Acee To Be Inducted Into NJCAA Lacrosse Hall of Fame

May 13, 2005

Acee To Be Inducted Into NJCAA Lacrosse Hall of Fame

USAFA, Colo. – The NJCAA Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association will induct Air Force head coach Fred Acee, formerly of SUNY-Farmingdale, and Mike Candel of Nassau Community College into the Association's Hall of Fame May 13 as part of the NJCAA Men's Lacrosse Invitational Championship banquet in Baltimore, Md. Acee and Candel are the first two inductees in the newly formed NJCAA Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

For 30 years, Acee made a name for himself as head coach at SUNY Farmingdale on Long Island. Competing in arguably the toughest region in junior college lacrosse at the time, Acee built the Rams into a national lacrosse powerhouse. His belief in fundamentals and tenacious defense propelled the Rams to the National Junior College Championship in 1977, 1981 and 1987. Under his guidance, Farmingdale advanced to the NJCAA Final Four an amazing 25 times. As a testament to his coaching skills, Acee, whose overall coaching record is 312-119-1, was named NJCAA Coach of the Year in 1977, 1981, 1987 and 1997. Realizing the importance of athletics and academics, Acee has produced a bevy of academic and athletic All-Americans during his tenure.

The New York native was inducted into the Long Island Metropolitan Hall of Fame in 1992, served on the coaching staff of the 1994 World Champion United States lacrosse team and was named USILA Man of the Year in 2001. He is also a past president of the NJCAA Lacrosse Coaches Association. Acee brought his talents to the Division I level at the Air Force Academy in 1998 and has raised the profile of the Falcons’ lacrosse program, scheduling some of the toughest competition in the nation.

Candel, Acee’s fellow inductee, founded the first lacrosse team at Nassau Community College in 1966 and the first junior college program on Long Island. In 1970, his team won the inaugural NJCAA championship, which was the brainchild of Candel and Acee. Not only did the junior college Final Four succeed, but it became the forerunner and model for the NCAA Final Four, which began in 1986 and now draws over 40,000 spectators.

After a brief but stellar career as the school's lacrosse coach, Candel spent 22 years as a writer and columnist for Newsday, one of the country's largest newspapers, where he brought the media spotlight to lacrosse as it grew on Long Island and throughout the country. Candel also served as Nassau's basketball coach for a decade and is now in his 40th year as a professor of Physical Education at Nassau.

Trio of Falcons Named To All-GWLL Team

May 11, 2005
 
Trio of Falcons Named To All-GWLL Team
 
USAFA, Colo. – Three Air Force players have been named to the All-Great Western Lacrosse League team, as released by the conference Tuesday evening. Junior Justin Pavoni (Park City, Utah) and sophomores Will Meister (Denver, Colo.) and Justin Kuchta (Ridgefield, Conn.) were all named first-team selections, while Pavoni was also named goalkeeper of the year.
 
Pavoni, a second-team All-GWLL selection in 2004, had a sensational season this year, averaging a league-leading 12.5 saves per game. In just his second season between the pipes for the Falcons, he has moved into ninth place on the career saves list at Air Force, with 306. The preseason All-American also led the GWLL this season in ground balls per game with 7.5, ranking third in the nation in that category.
 
Meister earns his first all-conference honors this season. After tying for the team lead with 25 points in his freshman campaign, the attackman stepped it up in 2005, notching a team-high 39 points and 23 assists, while adding 16 goals to pace the Falcons’ offense. He ended the season ranked second in the league in both assists and points per game, while also finishing the regular season as the 10th-best assistman in the nation.
 
Kuchta, Air Force’s top offensive midfielder, is also a first-time selection to the all-league team this year. The Falcons’ leading goal scorer a year ago with 17 was even more outstanding in 2005, notching 21 goals while adding 11 assists. He ended the year ranked in the league’s top 10 in goals (t-sixth), assists (t-10th) and points (sixth) per game, while ranking second in shots per game.
 
