Fort Collins, CO – Senior goaltender Garrett Fitzgerald (Regis Jesuit; CO) made a career-high 19 saves and freshman Scott Gelston (Air Academy HS; CO) won 13 of 16 face-offs as the #2 Colorado State Rams allowed only 2 even-strength goals and defeated #5 Oregon by a score of 8-4 on a beautiful spring day on the campus of Colorado State University. CSU’s defense was absolutely stifling on the day, holding an Oregon team that had reached double digits in 10 straight games to their lowest scoring output in over three years. Thanks to the face-off success and a healthy 53-35 edge in the groundball battle, the Rams never trailed and exacted some measure of revenge for their 12-11 loss to the Ducks in the national semifinals last season.

The Rams scored on their first possession of the game less than 30 seconds in and kept the pressure on for much of the first quarter. Gelston won all five of his face-offs in the period as CSU peppered the Oregon goal. When the Ducks did get possession, Fitzgerald spearheaded a smart and gutsy defensive effort, holding Oregon off the scoreboard for the first 20 minutes of the game.

After Oregon cut the lead to 4-3 with 6:43 left in the second quarter, CSU rattled off three straight goals to end the period, including tallies from Ben Wallace (Thomas Jefferson HS; CO) and Luke Cantwell (Golden HS; CO) in the last minute of the half. Cantwell’s goal came with just :02 left on the clock as the Rams took a 7-3 lead into the halftime break.

The second half saw two traditionally high-powered offensive teams settle into a tightly contested defensive battle. Both teams could only manage one goal each over the final two quarters as the defenses took control. While Fitzgerald was making plays on one end of the field, Oregon goaltender Paul Swanson had a nice day in his own right, saving 18 CSU shots. Oregon midfielder Will Desiervo played very well also, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist and contributing a strong all-around effort to lead the Ducks.

The Rams were led by Wolff, who notched 3 assists to go along with his first quarter goal, and a welcome 2 goal outburst by Wallace. Cooper Kehoe (Robert Louis Stevenson HS; CA) added 2 goals and Ryan MacDonald (Smoky Hill HS; CO) had 2 assists in a balanced offensive effort for the Rams. Sophomore Luke Miller (Regis Jesuit; CO) continued his goal scoring streak by getting a key tally in the second quarter as well.

CSU (7-2) continues a challenging homestand with up and coming #13 Cal Poly on Thursday. The Mustangs play in Boulder Tuesday night before tripping up to Fort Collins for their first ever regular season meeting with the Rams. Oregon (10-1) suffers their first defeat of the season and will have a key two-game stretch next weekend against Simon Fraser and Washington in PNCLL league play.

DENVER – Sophomore Ilija Gajic (Burnaby, B.C.) has been named the Great Western Lacrosse League Player of the Week after recording six points in two games the week of March 17-23.

Gajic had one goal and one assist in the Pioneers’ loss to Cornell on Tuesday, March 18. Gajic recorded his third career hat trick in Denver’s 14-13 win over No. 20 Stony Brook on Saturday, as he scored three goals and added one assist.

DU will host Harvard on Saturday, March 29 at 1 p.m.

Fanning, Bourke and Lincoln each record hat trick in DU win over Presbyterian

DENVER – Freshman Ryan Fanning (Dallas, Texas) recorded four goals and two assists in just his third game of the season as the University of Denver men’s lacrosse team defeated the visiting Presbyterian Blue Hose 19-5 at Barton Lacrosse Stadium Monday night.

Senior Andrew Bourke (Denver, Colo.) and freshman Jamie Lincoln (St. Cathariens, Ontario) joined Fanning in recording hat tricks in the victory. Lincoln finished with three goals and one assist.

“We received solid contributions from players who don’t usually get a chance to showcase their talents,” associate head coach Jon Torpey said. “We got a chance to play everyone tonight, and those people recorded great minutes. Hopefully we can carry this momentum into the Harvard game on Saturday.”

Junior Cliff Smith (Surrey, B.C.) got Denver on the board with his 10th goal of the season just 1:18 into the game. Senior Brett Koll (Fort Collins, Colo.) assisted on the play. Senior Jon Paulson (Flemington, N.J.), sophomore John Dickenson (Dallas, Texas) and Lincoln also netted first period goals. Denver (5-4) took a 4-0 lead after the first period.

Fanning put Denver up 5-0 with his first career goal early in the second quarter, but the Blue Hose (0-10) got on the board with a goal by Cory Stemshorn.

Bourke scored back-to-back goals to extend Denver’s lead to six at 7-1 in the second. He netted his first goal of the season with 9:56 to play in the half before scoring his second goal off an assist from Lincoln two minutes later.

After Lincoln recorded his second goal of the game, the Pioneers scored three goals within an 18-second span of the second quarter. John Dickson scored his second goal of the game with 2:48 to play, and seven seconds later Paulson fired a shot past Blue Hose goaltender Jon Athens to make it 10-1. With 2:30 remaining, junior Mike Anderson (Louisville, Ky.) scored off a Cameron Kerr (Centennial, Colo.) assist to give the Pioneers a 10-goal lead.

Just 33 seconds into the second half, junior Cory Schaeffler (Carmel, Calif.) netted his first goal of the season to move Denver’s lead to 12-1.

A brief defensive lapse saw the Pioneers give up two consecutive goals when Jeremy Metcalfe and Brian Foley scored for Presbyterian to bring the Blue Hose within nine at 12-3. However, Lincoln earned his second hat trick of the season with his third goal at the 5:21 mark of the third period.

Fanning recorded a hat trick in the third quarter alone, netting an unassisted effort with 5:47 remaining and scoring off a pair of passes from junior Brad Richardson (Langley, B.C.) and junior Eric Covey (San Antonio, Texas) in the final minute of the period to put the Pioneers up 16-3.

Foley scored for Presbyterian with 9:53 to play, but Bourke responded for the Pioneers with his third goal of the game just 12 seconds later.

Sean Mulford made it 17-5 with an unassisted goal for the Blue Hose, but the Pioneers closed out the game with goals by Kerr and Richardson in the final four minutes to earn the 19-5 victory, their fifth win of the season.

Sophomore goaltender Peyton Tyrie (Greenwood Village, Colo.) recorded his first career start and made four saves in the first half. Sophomore Pete Lowell (Freeport, Maine) relieved Tyrie in the second half, recording four saves. Jon Athens made 10 saves for the Blue Hose.

DU will host Harvard on Saturday, March 29 at 1 p.m.