The University of Denver will make its NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse debut against second-seeded Maryland, a postseason mainstay, on Saturday at the Terrapins’ College Park campus.
Denver (12-4) earned an automatic berth in the 16-team field by virtue of its Great Western Lacrosse League championship.
Maryland (10-4), making its 29th consecutive appearance in the tournament, is seeking its third Final Four in the past four seasons.
The winner will play the winner of the game between No. 7-seeded Princeton (10-4) and Maryland-Baltimore County.
“We’re feeling great,” said DU coach Jamie Munro, whose players met at a restaurant Sunday evening to watch the selection show. “This is the reward of hard work. The exciting thing about it for us is that we love the process.”
The Pioneers are led by Ryan Zordani, a junior attackman from Littleton’s Heritage High School, who has 19 goals and 19 assists. Brandon Barcus, a junior attackman, is the leading goal scorer with 25, and senior midfielder Geoff Snider has 21 goals with 11 assists. Junior goalkeeper Jeb Hollingsworth has a 7.44 goals-against average.
Maryland boasts one of the nation’s best players, attackman Joe Walters, a two-time Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year and the Terrapins’ all-time goal-scoring leader with 150.
Bill McGlone, the Terps’ leading midfielder, has scored in 14 consecutive games.
“I think it is going to be a great game,” Munro said. “They have some great athletes, some superstar players. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to get on after them.”
Fourth-seeded Johns Hopkins (8-5), the defending national champion, is matched against Pennsylvania (10-3). Virginia (13-0), the top seed, faces DU league rival Notre Dame (10-4).