 
All-GWLL First Team
Attack
Will Meister, So., Air Force
Matt Brown, Sr., Denver
Pat Walsh, Jr., Notre Dame
 
Midfield
Justin Kuchta, So., Air Force
Scott Davidson, Sr., Denver
Greg Downing, So., Fairfield
Tom Randisi, Sr., Ohio State
 
Defense
Steve Forsythe, Jr., Butler
Christian Anderson, Sr., Denver
DJ Driscoll, Jr., Notre Dame
 
Goalie
Justin Pavoni, Jr., Air Force
 
 
All-GWLL Second Team
Attack
Nick Vosburgh, Fr., Butler
Mike Bocklet, So., Fairfield
Jim Morrison, Sr., Notre Dame
 
Midfield
Cliff Smith, Fr., Butler
Greer Hanlon, Sr., Denver
Matt Karweck, Jr., Notre Dame
Andrew Bender, Jr., Ohio State
 
Defense
Gary Gambarani, Jr., Butler
Matt Bocklet, Fr., Fairfield
Brian Yontz, Jr., Ohio State
 
Goalie
Joey Kemp, Fr., Notre Dame
 
 
Offensive Player of the Year
Greg Downing, So., M, Fairfield
 
Defensive Player of the Year
DJ Driscoll, Jr., Notre Dame
 
Goalie of the Year
Justin Pavoni, Jr., Air Force
 
Coach of the Year
Ted Spencer, Fairfield
 
Rookie of the Year
Joey Kemp, Fr., GK, Notre Dame

Two Pioneers Named to MPSF All-Tournament Team

Two Pioneers Named to MPSF All-Tournament Team
Fuchs and Jack earn honor

MORAGA, Calif. – Senior Crystal Jack (Kingwood, Texas) and junior Tanya Fuchs (Bay Shore, N.Y) were named to the 2005 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation All-Tournament Team. The two upperclassmen led the University of Denver women’s lacrosse team it a third-place finish in the league. The Pioneers finish their season with a program-best eight wins against 11 losses.

The 2005 MPSF Women's Lacrosse Tournament hosted by Saint Mary's College concluded on Saturday, May 7 with the Stanford Cardinal posting a 12-9 victory over the California Golden Bears to capture the 2005 MPSF women's lacrosse championship. Megan Burker scored four goals to lead the Cardinal and MPSF Tournament Most Valuable Player Nina Pantano added three goals. In the third place game, the Denver Pioneers posted a 10-8 win over the UC Davis Aggies in Saturday's first game. Junior Steph Greenlees (Lake Forest, Ill.) scored five goals to pace Denver while Katie McMahon and Megan O'Connor scored three goals each for UC Davis. In the fifth place game, which was played on Friday, the Oregon Ducks defeated the Saint Mary's Gaels by a score final score of 16-12. Oregon's Kate Fleming and Jana Bradley scored three goals each and SMC's Jen Utley scored a tournament-high six goals against the Ducks.

2005 MPSF All-Tournament Team
Jen Utley Attacker Saint Mary's
Kate Fleming Attacker Oregon
Katie McMahon Attacker UC Davis
Tanya Fuchs Attacker Denver
Crystal Jack Midfielder Denver
Liz Reifsnyder Midfielder California
Moly Brady Attacker California
Erin Hafkenschiel Defender California
Sarah Bach Attacker Stanford
Megan Burker Attacker Stanford
Kelsey Twist Midfielder Stanford
Nina Pantano (MVP) Attacker Stanford

- www.DenverPioneers.com -

MPSF NEWS STANFORD TAKES HOME THE TROPHY

MPSF NEWS

STANFORD TAKES HOME THE TROPHY

No. 1 seeded STANFORD received a bye in the quarterfinals and was
well rested as they defeated #4 seed UC DAVIS 14-6 placing them in the
championship game against rival and #2 seed CALIFORNIA. In the final
Junior Megan Burker scored four goals, while junior Sarah Bach and
senior Nina Pantano each recorded hat tricks to lead Stanford to a 12-9
victory over the Golden Bears, and the championship trophy. The
Cardinal was hoping for an at-large selection but was not selected as one
of the 16 teams that will compete in the NCAA Championship. California,
the 2004 MPSF Champion also received a quarterfinal bye and a spot in
the semifinals. Leanne Zilioli, Molly Brady and Danni Zuralow each
scored hat tricks as the Golden Bears defeated DENVER, 12-9 setting up
the championship match with Stanford. California lost to the Cardinal 9-12
for a second place finish. Sophomore Liz Reifsnyder and freshman
Danni Zuralow scored hat tricks for the Golden Bears. Denver bested #
6 seed SAINT MARY’S in the quarterfinals 17-10 to start off the
tournament. Tanya Fuchs recorded six points off five assists and one
goal to lead the Pioneers. Denver fell to California 12-9 to place them in
the 3 place game against UC DAVIS where they outscored the Aggies 7-rd
3 for the win. UC Davis played Oregon in the quarterfinal finishing with a
6-7 loss setting up the semifinal game with Stanford which they lost 6-14.
The Aggies played Denver in their last game of the season losing 3-7 for
4th place. OREGON lost its first round game 7-6 to UC Davis. Freshmen
midfielders Emily Fowler and Kate Fleming led the Ducks in scoring with
two goals apiece. Freshman attacker Jana Bradley and freshman
midfielder Jen May each notched one goal. May was the only Duck with
an assist. The Ducks defeated Saint Mary’s 16-12 for fifth place in the
tournament. Balance was the key with six players scoring two or more
goals, including three-goal efforts by both Jana Bradley and Kate
Fleming. Saint Mary’s opened up the tournament with a 17-10 defeat to
Denver. Saint Mary's had three players score multiple goals in the game
as Jen Utley led the Gaels with four goals, Ally High added three goals
and Rosy Iaccino scored twice. High, Utley and Molly Wagner added
one assist each. The Gaels went on to play Oregon losing 16-12 for 6th
place.


