No. 4 Denver Continues Perfect Start with Win at No. 21 Jacksonville
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History { element.remove(); }); } else{ let elementsToRemove = document.querySelectorAll(‘.postgame_3_nextgame’); elementsToRemove.forEach(element => { element.remove(); }); } ]]> JACKSONVILLE – The No. 4 University of Denver women’s lacrosse program picked up its fourth win over a nationally ranked opponent in the month of March, using a 6-1 run to start the game and a 4-0 run to end it in a 12-7 victory over No. 21 Jacksonville on Wednesday afternoon at Rock Stadium.
Inside the Box Score:
Ryan Dineen led a group of five Denver multi-goal scorers with her second career hat trick, scoring three of Denver’s seven in the first half.
Lauren Black, Kayla DeRose, Julia Gilbert and Ellie Curry all netted a pair of tallies for the Pioneers. DeRose and Gilbert added helpers for three-point afternoons.
Trinity McPherson had a well-rounded day on the defensive end for the Pioneers, picking up five ground balls, forcing two turnovers, picking up two draws, scoring a goal and adding an assist in transition.
Abby Jenkins led Denver in the draw circle once again with 5, bringing her within three of Denver’s career record in the category.
Emelia Bohi made eight saves and allowed just one goal in a non-free position situation in the contest.
First Quarter:
Black opened the game with back-to-back tallies in the opening six minutes to put Denver in-front early. Jacksonville’s first goal of the day came at the 8:26 mark from the free-position arc, but three-straight from Denver sent the Pios into the second frame with a 5-1 lead. Dineen had her first two of the day from the free-position arc and then Curry finished a DeRose feed on a woman-up opportunity to push the Denver lead to four.
Second Quarter:
Gilbert made it a 6-1 game with Denver’s third free-position tally of the afternoon at the 10:43 mark of the second. Jacksonville earned back-to-back free-position goals five minutes apart to trim the Denver lead to three with 2:09 to play in the half. Dineen’s hat trick goal rounded out the second-quarter scoring and gave Denver a 7-3 advantage heading into the intermission.
Denver outshot Jacksonville 20-9 in the opening 30 minutes, including 14-6 on goal.
Third Quarter:
Jacksonville got its fourth and fifth free-position goals of the afternoon in the opening two and a half minutes of the half to trim Denver’s advantage to 7-5. The Pioneers defense then held Jacksonville without a goal the final 12:35 of the frame and got a late shot clock tally from DeRose to make it 8-5 Pios heading into the final frame.
Fourth Quarter:
Jacksonville got its first goal that didn’t come from the free-position arc to make it 8-6 with 13:44 to go, and then a sixth free-position goal on the day cut the lead to 8-7 with 12:40 left.
Denver responded well, scoring the games next three goals to push the lead right back to four at 11-7 with 8:06 to play. Curry finished a Gilbert feed from behind the cage to take the lead to 9-7. Gilbert then converted from the free position arc for the second time on Wednesday to make 10-7 and then DeRose picked up a rebound from the side of the cage and put it home for her second of the half to extend the lead to four with 8:06 to play.
Denver’s defense continued to show why it’s the best scoring defense in the country, creating turnovers on three-consecutive possessions before McPherson turned Jacksonville’s 19thturnover of the day to Denver’s 12th goal of the afternoon, scoring for her fourth-straight game to make it 12-7 with 1:49 to go.
Game Notes:
- Denver improved to 67-10 in the last five years, the third best record in the country.
- Denver improved to 22-3 as a top-10 team in the country.
- The Pioneers 10-0 start extends the program’s best start in school history.
- Ryan Dineen completed her second hat trick of the season and of her career in the first half on Wednesday.
- Julia Gilbert stretched her goal and point streak to 10 games.
- Abby Jenkins pulled her career draw control total to 222, the second-most in Denver’s DI history (Kiki Boone – 1st – 225).
- Denver’s defense hasn’t allowed 9+ goals in a game yet this season.
- The Pioneers finished with 10+ caused turnovers for the 10th-straight game to open up the season, one shy of the 2021 record of 11-straight games to start a campaign.
- Emelia Bohi made 8+ saves for the second time this season (12 at Colorado on Feb. 18), bringing her career total to 149, making her a save shy of becoming the 10th goalie in the program’s history to reach 150 career saves.
UP NEXT: The Pioneers will have the rest of the week off before opening BIG EAST play on April 1 against Villanova. Opening draw is set for 1 p.m. MT.
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