DU Tailgate Info For Lacrosse Final Four

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The University of Denver Lacroose team will take on #1 Syracuse University in the NCAA Final Four Semifinals on Saturday.

The Pregame Tailgate from 2-5 PM ET in Lot K on the east side of Lincoln Financial Field. Food by Famous Dave's will be provided courtesy of the Office of Alumni Relations.

Fans are encouraged to bring their cheers, chairs and beverages of choice.

Parking at Lincoln Financial Field is $20/car and $40/bus or RV and is first-come, first served.

Video: 2013 NCAA Lacrosse Trophy In Philly

ESPN Breaks Out Hi-Tech Gadgets For Lax Telecasts

(above) ESPN's SkyCam

From: Inside Lacrosse

The SkyCam returns for the fourth year to the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship on ESPN Saturday, May 25, and Monday, May 27, from Philadelphia. SkyCam footage will be used throughout the weekend telecasts.

The semifinals will be on ESPN2 as No. 7 seed Duke faces unseeded Cornell at 2:30 p.m., followed by top-seeded Syracuse against No. 4 seed Denver at 5 p.m. The National Championship game will air Monday at 1 p.m. on ESPN and WatchESPN. Eamon McAnaney will call the action with analyst Quint Kessenich and sideline reporter/analyst Paul Carcaterra.

• Microphones will be worn by all three officials during the semifinals and championship, providing on-field dialogue throughout the telecast with periodic switches to each official.

•  Additional microphones will be mounted on the goals and on-field audio will also be present.

• The telecast will use nine cameras, plus the SkyCam and Super Slo Motion camera.

• Among the stories ESPN will be tracking, include: Cornell’s Rob Pannell’s quest to break the NCAA Division I all-time scoring record; Denver’s Wesley Berg, averaging six goals per game during the postseason, is positioned to break the tournament scoring record; Duke, under coach John Danowksi, has been to the Final Four in each of his seven years; Syracuse returns to the semis for first time since 2009; and Denver coach Bill Tierney has amassed an impressive resume in his 27 years of coaching.

Bronco Wes Welker Talks To DU Lacrosse Team

Tierney Era At DU Began With Syracuse Implosion

From: Philly.com
by Matt Breen
 

In just seven minutes, his team trailed by seven goals. But the coach's plan was working just fine.
 

It was Bill Tierney's first game as coach at the University of Denver in 2010. He wanted the Pioneers to get a taste of big-time college lacrosse and they opened the season with a 15-9 loss at Syracuse's Carrier Dome.

The freshmen who were on that Denver team are now seniors. On Saturday, the fourth-seeded Pioneers (14-4) will have a chance to show how far they have come when they meet No. 1 Syracuse (15-3) in the semifinals of the NCAA lacrosse tournament at Lincoln Financial Field.

"They feel that they were given a great opportunity by Syracuse to let us come to the dome and find out what it was all about," Tierney said.

After accepting the Denver job in 2009, Tierney called Orange coach John Desko and told him the Pioneers needed to know what it was like to be a championship team. There's no more daunting task than the Carrier Dome, Tierney told Desko.

Cameron Flint was the lone freshman to score that day, and on Saturday he will be leading the charge. The senior midfielder from Canada has 36 goals and 14 assists this season. He had three assists in the team's 12-11 quarterfinal win over North Carolina.

Midfielder Wesley Berg a sophomore, has 56 goals and 16 assists for the Pioneers this season. Eric Law, a senior attack, has a team-high 75 points. He scored three times in the quarterfinal win to help Denver erase an early five-goal deficit.

"We talk about playing the game fast but playing it smart as well," Tierney said. "Our guys take great pride in that."

Tierney coached 22 seasons at Princeton and returns to Philadelphia 21 years after capturing his first title with the Tigers at Franklin Field. The main difference this time will be the color of his hat, he said. The Hall of Fame coach won six NCAA championships at Princeton and this is his second final four with Denver.

"We're getting there," Tierney said.

DU Clarion: Boone's Shoes Too Big To Fill

From: DU Clarion

by Chris Bach

Officially, Boone is gone. We are in the process right now of trying to figure out his replacement and the new mascot of DU. Regardless, Boone and what he meant to some students and alumni will be impossible to truly replace.

