TOWSON, Md. — It came to be a routine in the 2010s, the University of Denver playing lacrosse on Memorial Day weekend and even claiming the program’s first national title.
The Pioneers restored some of that tradition Sunday, fending off Syracuse 10-8 at Unitas Stadium to earn their first NCAA men’s semifinal trip since 2017.
“It’s been a while,” said long stick midfielder AJ Mercurio, a graduate student in his fifth year with the program. “We have a bunch of fifth-years and seniors, and this is what we dreamed about forever. It’s all coming together and we’re super-pumped for it.”
Denver (13-3) will face top-seeded Notre Dame (14-1) in Saturday’s semifinal in Philadelphia.
The fifth-seeded Pioneers led throughout the second half, using a five-goal run in the middle of the game to pull away as their stout defense stymied the fourth-seeded Orange (12-6).
Ty Hussey, Michael Lampert, Cody Malawsky and JJ Sillstrop each scored twice for Denver, which limited Syracuse to a season low in goals. Pioneers goalie Malcolm Kleban made 10 saves.
Michael Leo scored three times for the Orange. Syracuse’s top two scorers, attackmen Owen Hiltz and Joey Spallina, were held without a shot in the first half. Hiltz finished with a goal and an assist, while Spallina did not record a point.
“As a defense, we believe in each other,” defenseman Jack DiBenedetto said. “We don’t care too much about matchups. We have our opening matchups, but if we need to slide to help out, we’re willing to do it as a team.”
Hussey’s goal with 30 seconds left in the second quarter put Denver up 4-3, a lead it never relinquished. Malawsky’s first goal came 77 seconds into the second half when his shot trickled just over the goal line. Officials ordered a replay review of the score, which was ultimately upheld.
The Pioneers ripped off the next three goals to go up 8-3, only for Syracuse to score twice in less than a minute. Sillstrop quickly got one back, and Lampert was credited for barely beating the 80-second shot clock when he zipped a shot past Orange goalie Will Mark (nine saves) with 44 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Syracuse coach Gary Gait challenged the ruling, but that goal was also upheld to put Denver ahead 10-5.
“I think there’s a learning curve and bumps in the road over the course of the season, but review is here and it’s here to stay,” Denver coach Matt Brown said. “I think we need it. As coaches, we’re learning how to use it better, we’re learning how to challenge when necessary. I think the officials throughout the course of the year have done a really nice job of getting better at it as well.”
Syracuse closed within 10-8 on Hiltz’s goal with 3:18 to go, but couldn’t get closer. Spallina rang a transition opportunity off the post with 2:25 left, and Kleban made a stop on Jake Stevens with 1:13 remaining to deny the Orange’s final shot on goal.
The victory extends an impressive first season under Brown, a DU alum and the program’s long-time offensive coordinator. He took over for Bill Tierney, who left Princeton after the 2009 season to take over a Pioneers program with only two NCAA Tournament appearances. Six years later, Denver won a national title.
This is still a new experience for these Pioneers, who had a sobering moment earlier this month when they lost at Villanova in the Big East semifinals.
“Walking off that field, a lot of guys felt regret, and right now everything we’re doing is toward ‘Buzzer sounds, 60 minutes is over, making sure you leave it all out there regardless of the score and making sure there is no regret,’” midfielder Jack Tortolani said.
There shouldn’t be any with the Pioneers advancing to the season’s final weekend for the first time since 2017.
“This is our sixth final four,” Brown said. “If you were to ask me when I stepped foot on campus as a young freshman [in 2001] if that were to be the case, I would have said ‘You’re crazy.’ But thanks to the legend, Coach T, for bringing that championship mentality out west to Denver. He’s built a culture and these guys lived up to it.”
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