The first draw was won by Denver, which led to a goal within the first minute of the game to set the tone. The game was fast paced and high scoring. DU freshman Sam Hacker had a key interception that led to a breakaway and goal by Caroline Wiseman.
The team was connecting well and working as a unit to score.
In an interview with DU sophomore goalie Chloe Lewis, she felt that, “Today the best thing was seeing us play as a whole team and everyone just looked so in sync and would pick each other up when anyone would get down.”
Stanford put up a fight against the Pios, but ultimately fell short because they were unable to get shots past senior goalie Carson Gregg. Stanford senior Jacie Lemos was a key offensive player for them, as was junior Allie Baiocco. Baiocco scored with .3 seconds left in the first half to bring the score to end the half at 12-5.
The game was aggressive, both teams received several yellow cards throughout the game. Stanford player Daniella McMahon was one of the more aggressive players for the Cardinals, causing many turnovers from impressive checks and solid defense.
Lewis said, “We have been preparing for this game for a while and knew that Stanford was a pretty aggressive team, so practices lately have been focused on matching their level of aggression and intensity.”
Denver junior Quintin Hoch-Bullen was a standout from the game, scoring 5 of the 17 goals for the Pioneers. She scored 2 goals within the first 10 minutes of the game. Her contributions helped keep the energy high for the team and fans.
One big difference between the two teams was their defensive tactics.
Talking to Denver fan Sam Morgenthaler, he said, “Denver’s defense is just way better. Stanford can’t get any good shots off.”
The second half started off strong for Stanford, they had 3 unanswered goals bringing the score to 15-8 within the first 10 minutes. However, their run of luck was short lived. After a timeout called by the Cardinals, Denver came out strong and the Pios scored off the bat.
With the help of an energetic sideline, the Denver Pioneers showed their support for one another and were cheering consistently throughout the game. After Julia Gilbert scored, the team chanted, “She’s a freshman!”
During the interview, Lewis talked about their sideline cheering and how important it is for the Pios.
“We usually always try to keep high energy on the bench through the entire game because it hypes up the players on the field, plus makes the games more fun and energetic. Usually when we have lulls during games it’s because we lose energy on the sidelines.”
Lacrosse was first founded by Native Americans. A local Native American fan brought his tribal drum to cheer on the Pioneers. The echo of the drum mixed with loud cheering made the atmosphere of the game high energy and engaging for both fans and players.
Despite best efforts for the Cardinals, they fell short by 4 goals. The Pioneers next matchup is an away game on February 15 against Louisville.
The MFJS Reporter -- Winter 2020 M-W 