-87 in its DI history against teams in the USILA Top-20.
- Denver is 30-24 at home against ranked opponents.
- Denver's February 3 overtime win at Johns Hopkins and its March 20, 2022 win at No. 7 Ohio State are the program's two top-10 road win since a trip to Notre Dame in 2020, the final game before the COVID-19 pandemic.
PERFECT FEBRUARY
- Denver has opened the 2024 campaign with a 5-0 record under first-year head coach Matt Brown.
- The start is the second-best in the program's Division I history, and is the best start since the 2017 Pios started 7-0 in 2016.
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
- Entering the week, Denver ranked seventh in the country in turnovers per game at 14.20, less than a turnover behind the national leaders.
- If you take out DU's 28 turnovers in the ice-bowl game against Air Force, Denver is averaging 10.75 turnovers per game, which would lead the country by 2.5 turnovers.
- Denver has single-digit turnovers in three games this year, in wins against Johns Hopkins (9), Le Moyne (9) and Cornell (7).
- Prior to this season, Denver's last single-digit turnover game was against St. John's on April 16, 2022 (7).
- The Pioneers last season with multiple single-digit turnover games came in 2019 vs. Providence (7) and Georgetown (8).
- Denver's last season with 3+ single-digit turnover games came in 2018, when Denver had single-digit turnovers in 6 contests, the year before the 80-second shot clock was introduced.
DENVER AS NUMBER 1
- Denver moved up to the number one team in the country in both the USILA Coaches' Poll and the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll on March 4, the first time Denver had been ranked No. 1 since March 13, 2017.
- The Pioneers were first ranked No. 1 in April, 2013, losing its only game at home 10-9 in overtime to unranked Fairfield.
- Denver was ranked No. 1 for 3 weeks during the 2015 season, 9 weeks during the 2016 season and 4 weeks during the 2017 season.
- The Crimson and Gold are 14-7 in 21 games as the No. 1 team in the country, including 2-1 in overtime.
- Denver is 9-4 at home as the No. 1 team in the country.
- The Pios are 5-5 against other ranked teams while ranked No. 1 in the country.
2024 CAPTAINS
ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY
- The 2024 Denver Pioneers have players from 20 different states.
- Since turning Division I ahead of the 1999 season, the Pioneers have had players from 35 different states.
- The 35 states are: Alabama (1), Arizona (3), California (27), Colorado (100), Connecticut (32), Delaware (1), Florida (5), Georgia (6), Idaho (2), Illinois (10), Indiana (2), Iowa (1), Kansas (1), Kentucky (2), Maine (2), Maryland (24), Massachusetts (10), Michigan (8), Minnesota (9), Missouri (6), Nevada (3), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (26), New York (21), North Carolina (3), Ohio (22), Oregon (4), Penn (11), Rhode Island (3), Tennessee (3), Texas (10), Utah (1), Vermont (1), Virginia (4), Washington (10).
- Last season's roster added three states to that list this season in Iowa (Provenza), Kansas (Eldred) and Utah (Caldwell).
- The Pios have had 20+ from seven states: Colorado (100), Connecticut (32), California(27), New Jersey(26), Maryland(24), Ohio (22), New York (21).
- Denver's DI student-athletes also cover three provinces of Canada: Alberta (2), B.C. (15) and Ontario (16).
UP NEXT:
Denver will return to the road next week when the Pioneers travel to Columbus to take on Ohio State. Faceoff is set for 12 p.m. ET/10 a.m. MT on Sunday, March 17.
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