No. 15 Falcon Lacrosse Drops Home Opener to No. 9 Denver, 13-7

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - The 15^th-ranked Air Force lacrosse team fell to the ninth-ranked University of Denver Pioneers, 13-7, in the home opener at Cadet Lacrosse Stadium, Saturday afternoon. The Falcons equal out to 1-1 on the season while the Pioneers secured their season-opening win.

Senior Trey Lervick led the Falcons with a pair of goals and an assist for a three-point showing. Teammates Matthew Schwartz, August Johnson, Brandon Dodd, Mike Matheson and Jake Thornally tallied a goal apiece. Schwartz was credited with a team-high two assists while Johnson, Dodd and Lervick tallied one each.

Despite the loss, junior team captain Braden Host was spectacular in goal, recording a career-high 20 saves against the trigger-happy Pioneers, holding Denver to just six goals in 33 shots taken by the Pios in the first three quarters. Sophomore standout defender Quentin Carlile led the defense with two caused turnovers in front of a Falcon team that caused seven turnovers on the game

The Falcons' face-off unit had a tough day at the office, claiming just six face off wins in 23 attempts. Brian Michael took the majority of attempts, winning five of 19 tries at the face off dot.

JJ Sillstrop led Denver with five goals on five shots. DU veteran Ethan Walker scored two goals and tallied an assist while teammate Jack Hannah led the squad with three assists. Denver out shot Air Force, 47-31, and scooped up 34 ground balls to Air Force's 22.

Air Force was in control for the first quarter, holding a 2-1 lead at the end of the first 15 with goals Lervick and Schwartz. Denver closed the first half with a one-goal lead, outscoring Air Force, 3-1, in the second quarter. The second-quarter Air Force goal was fired off by Mike Matheson, the first of his career.

The Falcons kept the score tight through the third quarter, matching Denver's pair of goals with two of their own. August Johnson and Trey Lervick recorded Air Force's third-quarter goals, the first of the season for both of the Falcons.

Things began to unravel for Air Force in the fourth quarter as the Pioneers rattled off four-straight goals to extend to their largest lead of the game, 10-5, at the 11-minute mark. The Falcons had a jolt of energy as Dodd and Thornally netted goals in quick succession, cutting Denver's lead to 10-7 with 7:24 to play. Denver, undeterred, kept their foot on the gas and fired off three more goals by the time the clock expired, sealing the deal at, 13-7.

Next up, Air Force travels to Salt Lake City, Utah, to take on the Utah Utes at noon MT, Saturday (Feb. 15), at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Falcons are looking to avenge last year's home loss to the Utes in their inaugural year as a Division I lacrosse program.

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