A heroic comeback for No. 19 Marquette men’s lacrosse in the fourth quarter was too little, too late, as the Golden Eagles dropped their season finale 14-11 to No. 1 Denver. A six-goal third quarter by the Pioneers helped seal the third-straight BIG EAST regular season title for Denver.
The Golden Eagles finish 4-1 in BIG EAST play and are the second seed in next week’s tournament. Marquette will play third-seeded Villanova – a team Marquette dominated 11-3 earlier this season – at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Marquette will likely need to win to be considered for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Marquette is staying in Denver for the week to prepare.
The Golden Eagles hung close with the nation’s top team in the first half, leading 3-2 after one quarter and going into half tied at six. Marquette was able to respond in both quarters after Denver opened each frame with two quick goals.
Ryan McNamara, normally known for his scoring, was vital in the offense as a facilitator in the first half. He had three assists before intermission, two of which set up Kyran Clarke perfectly for goals. Scoring would eventually come for McNamara as well, as he finished with three goals and a career-high four assists.
Denver performed at peak efficiency in the third quarter, as Trevor Baptiste went 5-for-6 from the face-off X and allowed the Denver offense to start wearing the Golden Eagles down. Connor Cannizzaro scored two of his four goals in the Pioneers’ 6-0 third quarter run.
Marquette bounced right back in the fourth, as McNamara scored his final goal of the day to bring the Golden Eagles within two, 13-11, with a minute remaining. The Golden Eagles went on a 5-1 run to start the final quarter, shutting Denver out for the first nine minutes.
Baptiste put the dagger in Marquette’s comeback, winning the face-off after Marquette’s final goal. Denver was able to run down the clock until Tyler Pace scored on an empty net with eight seconds remaining.
Tanner Thomson and Kyran Clarke each scored three goals. Blaine Fleming and Brendon Connolly both had a goal. Cole Blazer made seven saves.
The first round of the BIG EAST Tournament will be aired on CBS Sports Network. If Marquette wins, the Golden Eagles will play either Denver or Providence at 3:30 Saturday on Fox Sports 2.