2005 MPSF CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

Thursday, May 5, 2005
Quarterfinal Game 1: #4 UC Davis 7, #5 Oregon 6
Quarterfinal Game 2: #3 Denver 17, #6 St. Mary's 10

Friday, May 6, 2005
Game 3: Oregon 16, St. Mary’s 12
Game 4: #1 Stanford 14, UC Davis 6
Game 5: #2 California 12 , Denver 9

Saturday, May 7, 2005
3rd Place: Denver 7, UC Davis 3
Championship: Stanford 12, California 9

Champion Stanford
Runner Up California
3rd Place Denver


MPSF PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Week Player School
Feb. 21 Sarah Bach, junior Stanford
Feb. 28 Megan Carver, freshman Denver
Mar. 7 Liz Reifsnyder, sophomore California
Mar. 14 Laura Cavallo, sophomore California
Mar. 21 Jocelyn Paul, sophomore California
Mar. 28 Katie McMahon, sophomore UC Davis
Apr. 4 Jen May, freshman Oregon
Stephanie Greenlees, Junior Denver
Apr. 11 Laura Shane, freshman, gk Stanford
Liz Reifsnyder, sophomore California
Apr. 18 Sarah Bach, junior, attack Stanford
Apr. 25 Stephanie Greenlees, junior Denver
May 2 Katie McMahon, sophomore UC Davis

Lacrosse gains ground with Coloradans (Denver Post)

preps - lacrosse
Lacrosse gains ground with Coloradans
By Brady Delander
Special to The Denver Post

Lacrosse in Colorado is sprouting like a teenager - with only a touch of the rebelliousness.
Interest in the sport has grown steadily since the 1960s and 1970s on the youth fields, at the high school and college levels and most recently with the professional Colorado Mammoth. Last month, Sports Illustrated called Colorado "the center of the revolution in U.S. lacrosse."

And the revolution seems to be just getting started.

"To be honest, I think the real explosion in interest has yet to come," said Jamie Munro, men's lacrosse coach at the University of Denver, ranked No. 12 in Division I. The Pioneers just missed making the NCAA Tournament when they lost to Fairfield 9-8 on Saturday.

In terms of National Lacrosse League attendance, the Mammoth finished second twice and first once since moving here in 2002-03, with an average of 17,035 fans per game in 2005. That dwarfs the regular-season league average of 9,885.

Prep participation jumped from 2,141 male and female athletes when the Colorado High School Activities Association first sanctioned the sport in 1999 to 3,427 athletes last season, a 60 percent increase.
Aside from spirit-based cheerleading activities, that is easily the largest increase of any sport in the state in the past six seasons. Ice hockey numbers rose by about 45 percent during that time, but 1,600 more boys played lacrosse than hockey last year.

Nationally, the number of high school lacrosse participants increased by 12.4 percent from 2001 to 2004, according to a survey by the U.S. Lacrosse National Headquarters in Baltimore. Youth participation jumped by 24 percent.

The same survey noted Colorado and Utah have produced the biggest increase of players of all ages in the entire nation since 2001.

New alternative
Lacrosse was first played by Native Americans, but Colorado's recent organized history of the game can be traced to the 1960s, when schools such as Cherry Creek, Colorado Academy, East and Kent Denver started club programs.

The University of Denver is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its program, which places the Pioneers in the middle of an early boom triggered by transplanted Easterners.

