INDIANAPOLIS – The [13/14] University of Denver women's lacrosse program used a 21-7 advantage in the draw circle, a nine-goal second quarter and saw its defense allow just 13 total shots in a 20-5 win over Butler on Wednesday afternoon at Varsity Field on the Butler campus.  
 
KEY PERFORMANCES:
Julia Gilbert led Denver's offensive attack with a season-high five goals on nine attempts. Ryan Dineen netted a hat trick as well to go with two assists for a five-point day. Olivia Penoyer distributed the ball well, dishing out five helpers for the second-straight game to go with a second-half tally for a six-point afternoon.
 
Caroline Colimore, Lauren Black, Sloane Kipp and Addy Caulk rounded out Denver's six multi-goal scorers of the 10 that found the back of the net.
 
On the defensive end, Trinity McPherson had another productive day for the Pios, pulling down five draw controls, while causing three turnovers and picking up four ground balls.
 
Abby Jenkins finished with a season-high 10 draw controls to lead Denver to its dominant edge in the category.
 
NOTES:

• Julia Gilbert netted her fifth-straight hat trick, her 10^th of the season and the 39^th of her Pioneer career.
• Gilbert extended her team-high point streak to 36 games, posting 116 points on 100 goals and 16 assists in that span.  
• Ryan Dineen's hat trick was her first of the season and the fifth of her two-year Pioneer career.
• Lauren Black pushed her team-high goal streak to eight games, having scored 16 in the run.
• Olivia Penoyer has had five assists in back-to-back BIG EAST contests, one shy of her career-high six that she achieved three times at Yale.
• Abby Jenkins had 10 draw controls, her first game in double digits since April 22, 2023 against Georgetown.
• Denver's defense allowed just 13 shots on Wednesday, its lowest total since limiting Georgetown to just 10 last April.
• The Pioneers shot 5-for-7 from the free-position arc, its second game with five free-position goals this season (2/25 vs. San Diego State).
• Denver had double-digit (12) caused turnovers for the 10^th time this season.
• The Crimson and Gold have scored 20 goals in back-to-back games for the first time since March 4 and 8, 2020 (Fresno State, Fairfield). 

 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
First Quarter:
Butler opened the scoring on its first possession of the game before back-to-back goals from Ryan Dineen and Julia Gilbert gave the Pioneers a 2-1 advantage.
 
The Bulldogs' Luci Selander scored twice in succession to regain the lead for the home team with 6:21 to play in the opening frame.
 
Gilbert fired into the back of the net from the free-position arc to level the game for the third time on the afternoon before Dineen got her second on the next possession to give Denver a 4-3 lead after the first quarter.
 
Second Quarter:
Denver outscored Butler 9-0 in the second quarter, giving Denver the final 11 goals of the half to take a 13-3 lead into the locker room.
 
Gilbert made it three-straight Denver tallies, completing her 10^th hat trick of the season in the first half with a woman-down goal in the early stages of the second. Olivia Penoyer found Kyra Obert swinging around the cage for her first of the day to make it a 6-3 game and force a Butler timeout with 10:47 to go before halftime.
 
Caroline Colimore turned defense into offense, picking up a GB in the middle of the field and taking it to the house to make it a 7-3 game. Lauren Black won a draw control and gave it to Penoyer who gave it right back to Black for her first of the day to make it 8-3. Gilbert's fourth of the opening half made it 9-3, Dineen's first hat-trick goal of the season put the Pios up seven and Colimore's second in a span of 3:04 made it 11-3.
 
Sloane Kipp scored back-to-back goals to close out the second-quarter scoring, extending Denver's lead out to 10 with 2:30 to play to initiate the running clock.
 
Third Quarter:
Butler ended the 11-0 run with the opening goal of the third quarter off the stick from Leah Rubino to make it a 13-4 Denver advantage less than three minutes into the third.
 
Black got the clock running again with her second goal and third point of the afternoon. Gilbert's fifth and Penoyer's first goal but sixth point of the day rounded out the third-quarter scoring to send Denver into the final 15 minutes up 16-4.
 
Emelia Bohi made all three of her saves on the afternoon in the third quarter.
 
Fourth Quarter:
Denver outscored Butler 4-1 in the final 15 minutes to secure their fourth-straight BIG EAST win to start the conference season.
 
Sophia LaBanca got her first goal of the season and the fourth of her career to make it 17-4. Addy Caulk followed that up with goals four and five of her career, her first multi-goal game, to stretch the lead to 19-4. Following Butler's only goal of the quarter with 2:55 left, Olivia Ripple netted the 12^th of her freshman season to close out the scoring.
 
Skyler Constantino played the entire fourth quarter, making her first appearance in net since February 25 against San Diego State. Constantino and made two saves on three Butler shots on goal.
 
UP NEXT:
Denver jumps back out of conference play on Sunday afternoon when the Pioneers welcome Arizona State to Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium. Opening draw is set for 1 p.m. MT and will be streamed live on Pioneer Vision.
 
TICKETS:
Single game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.

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