The consensus No. 4 seeded University of Denver Pioneers open up NCAA tournament play May 11 versus 12th-ranked University of Albany Great Danes at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium in Denver.
After a close 10-11 loss in the Eastern College Athletic Conference championship game, Denver drew the 4th overall seed for their 12-4 record.
“We are thrilled about the season that our young men put together, with so many big victories and an ECAC regular season championship,” Head Coach Bill Tierney said on denverpioneers.com.
The Pioneers’ defense will have its hands full against the nation’s top scoring offense, as Albany averages just over 16 goals per game. Averaging just over 12-and-a-quarter saves pergame, the Denver defense will need to limit the Great Danes’ scoring opportunities.
Albany has torched defenses all season, thanks to the Thompson’s offensive domination. Brothers Lyle Thompson and Miles Thompson have teamed up with cousin Ty Thompson to lead the Great Danes in goals, assists and points. Lyle has been the standout, netting 46 goals and dishing out 62 assists for 108 total points.
“It is a wonderful opportunity for us to get a chance to compete for a National Championship,” Albany Head Coach Scott Marr said on ualbanysports.com. “I think playing Denver is a great matchup. I like how they play, because of how similar (their style is) to our style.”
Denver comes into the matchup ranked 5th in the nation with just over 12-and-a-half goals per game, lead by dynamic duo attackman Eric Law and midfielder Wesley Berg.
“It’s going to be a great game for our fans and I’m looking forward to this opportunity that we have at continuing our season,” Law said on denverpioneers.com.
The match-up will be Denver’s fourth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, matching the number of years Tierney has been with the program. The winner of this game will face the winner of No. 5 North Carolina versus Lehigh University.
The game will air live on ESPN U and WatchESPN, and will face-off at 5:30 MST this Saturday, May 11.