DU is the home of the Pioneers. None of the replacement options, though, are pioneers. This will leave us with a mascot that does not match up with the symbol of our school. In that respect, it will be impossible to replace Boone because despite how anyone felt about him, he was a pioneer [read entire article].

News & Notes From Around PioNation

DU alums Matt Carle, Chris Butler and Paul Stastny helped the USA earn a Bronze Medal at the World Championships. Stastny amassed a team-high 15 points (seven goals). The Americans went 7-3, including Sunday’s 3-2 overtime/shootout victory over Finland for the bronze medal. It was Team USA’s first medal since 2004 and just third overall since 1963. 

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Three donors have donated $40 million to the University of Denver, with $27 million coming from former chancellor Daniel Ritchie. The donations will allow DU to add an engineering and computer science building.

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Former University of Denver basketball player David Adkins [aka Sinbad] filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy last month, owing $10,991,715 in debts, including $8.3 million in taxes.

Lacrosse Magazine Details DU's Epic Comeback

From: Lacrosse Magazine

by Paul Krome

In the NCAA's first quarterfinal doubleheader foray away from the East Coast, college lacrosse's flag-bearer for the West created a lasting memory.

Denver's Eric Law stuck a rebound off a Kieran Burke deflection of an Eric Adamson shot with 13 seconds left to lift the fourth-seeded Pioneers to an improbable 12-11 win over fifth-seeded North Carolina in a quarterfinal at Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday.

Law's sixth point (three goals, three assists) punctuated the Pioneers' comeback from a 6-0 deficit — the largest ever overcome in this round — in the game's first 10 minutes, sending them to their second NCAA semifinal in three seasons and a matchup with Syracuse on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

"The play was designed for Adamson. He was the hot hand," Law said. "Burke made a great save. I saw it on the ground, picked it up and threw it as fast as I could. It wasn't until I got out of there that I realized we were up one and there were 13 seconds left." [read entire article]

NCAA Tournament: DU 12 - North Carolina 11

(above) Joy in Indianapolis

Denver Post Game Recap

The University of Denver lacrosse team fell behind 6-0, gave up an empty net goal on a botched substitution and hit five posts, all in the first quarter, before regaining their composure and pulling off a stunning comeback at the NCAA Quarterfinals in Indianapolis.  

The winning goal by Eric Law came with just 13 seconds remaining and was the first time DU led in the game.

DU Looks To Bring Lacrosse Championship Out West

From: Denver Post
by Mark Kizla

Three of the most daunting words in sports: Never been done.

We are crazy for lacrosse in Colorado. Men wielding sticks. Scoring that lights up the board. What's not to like? Denver is a boomtown.

So what's the next step in the revolution?

It's up to you, DU Pioneers [read entire article].

Montgomery Heads To DU With 2nd USHL Title

From: USHL.com

It took some extra hockey, but the Dubuque Fighting Saints scored in overtime of Game Three to complete the sweep of the Clark Cup Final series over the Fargo Force to capture the championship. It is the second Clark Cup title in three seasons for the Dubuque Fighting Saints and for head coach Jim Montgomery who now leaves the USHL to take over as head coach at the University of Denver.

DU's 2013-14 Home Hockey Scedule

Terry Ellis Continues Amazing Journey

(above) Terry Ellis hopes to shut down North Carolina on Sunday

From: Denver Post
by Mike Chambers

Terry Ellis didn't learn about lacrosse until he was a freshman at Clayton High School outside of St. Louis when news of the racially charged Duke lacrosse case dominated headlines. An African-American woman falsely accused three white lacrosse players of rape, a story that got widespread media attention in 2006.

 

"Where I grew up, you play baseball and soccer, but a friend told me I should play lacrosse. He said I would be good," said Ellis, who is African-American. "So he lent me his equipment and I fell in love with it. And here I am" [read entire article].

Royce O'Neale Transferring To Baylor

From: NBC Sports.com

by Rob Dauster

Details On Transfer

Baylor has lost a pair of guards to transfer in the last couple of weeks, but the Bears may have found a way to fill that void.