"If you look back at the economy boom and the oil business in Colorado, a lot of guys from Baltimore and New York ended up living and working here," said Jon Barocas, boys lacrosse coach at East for 27 years. "They started clubs so they could continue to play, then they got married and had kids, and it just went from there."
The sport combines the physical play of ice hockey and the up-tempo pace of basketball, allowing for one-on-one action or team attacks. Great size and strength are not necessary.

"People realized they could play lacrosse no matter what size they are. As long as they have a stick and a ball, there is a team for them," Barocas said.

Longtime Kent Denver boys coach Tom Graesser said lacrosse offers an alternative to traditional, and more saturated, sports such as baseball, soccer and track.

"Kids love to practice lacrosse," Graesser said. "A lot of athletes who play other sports try it and love it and realize that they can get a lot better pretty quickly."

Though it is impossible to calculate exactnumbers, other sports are losing athletes to lacrosse. Kent Denver senior Michael Winter, 18, has made the switch, and he said three or four of his friends have done the same.
"I was a big baseball player, but lacrosse is almost like a religion in this area, so I decided to give up baseball," Winter said.

Golden freshman Michael Padilla, 15, never thought about playing lacrosse until coach Mike Thumim suggested he give it a try. Now Padilla is hooked.

"The first time I played, I realized it was a lot of fun," he said. "I like running, and I really like that you can hit people and cause some pain."

East senior Adam Swarsen, 18, used to play soccer and baseball, but now focuses solely on lacrosse.

"It's a really fast-paced game with a lot highs and lows," said Swarsen, who will play at Hofstra University. "My girlfriend's parents came to a game for the first time this year and had a great time. Lacrosse appeals to a lot of people."

Spreading like wildfire

At the high school level, interest is quickly spreading from the suburbs south of Denver into Douglas County and Colorado Springs. With the emergence of teams such as Golden, which went 9-6 in 2002 and 12-2 this season, Jefferson County is starting to compete, and other areas of the state are starting to join in as well.

"I get a lot of calls from places like Gunnison and Aspen and Vail asking how they can start programs," Graesser said.

The divide also seems to be closing between Colorado and the East Coast.

"The biggest difference now as lacrosse has expanded West is depth," Cherry Creek girls coach Cayel Dwyer said. "There might be 80 good teams in Baltimore and the Washington, D.C., area and only a handful out here. ... There is a direct correlation to how long the program has been around to how strong it is."

The buzz generated by the Mammoth cannot be denied, and one top professional is doing his part to help the growth continue.

Gary Gait, who ended his career with the Mammoth this season and is widely considered one of the best professionals in the history of the sport, will make Colorado his home this summer.

Gait is the president of the National Development Program for lacrosse, which is geared toward helping athletes play beyond high school.

"The growth of the game (in Colorado) has been exceptional," Gait said. "There were about 30 high school teams when the Mammoth started, and now that number is much higher."

This season, there are 41 boys teams and 32 girls teams officially sanctioned by the CHSAA, but more are on the way.

Denver Defeats UC Davis, 10-8, in MPSF Third-place Game

May 7, 2005

Denver Defeats UC Davis, 10-8, in MPSF Third-place Game
Pioneers win school record eighth game

MORAGA, Calif. – Junior Steph Greenlees (Lake Forest, Ill.) scored five goals on nine shots to propel the University of Denver women’s lacrosse team over the UC Davis Aggies, 10-8, in the third-place game of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship at Saint Mary’s Stadium on Saturday, May 7. The Pioneers finish their season with a program-best eight wins against 11 losses. The Aggies end at 10-9.

UC Davis’ Katie McMahon scored three goals with two assist but Denver projected its 7-4 halftime lead. Goalkeepers Steph Schneider (Leesburg, Va.) and Becky Childs (Phoenix, Md.) combined for 11 saves against the Aggies, who actually outshot the Pioneers by a 28-19 margin.

Freshman Kelly O’Connell (Baltimore, Md.) added two goals while senior Crystal Jack (Kingwood, Texas) and freshmen Victoria Baines (Parker, Colo.) and Megan Tyrie (Littleton, Colo.) chipped in one apiece to round out the Pioneer scoring.

O'Connell's goal just 37 seconds into the game launched a 3-0 Pioneer run. After McMahon scored her first goal at the 10:13 mark to put UC Davis on the board, but O'Connell converted a free-position attempt to put her team ahead by three once again.

UC Davis’ Megan O'Connor scored an unassisted goal and McMahon connected with Kaitlin Moore on another score to trim to lead to 4-3. Denver took a leap in the scoring column with three straight goals to finish the half.

