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BIG RED BOWS TO STEVENSON; WAITS FOR NCAA BID
May 4, 2010
Despite a career milestone performance by junior attackman Emmett Jones, Denison fell to #1 Stevenson last Saturday 13-9 but gave a strong effort against the Mustangs. Neither team scored until Stevenson hit its first goal with just over 7 minutes into the game. After Stevenson went up 3-0 as the 2nd quarter began, Denison notched its first goal just a minute later. Thereafter, Stevenson was able to maintain a 2-4 goal lead throughout the game. It seemed that every time the Big Red came within 2, the Mustangs came back with 2 goals of their own to keep Denison at bay. See the official story.
And so we wait until next Sunday to learn if Denison receives a 6th consecutive invitation to the NCAA tournament. Despite the Big Red's upset losses to Wooster and Wittenberg, a Pool B invitation is likely. Indications are that Denison will face a scenario it's seen so many times in the past: a first round game against Ohio Wesleyan followed by an away matchup with Gettysburg. However, an OWU loss to Wittenberg tomorrow (May 5) could change the draw. See Laxpower's forum (bottom of page 11 and later) for one knowledgable user's view of how the seedings might go. The NCAA selection show will be broadcast on CBS College Sports at 10 p.m. this coming Sunday, May 9.
A note from The Insider: Denison will complete the NCAC season in second place with a conference record of 3-2. Wittenberg has already earned its first ever conference title with a current record of 4-0. The only issue remaining is whether it will share it with Ohio Wesleyan (3-1). Wittenberg has to beat OWU tomorrow to earn the title outright.
Pictured: Emmett Jones netted 4 goals in Denison's loss to Stevenson last Saturday. Jones now has 100 goals for his career and is on track to become the Big Red's #3 all time goal scorer.
DENISON BLOWS OUT OTTERBEIN; PREPARES FOR STEVENSON
April 28, 2010
The Big Red destroyed the Otterbein Cardinals on Tuesday, 24-0. Denison's overall balance was clear as it dominated in all three areas of the field.
So, the stage is set for one of the biggest games of the season this weekend, a match up against the #1 team in the nation, Stevenson University (16-1) to be played in Owings Mills, MD.
The teams appear evenly matched, scoring-wise. Mustangs have a dominant offense, scoring 16.4 goals/game (#3 in the country) and a defense that allows just 7.1 goals a game. The Big Red, in contrast, tally 15.0 goals/game (#7) and allow 7.45 goals/game.
However, there are 3 important areas where Stevenson is clearly superior: face-offs (64% vs 54%), ground balls (65/game vs 48), and save percentage (62% vs 52%). Based on these statistics, expect Stevenson to dominate possessions. It'll be up to the Big Red defense and goalie Gregg Shannon to turn away Stevenson's high powered attack (the starters have totalled 220 points over 17 games) and up to its offense to be highly efficient when it has the ball. A patient offense and a great performance by face-off specialist Conor Detjen will be a key to a Denision win. Another key element: Stevenson averages a high 4.5 minutes in penalties/game (DU averages 2.5) and Denison's man up unit is highly proficient: it ranks #3 nationally, scoring 44% of the time.
Adding to the drama: the match up has NCAA tournament implications. Denison's upset losses to Wooster and Wittenberg seriously impacted its status with the selection committee so a strong performance on Saturday will help secure the Big Red's bid and may assist in its seeding. For Stevenson, a Denison win will surely cost it a #1 seed. However, a Stevenson win, even by a close margin, should secure a top seed.
Watch the game live, starting at 1 p.m. After clicking this link, go to the bottom of the Stevenson schedule and click the "video" button next to Denison.
Check out #36 for Denison and #22 for Stevenson. The former is Spencer Riehl, son of Tom Riehl '85, a 4-year midfielder for the Big Red and nephew of all time great midfielder Mike Riehl '82. Spencer has played 12 games for Denison this year, picking up 12 ground balls at long stick midfield. The latter is Aaron Taylor, son of Bill Taylor '76 who starred on the gridiron for Denison. Aaron has seen action in 4 games for the Mustangs at attack, scoring 2 goals and 2 assists.