Royce O’Neale is expected to commit to the Bears today, according to a report from Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. O’Neale is a 6-foot-5 wing from Killeen, TX, that averaged 11.2 points, 5.5 boards and 3.5 assists for a good Denver team last season. O’Neale’s grandfather is sick and he’s transferring home to be closer to him, and O’Neale is expected to apply for a waiver to gain immediate eligibility. 

O’Neale isn’t the only wing that Baylor has added recently, as they also signed top 100 recruit Al Freeman after Freeman backed out of his commitment to UCLA.

DU Lacrosse Watch Parties On Sunday

(above) This was the scene at Crimson & Gold in 2011
.

Fans of the University of Denver men's lacrosse team interested in watching the NCAA Tournament game between the Pioneers and North Carolina can watch the game at three locations surrounding the DU campus.

 

Boone's Tavern

1135 East Evans Ave.

Denver, CO. 80210

The Pioneer

2401 S. University Blvd.

Denver, CO. 80210

Crimson and Gold

2017 S. University Blvd.

Denver, CO. 80210

The game is slated to begin Sunday at 10 AM MT and will be broadcast live on ESPNU.All three locations will be serving breakfast.

Former DU Lacrosse Coach Sees Company Grow

From: Denver Post
by Jason Blevins

Suddenly, Denver is a lacrosse boom town.

The University of Denver Pioneers are perennial contenders, selling out national contests in hours. The Colorado Mammoth and Denver Outlaws draw sellout crowds. Next summer, Dick's Sporting Goods Park will host the World Lacrosse Championships.

Packed into a crowded office in south Denver, a veteran lacrosse coach and an entrepreneur are grooming the next generation of lacrosse players who will further establish Denver as the western capital of lacrosse, challenging the longtime reign of the lacrosse-dominant East Coast.

3d Lacrosse has seen revenues grow more than 700 percent from 2009 through 2012. The company, which hosts high-profile lacrosse events and offers training programs in five states for players from grade school through high school, has grown from three employees in a one-room office to more than 30 in the past three years, with offices in Boston, San Diego and San Francisco, as well as Denver. 

"No one does all the different things we do," said Jamie Munro, a former coach of the University of Denver lacrosse team for 11 seasons who founded 3d Lacrosse with his wife, Sara, as an events-and-coaching operation four years ago [read entire article].

News & Notes From Around PioNation

Add the Denver Post's Woody Paige to the growing chorus that wants George Gwozdecky to be the next coach of the Colorado Avalanche.

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DU alum Mark Matthews of the NLL's Edmonton Rush was named Rookie of the Year of the Indoor lacrosse league.  Matthews was 5th in the league in scoring.

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Incoming University of Denver coach Jim Montgomery led the Dubuque Saints to two wins over the weekend to grab a 2-0 lead in the best of five series against the Fargo Force.

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After upsetting the University of Florida on Friday, the DU men's tennis team lost to the University of California 4-1 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

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The University of Denver women's lacrosse team also advanced to the second round of the NCAA women's Lacrosse Tournament before falling to Florida 16-5.

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DU alum Anthony Maiani, a member of the Allen Americans, won their first CHL Presidents Cup Championship, 3-2 in overtime on Saturday night.

NCAA Lacrosse Tournament: DU 19 - Albany 14

(above) Wesley Berg #14 had a huge day for DU

Wes Berg scored eight goals to lead the University of Denver lacrosse team to a 19-14 victory over Albany.  It was the highest scoring NCAA lacrosse playoff game since 2004.

Berg fell one goal short of tying the NCAA playoff goal record by one goal.

The attendance was 2,621 a Baron Stadium record.

Former DU Recruit Commits To North Dakota

From: Dickinson Press

by Brad Schlossman

The University of North Dakota lined up a defensive corps for next season that was made up almost entirely of puck-moving, offensive defensemen.

But when Denver coach George Gwozdecky was fired last month, it started a sequence of events that would ultimately give UND a key piece that was missing in the puzzle for the 2013-14 squad.