The Pioneers protected their lead as each team traded goals in the first 15 minutes of the second period. Facing a 10-6 deficit late in the game, O'Connor and McMahon each scored goals to stage a modest comeback but not enough to close the gap.

With her output Saturday, Greenlees finishes the year with a Pioneer record 57 goals and 70 points.

UC Davis (10-9) 3 5 - 8
Denver (8-12) 7 3 - 10

GOALS - UC Davis: Katie McMahon 3, Megan O'Connor 3, Kaitlin Moore 2. DU: Steph Greenlees 5, Kelly O'Connell 2, Victoria Baines 1, Crystal Jack 1, Megan Tyrie 1.

ASSISTS - UC Davis: Katie McMahon 2, Tiffany Lee 1. DU: Victoria Baines 1, Tara Bourdelaise 1, Kate Broderick 1, Tanya Fuchs 1.

Denver Advances to MPSF Semifinals The Pioneers defeat Saint Mary’s College, 17-10

Denver Advances to MPSF Semifinals The Pioneers defeat Saint Mary’s College, 17-10

MORAGA, Calif. – Junior Tanya Fuchs (Bay Shore, N.Y) recorded six points off a Denver best five assists and one goal to lift the University of Denver women’s lacrosse team to a 17-10 victory over the Saint Mary’s College Gaels in the quarterfinals of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship at Saint Mary’s Stadium on Thursday, May 5. The Pioneers’ third consecutive win improves them to 7-11 overall. SMC falls to 1-16.

Denver’s three-game winning streak matches its longest ever. The Pioneers also won three consecutive games in 2003.

The Gaels took an early lead with Rosy Iaccino and Ally High scoring the first two goals of the contest. After the two teams traded goals, and with SMC leading 4-2, Denver answered with goals by junior Steph Greenlees (Lake Forest, Ill.), and senior Tara Bourdelaise (Grambrills, Md.) to even the score at 4-4.

High scored her third goal of the game at the 15:07 mark, and after Greenlees evened the score at 5-5, Iaccino and Jen Utley put the Gaels ahead 7-5 with 2:54 remaining in the first half. Denver answered with two goals in the final two minutes as senior Crystal Jack (Kingwood, Texas) scored at the 28:23 mark and freshman Victoria Baines (Parker, Colo.) knotted the score at 7-7 just 17 seconds later.

Denver scored at will early in the second half, as the Pioneers scored eight goals in the first 7:24 of the second half to take a 15-7 lead with 22:36 remaining in the contest. Saint Mary's ended the scoring drought when Jessica Tsou took an assist from High at the 44:52 mark. Following the goal by Tsou, Denver answered with back-to-back goals before SMC scored two of the final three tallies of the game.

Greenlees and Jack both tallied hat tricks for Denver. Baines, Bourdelaise, Kelly O’Connell (Baltimore, Md.) and Kiley Murphy (Wilton, Conn.) each scored twice for the Pioneers. Fuchs and sophomore Kate Broderick (Chantilly, Va.) also registered a goal.

Saint Mary's had three players score multiple goals in the game as Utley led the Gaels with four goals, High added three goals and Iaccino scored twice.

Senior goalkeeper Steph Schneider (Leesburg, Va.) posted nine saves in the Pioneer cage. Katie Augustine took the loss in net for the Gaels as she also collected nine saves. Denver had an advantage in shots (36-27), groundballs (16-12) and draw controls (17-12). Utley had a game-high eight shots, Schneider tallied a game-best five groundballs and Greenlees registered a game-high six draw controls.

The Pioneers return to action on Friday, May 6, when they play the second-seeded California Golden Bears in the semifinals of the MPSF Championship at 5 p.m. MT. California defeated Denver 17-12 in last year’s semifinals. The Pioneers also dropped a 7-6 decision to the Golden Bears earlier this season in Denver.

- www.DenverPioneers.com -

CC Women's Lacrosse Earns Fourth Consecutive NCAA Appearance

CC Women's Lacrosse Earns Fourth Consecutive NCAA Appearance
Fifth-Ranked Tigers To Face Union College On Saturday

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The Colorado College women's lacrosse team will
make its fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III Women's
Lacrosse Championship and face Union College in a first-round game on
Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET in Cortland, N.Y.

The victor will advance to Sunday's regional championship game against the
winner of Saturday's first game between Cabrini College and host SUNY
Cortland. The 2005 national championship will be played at The College of
New Jersey on May 21-22.