BIG RED ENTERS FINAL WEEK OF REGULAR SEASON
April 26, 2010
The Big Red have only 2 games remaining in the regular season and a bit of work to do as it drives to earn its 6th consecutive NCAA tournament bid. Overall the team has played solidly all year but its inexperience created 2 costly lapses in losses to Wooster (11-12, two weeks ago) and Wittenberg (8-9 OT last week).
Coming up Wednesday night (7:30 p.m. at home) is first year program Otterbein. The Cardinals are 4-8 and rated #141 by Laxpower. The two teams had one opponent in common this season. Denison defeated Fontbonne 23-1 in the first week of the season while Otterbein lost to it in OT 9-8 two weeks ago.
There's an interesting sidelight to the game: Denison Head Coach Mike Caravana was named the Cardinals inaugural coach in the summer of 2009 before accepting the Big Red's leadership role several months later. You can listen to the game via live audio and follow it via live stats beginning at 7:30 p.m.
This Saturday, the Big Red travel to Owings Mills, MD for its long awaited rematch against the #1 ranked Stevenson Mustangs. The teams met last year in Granville for the last game of the regular season, when Stevenson won 12-9. Stevenson defeated then #1 Salisbury last weekend to win the Capital Athletic Conference title to regain the top slot in the rankings.
This outcome of Saturday's game will likely have an influence on one or both team's seedings in the NCAA's. Despite its 2 upset losses, Denison still has a shot at getting a bid and a strong performance, if not a win, against the nation's best team, will go a long way to convince the selection committee that it deserves a place in the tournament.
Stevenson already has a tournament bid in hand thanks to winning the CAC (for conferences with 8 teams, the winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA's). However, a loss could cost the Mustangs a #1 or #2 seek. As has been the case for years, Denison will be a Pool B selection (for teams in conferences without automatic qualifiers) and, according to some, has an inside track on a bid. When comparing the Big Red to the rest of the teams in the NCAA Southern Region, Denison is not current in the Top 10.
We'll have more on the Stevenson game this coming Thursday.
Pictured: Top to bottom - Attackman Brady Burton leads the team in goal scoring (33); goalie Greg Shannon has a 52% save pct. and midfielder Matt Verklin is second on the team in ground balls (32).
TAILGATE PLANNED FOR STEVENSON GAME
April 26, 2010
The Denison Lacrosse Alumni, in partnership with the Denison Alumni Club of Baltimore, will host a pre-game tailgate party prior to the Big Red's game at current #2 ranked Stevenson on May 1 in Owings Mills, MD. Face-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. The tailgate officially begins at 11:30 but highly enthusiastic fans are encouraged to arrive earlier! Coordinators of the event are Jeff Caples '90 and Andy John '84.
All Denison alumni, parents, and friends of Denison lacrosse are welcome. Food and beverages will be served at no cost to guests but may be limited. We encourage those who can to bring food and beverages along.
BIG RED OFFENSE AGAIN RATED AMONG THE BEST IN DIII
April 26, 2010
Denison's offense remains among the most potent in the country this week. Check out our Rankings page for details.
BRADY BURTON BREAKS CAREER GOAL SCORING RECORD
April 10, 2010
It had to happen sooner or later. Brady Burton broke Andy John's 26-year old career goal scoring record today with a blistering 7 goal and 2 assist performance in the Big Red's 23-9 home win over St. Vincent's. Burton now has 174 career goals with at least 5 more games remaining this season. He now stands #4 in all time points with 204 and is likely to end his career as Denison's #2 all time leading scorer. Andy John has a comfortable lead in career points wth 256. The Insider looks at Burton's performance in his 3+ years for the Big Red and interviews past record holder Andy John '84 to get his feelings about Burton.
Read the official game story.
BIG RED DEFEATS OWU
April 3, 2010
During an emotionally charged afternoon in Granville, Denison (#11) defeated Ohio Wesleyan (#18) 16-13 today. It was the Big Red's 4th straight win over the Bishops and 8th the last 9 match ups between the long time rivals. All America candidate Emmett Jones stepped up with 6 goals and 1 assist in the contest. He was followed by sophomore Cory Couture's 2 goals and 4 assists (Couture's best scoring output, by far, for Denison) and Tanner Smith who was 4 and 1. The trio are Denison's top 3 scorers for the season. Conor Detjen won 17 of his 31 face-offs. Goalie Gregg Shannon turned away 14 of OWU's 39 shots. Denison is now tied for the NCAC conference lead at 1-1 with Ohio Wesleyan, Wittenberg and Wooster.