East Grand Forks native Gage Ausmus, a stay-at-home shutdown defenseman, gave a verbal commitment Thursday to play for UND beginning in the fall.

Ausmus, who played for the U.S. Under-18 team this season and won a silver medal at the World Under-18 Championship, will add some grit and physicality to UND’s defensive corps — elements that will be welcome.

“They are losing (Andrew) MacWilliam and (Derek) Forbort, two physical, strong guys,” said Ausmus, who is expected to be a late-round NHL draft pick in June. “They (the coaching staff) thought I’d fit into that role really well.”

Ausmus originally committed to the University of Denver two summers ago, but those plans changed when Gwozdecky was suddenly fired on April 1.

“When Gwozdecky left, I didn’t think it was the best option for me anymore,” Ausmus said.

After Denver hired Jim Montgomery as Gwozdecky’s replacement, Ausmus re-considered going to Denver. He also considered Minnesota Duluth — where his father played football — but ultimately decided to stay home.

2013 Recruiting Class Updated Stats
D Matt Van Voorhis (Sioux Falls, USHL) - 38 gms, 3 goals, 15 assists
F Brad Hawkinson (Lincoln Stars, USHL) - 40 gms, 8 goals, 4 assists
F Landon Smith (Chicago, USHL) - 36 games, 11 goals, 6 assists
F Connor Chatham (Omaha, USHL) - 47 games, 14 goals, 14 assists
F Ray Pigozzi (Chicago, USHL) - 41 games, 6 goals, 19 assists
D Will Butcher (U.S. Under-18) - 45 games, 7 goals, 13 assists
F Trevor Moore (Tri-City, USHL) 44 games, 17 goals, 30 assists
D Nick Neville (Texas, NAHL) 45 games, 5 goals, 18 assists

2014 Recruiting Class Updated Stats
F Tyler Pham (Indiana Ice, USHL) - 46 games, 4 goals, 13 assists
F Jared Fiegl (U.S. Under-17) 44 games, 4 goals, 9 assists
F Garrett Gamez (Tri-Cities, USHL) 30 games, 6 goals, 5 assists
F Cody DePourcq (Penticton, BCHL) - 49 games, 11 goal, 8 assists

2015 Recruiting Class Updated Stats 
F Dylan Gambrell (Dubuque, USHL) 45 games, 5 goal, 19 assists

2016 Recruiting Class Updated Stats
F Troy Terry (Thunderbirds, AAA) 41 games, 14 goals, 35 assists

Mascot Task Force Minutes From 4/30/2013

Sign Denver Boone Petition: 1,125 Signatures

The Minutes from the Mascot Steering Committee Meeting on 4/30/2013 has been posted on line.

Gwozdecky Misses Out On UConn Coaching Job

Mike Cavanaugh

From: Bangor Daily News
by Larry Mahoney

Mike Cavanaugh an assistant coach at Boston College for the past 18 seasons, is in final negotiations to become the head hockey coach at the University of Connecticut.

Deposed University of Denver coach George Gwozdecky and former Providence College assistant David Berard, who was the interim head coach at UConn this past season, were the other finalists.

The decision is said to have come down to Cavanaugh and Berard, who would get an offer if, for some unexpected reason, contract negotiations broke down with Cavanaugh. Gwozdecky was the first finalist eliminated from consideration.

UConn did have a non-scholarship Division I Atlantic Hockey team but will add the full complement of 18 scholarships and join Hockey East in 2014-15.

ESPN anchor John Buccigross reported via Twitter last week that UConn and Gwozdecky were in intense discussions and there was an “excellent chance” Gwozdecky was going to get the position.

Gwozdecky could now be a candidate for the Maine job vacated by Tim Whitehead, who was fired after 12 seasons as the head coach.

Gwozdecky, who was fired at Denver when his contract negotiations broke down despite his 443-267-64 record over 19 seasons, said last month he was interested in the Maine job.

Clarion: DU Committee Offers Boone Replacements

(above) DU's Mascot Task Force is developing a replacement for Boone

From: DU Clarion

by Gigi Peccolo

The Mascot Steering Committee is currently developing seven concepts for the new mascot and will continue to refine the designs within the coming weeks, according to group founder Will Guy.

