Bob is back. University of Denver junior attack Jack Bobzien, who had a game-high six goals in the University of Denver’s 17-13 season-opening victory over defending NCAA men’s lacrosse champion Duke, will resume his starting position Saturday when the fourth-ranked Pioneers (3-1) host No. 3 Notre Dame (3-0) at Barton Lacrosse Stadium.
Bobzien has missed the past two weeks (three games) after undergoing an appendectomy in the days following the Duke game. He was especially missed in last week’s 12-10 loss at North Carolina, in which Denver relinquished its No. 1 ranking.
“What he does, he just makes us cohesive. He gives us patience,” DU coach Bill Tierney said of Bobzien, who came to DU from Arapahoe High School. “He’s a coach on the field, an organizer. The other guys did great (in his absence), but I think he’s a guy — just seeing him back at practice (Wednesday), everything seemed more calm, like we had our presence back.”
Bobzien was Denver’s second-leading scorer last season, his first with the program after transferring from the University of Hartford (Conn.). He led DU with 21 assists and was third on the team with 42 goals. Bobzien is the Pioneers’ most devoted attack and the offensive quarterback.
“It hurt us,” Tierney said of Bobzien’s absence. “Jack is a guy who, in the Duke game, was the beneficiary of (sharing the ball). Connor Cannizzaro had four or five assists in that game. Jack just directs traffic and gives us a little bit more sanity out there.”
Denver has advanced to the NCAA Final Four in three of the past four years. Heading into this season, some questioned if the Pioneers would lose a game. Tierney wasn’t one of those.
“Very rarely does anyone go undefeated,” he said. “We know Carolina is going to be one of the best teams when the season’s done. You hate to use the term ‘good loss,’ but if there was anyone thinking we were infallible, then they learned. I don’t think our kids thought that way. I think they hoped it was going to be that way. But I don’t think any of them were going to jump out of a building because we’re not going to go undefeated. The goal is to win the national championship.”
Mike Chambers: mchambers@denverpost.com or
Ncaa men’s lacrosse
No. 3 Notre Dame (3-0) at No. 4 Denver (3-1)
What: Nonleague game
When: Saturday, 1 p.m.
Where: Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium (sold out)
Radio: 105.5 FM
Notes: DU is 38-5 under coach Bill Tierney at home, 69-14 overall. The Pioneers were 8-0 at home last season and are 16-1 in the last three campaigns. … DU and Notre Dame will meet for the 17th consecutive season since the Pioneers became Division I in 1999.
