CU Denver’s nationally ranked lacrosse team scores another victory

CU Denver took home the win 16-15 | Photo credit: Erica Barillari

A match against metro had fans on the edge of their seats

Although sports are not an extensive part of college life at CU Denver, the 13 club sports teams have had their big moments. For CU Denver’s nationally ranked men’s lacrosse team, one of these moments came on March 30 when they hosted Metro State on the CU Denver field. This was a highly anticipated event as both teams placed nationally in the top 25 with Metro currently being #24 and CU Denver #22. This made for an exciting and intense game that was possibly one of the most significant club sports matches in CU Denver history.

After a fierce warm up to get their heads in the game, both teams took their positions on the field to begin the first quarter. Metro made the first goal less than two minutes into the game. While the players stayed focused on the field, Milo visited the fans in the bleachers where he spread school spirit through high fives and pictures. Although CU Denver was consistent with scoring points, Metro had a powerful finish by firing goal after goal, making the score 4-6 with Metro in the lead.

Once Metro showed everyone that they came to win, CU Denver began their goal streak in the second quarter. Compared to their first quarter, Metro had a rough patch as they scored only once. CU Denver took the lead, bringing their total points up to 10, which called for a minor celebration by a couple players on the field. The final score of the second quarter was 10-7.

During halftime, the coaches took the opportunity to talk to their players before sending them back onto the field for the second half. CU Denver came out strong as they scored within only 20 seconds. The ending of this quarter was perhaps the most exciting, when CU scored with five seconds remaining on the clock. With barely enough time to complete a face-off before the buzzer rang, the score was 14-8 with CU Denver in the lead.

With a comfortable margin, CU fans thought they could relax in the stands, but Metro shortly proved them wrong as they were not going down without a fight. With less than four minutes left in the last quarter, Metro scored three consecutive goals, closing the gap to one point behind CU. Proud fans of both teams were on the edge of their seats, passionately vocalizing their support for the players. When the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard showed 16-15, giving the highly earned victory to CU Denver.

While standing by his fellow coaches and talented players, Jon Harris, the head coach of the men’s lacrosse team, humbly said, “I’m happy to have a hometown crowd and to survive our campus rival in a close game.” The CU Denver men’s lacrosse team is currently undefeated, which deserves a celebration as they bring home another win. With the hard work of the athletes and the support from coaches and Lynx fans, there is no doubt the men’s lacrosse team will continue to soar while proudly wearing their colors of black and gold.