Pioneers Host First Round of Men’s NCAA Lacrosse Tournament

The University of Denver men’s lacrosse team will host the Air Force Academy in the first round of the NCAA Lacrosse Tournament. Faceoff is set for 3 p.m. on Saturday at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium. The contest will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

“It’s a relief to get a home game; that’s always nice,” says sophomore goalie Alex Ready. “Obviously, a familiar opponent in Air Force, we know them really well and they know us really well, so it should be a good matchup.”

This is the fifth consecutive season and the sixth time in program history that the DU lacrosse team has hosted a first-round game of the NCAA Tournament. Last year, the Pioneers were upset by Towson in the first round.

“For us being out here in Denver, you don’t have to worry about the cross-country travel, which is a big plus for us,” Ready says about being awarded a home game. “It’s an extra weekend we get to be here at Peter Barton, and that’s always an advantage for us.”

The Pioneers learned on Sunday night during a tournament selection show on ESPNU that they would be a fifth seed in the tournament of 17 teams. The winner of the Denver and Air Force matchup will take on the winner of fourth-seeded Notre Dame and Marquette at Hofstra on May 20.

The Pioneers defeated the Falcons on Feb. 11 by a final score of 14-6. Denver has won the last nine games against Air Force. DU also defeated both Norte Dame and Marquette earlier this season. However, the Pioneers are coming off an 11-8 upset loss to Marquette last week in the Big East Conference tournament.

Denver is 11-8 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including 4-1 at Peter Barton.