Colorado College earned an at-large berth for the fifth time in the
11-year history of the program after completing the regular season with a
10-1 record. The fifth-ranked Tigers went undefeated versus Division III
and II opponents, with its only loss occurring in its last game of the
regular season against Division I University of Denver. The 2005 campaign
marked the second consecutive season that CC won its first 10 games. Last
year, the Tigers set a school record by winning their first 12 games
before losing to Division II UC Davis.

CC owns a 2-4 record in the NCAA Tournament. Last year, the Tigers rallied
to defeat St. Mary's (Md.) College, 10-9, in the first round before
falling to The College of New Jersey, 19-9, on its home field in the
regional final. In 2003, CC beat the College of Wooster, 13-7, in the
first-ever postseason game at Stewart Field. The Tigers then dropped a
15-8 decision to Salisbury University in a first-round game Salisbury, Md.
All four of CC's tournament losses have come against an opponent playing
on its home field.

The Tigers feature sophomore attacker Kate Fitzgerald, who leads the team
with 29 goals and 41 points. Senior attacker Cassie Abel, who became the
program's first-ever first-team All-American last year, is second with 27
goals and 34 points. Abel needs 11 tallies to tie Mary Everett's school
record of 180 career goals. CC has two other two-time All-Americans in
senior midfielder Lizzie Franke and junior midfielder Helen Sneath.

Susan Stuart, the only head coach in the history of the program, earned
career victory No. 100 on March 24 when the Tigers came from behind to
defeat Claremont Colleges, the second-ranked team in the West Region.
Stuart's career record is 106-57-1, good for a .649 winning percentage.
-- CC --

Three Pioneers Named to All-MPSF Team Denver at MPSF Championship Tournament in Moraga, Calif.

Three Pioneers Named to All-MPSF Team Denver at MPSF Championship Tournament in Moraga, Calif.

DENVER – Senior Crystal Jack (Kingwood, Texas), junior Stephanie Greenlees (Lake Forest, Ill.) and freshman Kelly O’Connell (Baltimore, Md.) were all named to the All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Women’s Lacrosse Team, it was announced by the league office at the MPSF Championship banquet in Moraga, Calif. The team was determined by a vote by the coaches of the six-member institutions.

Jack, a two-time member of the All-MPSF Team, is first on the team in caused turnovers (29) and groundballs (50). She recorded a team-best 18 points and 14 goals in Denver’s five league games. Jack’s 43 points (34g, 9a) are good enough for sixth in the MPSF.

Greenlees, also a two-time honoree, is first on the team in points (57), goals (47) and game-winning goals (3). She is second all-time at Denver in goals (123) and points (149). Her 47 goals this season is the third-best season ever at Denver while her 57 points rank second.

O’Connell, is the Pioneers’ best defender and freshman of the year. She is third on the team in groundballs (32) and caused turnovers (13). O’Connell is the only freshman to start all 17 games.

Denver travels to Moraga, Calif., for the MPSF Championship Tournament this weekend. The Pioneers are the third seed in the tournament after finishing the regular season in third place with a 3-2 conference record. Head coach Cathy Nelson Reese’s squad will meet the No. 6 seed and host Saint Mary's College Gaels on Thursday, May 5 at 3 p.m. MT.

- www.DenverPioneers.com -

Move Over Soccer....Here Comes Lacrosse (9News)

Move Over Soccer....Here Comes Lacrosse
written by :  Susie Wargin  sports reporter/anchor
Created: 4/29/2005 10:27 AM MDT - Updated: 5/2/2005 2:13 PM MDT

No disrespect to soccer, but the sport may have to make room for a sport with sticks, especially in Colorado. More and more school aged kids are taking up lacrosse starting as young as kindergarten and in this state alone, the numbers are growing by a third every year.

The root of the success of lacrosse in Colorado stems from a few things including the Colorado Mammoth who sell out games consistently and also the DU Pioneers. Both the Pi's men's and women's teams began playing in a state of the art facility just this year and the men's team has a promising look at Division I postseason play for the first time in DU's history.
The Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium is one of kind: its the only facility in the country dedicated solely to lacrosse. The $5.9 million stadium was made possible in part by a lead gift from Peter Barton's widow Laura. The stadium compliments the architecture of the Ritchie Center with it's brick and stone veneer, limestone accents and cooper roof. It seats about 2,000 spectators and has been at capacity on many occasions this spring.
DU will officially dedicate the stadium on April 30th when the Pioneer men play the Air Force Falcons.

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