The seven concepts leaked on alumnus Damien Goddard’s “LetsGoDU Sports Blog” are: a mountaineer, a mustang, a hiker/climber, a jackalope, an elk, a golden retriever and a robot (a nod to the robotics program). Each conceptual drawing will be accompanied by a backstory for the mascot, according to Guy [read entire article].

NCAA 1st Round Lax Tickets Now Sold Out

Tickets for the 2013 NCAA Tournament First Round game between #4 seeded University of Denver men's lacrosse team and the University at Albany are now sold-out. General admission Grassy Knoll Tickets are now being sold @ $15.

Purchase the tickets online: http://bit.ly/t9JY6Y

The game will be sold out by Tuesday.

Adults $15 - Students $5

Gwozdecky Linked To Numerous Coaching Jobs

From: Northwest Chronicle Journal

by Tom Annelin

After his recent ouster following 19 successful seasons as head coach at the University of Denver, George Gwozdecky’s name continues to be linked to a number of NCAA Division 1 coaching vacancies.

Multiple media outlets reported last week the 59-year-old Thunder Bay product was one of three finalists interviewed for the University of Connecticut coaching position. The Huskies have one year remaining to play out of the Atlantic Hockey conference before joining Hockey East in 2014-15.

Among the other schools that are rumoured to have Gwozdecky on their radar is another Hockey East member, Maine, along with the University of Alaska-Anchorage of The Western Collegiate Hockey Association, who announced last week they were restructuring their search for a new coach.

At Denver, Gwozdecky was the only Division 1 bench boss to post 20-win seasons in each of the past 12 years, which included a pair of national championships.

Video: Zucker's Game Winner In OT Lifts Wild

Jason Zucker's GWG In OT Stuns Blackhawks

(above) Jason Zucker celebrates on Sunday

DU alum Jason Zucker scored at 2:15 of overtime to give Minnesota a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday, pulling the Wild within 2-1 in the Western Conference quarterfinal series. Zucker's bad-angle shot slipped past goalie Corey Crawford, and the rookie raced toward the corner and jumped into the glass to celebrate.

. 
Zucker had ripped a shot off the crossbar in overtime in Game 1 against the Chicago Blackhawks, a game the Wild lost minutes later.

DU Women's Lax Team Makes NCAA's For 1st Time

(above) Click on image to enlarge

The #11 ranked University of Denver Women's lacrosse team made the NCAA Tournament for the first time this season. They will face Jacksonville next Friday at 2 PM in Florida.

DU Lax to Face Albany In NCAA Tourney

(above) Click on image to enlarge

The University of Denver lacrosse team will face Albany on Saturday night [5:30 PM] at Barton Stadium.  The game will be televised on ESPN-U.

Sign Denver Boone Petition: 1,118 Signatures

ECAC Lacrosse Championship

DU vs. Ohio State

2 PM MT

TV: Fox Sports Network, ROOT Sports-Rocky Mountain
Fox College Sports, FUEL TV

DU Star Hoopster Royce O'Neale Leaving DU

Royce O'Neale

From: NBCSports.com

by  Raphielle Johnson

The University of Denver is moving to the Summit League, and they may have to do so without two of those key contributors. On Friday the school announced that Royce O’Neale’s request to be released from his scholarship has been granted.

O’Neale, a native of Kileen, Texas, made the request due to the health of his grandfather, according to Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com.

“Royce has a personal situation at home in Killeen, Texas,” head coach Joe Scott said in a statement released by the school. “He has requested a release to explore schools that would place him in close proximity to his family. We are understanding and supportive, and therefore have granted Royce a release to those schools.

“As we do this, we are and have been working on a plan for him to stay at the University of Denver while also meeting and supporting his family needs. We are exploring all options to help him.”

If they’re able to work out something to where O’Neale is able to take care of the situation and remain at Denver, the Pioneers would be in position to be one of the preseason favorites to win the Summit League crown.

As a sophomore the 6-5 O’Neale averaged 11.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, leading the Pioneers in both rebounding and assists, earning third-team All-WAC honors.