DENVER – The [16/17] University of Denver men's lacrosse program will continue a stretch of four of five at home to begin the season on Saturday afternoon when the Pioneers welcome Cornell to Peter Baton Lacrosse Stadium. Opening faceoff on Midco Sports Plus and 104.3 The Fan HD3 is set for 12 p.m. MT.
 
SERIES HISTORY:
Cornell holds a 3-1 edge in the series, with Denver's lone win coming in the Big Red's last trip to PBLS in February, 2024. The defending national champions defeated Denver 15-5 in New York last season. The first two meetings in 2008 and 2012 were neutral site match-ups. FULL HISTORY
 
LAST TIME OUT:
Sophomore goalie Grayson Manning made nine of his 20 saves in the fourth quarter, including his final stop with four seconds in regulation to lead the Pioneers past [RV/RV] Utah 8-7 in Salt Lake City last weekend.
 
ON THIS DATE
Denver is 2-1 on Feb. 21 in its history
Denver earned a 10-9 win at No. 17 Albany in the Pioneers final season under Jamie Munro in 2009.
In the national championship winning season of 2015, Denver defeated Air Force 16-6 at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.
 
DENVER AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
Denver is 80-93 in its DI history against teams in the USILA Top-20.
Denver is 32-27 at home against ranked opponents.
Denver is 14-29 vs. teams in the USILA Top-5, with the last win coming in the 2024 NCAA Quarterfinals vs. No. 4 Syracuse.
Denver's 2024 overtime win at Johns Hopkins and its March 20, 2022 win at No. 7 Ohio State are the program's two top-10 road wins since a trip to Notre Dame in 2020, the final game before the COVID-19 shutdown.
The Pioneers beat [7] Duke in a neutral site game in Texas on 3/22/25.
 
MANNING STANDS TALL IN ONE-GOAL WIN AT [RV] UTAH
Fresh off his MVP performance in the U-20 World Championships, sophomore Grayson Manning continued his impressive start to the season, making 20 saves, including nine in the fourth quarter in Denver's 8-7 win over Utah on February 14.
Manning's performance matched Jack Thompson's 20-save performance at Villanova in April, 2021, good for second in Denver's DI history.
The performance was just one shy of Jeff Nunziato's school record of 21 stops at Virginia in April, 2003.
Manning made nine of his 20 stops in the fourth quarter, tying a school record for fourth-quarter saves, matching DU's output in the fourth vs. Air Force on April 26, 2008 (Peyton Tyrie and Peter Lowell combined to save nine shots) and Austin Konkel's nine saves in an 11-8 win over Bucknell on April 16, 2006.
Manning made a save on Utah's attempt at a game-tying goal with four seconds remaining in regulation.
 
DENVER'S MAN-UP D IN LAST THREE SEASONS
In 33 games since the start of the 2024 season, Denver has allowed just 15 man-up goals on opponents 76 opportunities for a man-down kill-percentage of 80.3%.
The total is the fewest man-down goals in the country since the start of 2024.
Denver's penalty kill rate is also the highest in the country over that span (80.3).
In 2025 alone, Denver ranked 11th in man-up kill percentage at 75.0%.
In Denver's 7-3 win over Georgetown on April 12, 2025 the Pios man-down unit killed off four of four penalties, and forced two shot clock violations while a man down.
 
DEFENDING THE LACROSSE CAPITAL OF THE WEST
130-30 since Peter Barton was built in 2005
64 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 10 seasons (excluding 2021 due to COVID-19).
The Pios have finished in the top-5 three times, fourth in the shortened 2020 season, fifth in the 2015 National Championship season and fifth in the 2023 campaign.
Denver has had at least one sellout in every season since 2011 (15 straight).
Denver vs. Yale on March 10, 2024, drew 3,037, the second-biggest crowd in the history of PBLS. Denver vs. Cornell on February 24, 2024 drew 3,025, now the third-biggest crowd.
Denver and Michigan in the 2024 NCAA First Round drew 2,965, the fifth largest crowd in the stadium's history, and the stadium's largest for an NCAA Tournament game.
 
#PROPIOS - NLL
Denver's three San Diego Seals players had highlight games to guide the Seals to a 13-7 win at Oshawa on Saturday night. Wes Berg had two goals and seven assists, Trevor Baptiste went 18-for-24 with eight loose balls and Danny Logan picked up nine loose balls and forced a turnover.
Jack Hannah had 11 points last week in the Mammoth's 2-0 week.
 
UP NEXT: Denver will welcome Michigan to Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium on Saturday, February 28. Opening faceoff on Midco Sports Plus and 104.3 The Fan HD3 is set for 1 p.m. MT.
 
TICKETS: Tickets for the 2026 season are on sale now, and can be purchased here.
 
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