In a hard fought battle between the two Colorado powerhouses, Air Force came out fighting but Denver had all the answers on the day.
To start, we highlight Connor Cannizzarro of DU with his six goals and two assists on the day. He lead the offense in scoring as well as direction on the field. He’s also the first DU lacrosse player to have 8-plus points in two games in one season.
His younger brother, Sean, found the back of the net in this game, scoring one goal and no assists. Erik Adamson and Wesley Berg got on the board, as well, with two goals a piece and one assist for Berg. Otherwise, this win was a true team effort as one-goals were recorded by six other Pioneers.
Air Force played a nice controlled game but didn’t capitalize on shot opportunities. They shot 23 times compared with Denver’s 41. Christopher Allen and Chris Walsch both found the cage twice a piece; Walsch had an assist also. Nick Hruby and James Burke also accounted for a goal a piece.
The Falcons found numerous opportunities at the top of the box, but either went the same direction every time (mainly to the right wing) or weren’t comfortable with their proximity to the crease. If the academy hopes to turn their season around, they need to be better at executing on offense.
Their defense was solid. They went 100% on successful clears and even botched one of Denver’s clears.
They stuck with the Pioneers offenders the whole game and the only weakness being they didn’t double the ball as well as against Duke in their season opener. When they were down in that game, they played the ball like it mattered. In this competition, the Falcons were mentally downed by the events of the game and barely tried. There were pockets of effort, but inconsistently.
Denver executed their entire game plan perfectly. They controlled possession, attacked loose balls together, and played a perfect defense. In goal for Denver the majority of the game was Ryan Laplante, who stopped close shots that should have been goals. Saved five goals and only allowed six, which is a testament to the Pioneer defense.
“I was really thrilled with the way the guys started the game. We lost our focus a bit after the 3-0 start, but I thought overall, like last week, we showed a lot of unselfishness and a lot of poise. I was happy with the defense in the second half especially,” Tierney stated.
The referees were interesting. In good ways, they let the two teams fight it out and play out most possessions. They were inconsistent with their personal penalties though, as complained about by the crowd. They let certain obvious penalties go, and called others that awaited long plays. In the end, the game was pretty smooth and I agree with those calls.
At one point early in the game, Denver’s student section ended up being kicked out due to someone throwing a snowball on the field. It trailed the Air Force player who just completed a pass. It’s extremely rude and uncalled for. However, the hate came from both teams’ spectators.
When this game comes down it, Air Force was outperformed on most fronts throughout the entire game. They only won 5 of 22 face offs, won 14 ground balls compared to 31 of Denver’s, shots aforementioned, extra-man opportunities, and momentum. Whatever the reasons are behind their struggles, they ought to figure them out.
FINAL
Denver 16
Air Force 6