The game was nip and tuck throughout, with the lead changing hands by as much as 3 goals at several points. With OWU leading at the end of the 3rd quarter, 12-11, the Big Red belied its youth and dominated the rest of the way, scoring 5 goals to the Bishops 1. The key to Denison's success in that final quarter, according to former Denison All America defenseman Kurt Federer (who is also a Denison Lacrosse Alumni trustee), was a "well executed offense, successful shooting and OWU's turnovers." Check Denison's official press release for more game information and statistics.
The win was a big one for Coach Caravana's young team: it proved it could play a full 60 minutes against a top competitor and step up its game when it needed to in order to win. The Big Red now begins a 4 game stretch against Oberlin, St. Vincent, Wittenberg and Colorado College before facing its other major NCAC rival, Kenyon, on April 24 at home. (see schedule)
Pictured: Top - Junior attackman Emmett Jones led the Big Red to victory on Saturday. Jones now has 15 goals and 3 assists for the season. Bottom - sophomore Cory Couture had 2 goals and 4 assists for Denison, bringing his totals to 8/11.
DENISON UPSET BY WOOSTER
March 28, 2010
The Big Red's bid for a third consecutive, sole ownership of the NCAC title suffered a blow last night when it lost to a fired up Wooster team, 12-11. The Scots last victory against Denison was in 1991. With only 2 exceptions, either Denison or Ohio Wesleyan have won the conference title since its inception in 1985. Denison and Ohio Wesleyan shared the title in 2004 with Wooster; Denison, Ohio Wesleyan and Kenyon shared it in 2000. In order to win at least a piece of the title, the Big Red must run the table against its league foes, including defeating Ohio Wesleyan next Saturday. OWU has already beaten Wooster, 13-3. Kenyon begins its NCAC schedule next weekend against Wittenberg. Neither Wittenberg or Oberlin are expected to be contenders.
Denison's loss dropped it 3 spots in Laxpower's computer ratings to #9. See full game story.
BIG RED FACES FIGHTING SCOTS
March 26, 2010
Denison takes its 4-0 record to Wooster (3-4) tomorrow for a game under the lights. Although the Big Red are heavy favorites, it's had difficulty against the Scots in each of the last 2 seasons. Last year, Denison squeeked out an 8-7 win and, in 2008, the Big Red's 5 goal margin in its 10-5 victory wasn't indicative of the struggle they had to put it all together at Wooster. The Scots are coming off a big win (16-6) over St. Vincent's on Wednesday, where 3 players scored hat tricks. Denison last played a week ago, defeateing Haverford last Saturday, 7-5. The Big Red needed the week rest to allow several starters to heal from injuries suffered during its spring trip. You can follow the game via Wooster's Live Stats beginning at 1 p.m.
Pictured: Junior captain Tanner Smith led the Big Red in scoring vs. Haveford with 3 goals and 2 assists in Denison's 10-7 win.
YOUNG TEAM CONTINUES TO WIN 
March 25, 2010
The Big Red completed a successful spring trip 2-0 and are currently undefeated (4-0). Denison currently resides at #6 in the coaches poll (up from and #7 last week) and #6 in Laxpower's computer ratings. After its return from the spring trip, The Insider spoke with Coach Caravana about the team's performance on the East Coast.
Coach C also discusses his upcoming games with Wooster and Ohio Wesleyan.
Pictured: Head Coach Mike Caravana
BIG RED SEASON STARTS HOT!
March 5, 2010
After winning its first 2 games by a combined score of 41-6 over
These first 2 games were a warm-up for the team’s spring trip, which begins on March 13 against the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in
Pictured: Senior face-off man and Preseason All America Conor Detjen
LACROSSE MAGAZINE FEATURES DENISON IN SEASON PREVIEW
March 5, 2010
The current issue of Lacrosse Magazine focuses on its 2010 college preview. In its coverage of Division III, the magazine (available at no charge to members of USLacrosse) highlights the Big Red's return to the nation's elite under the renewed leadership of Mike Caravana. Coach C did a wonderful job with the team last year, especially after losing so many key players to graduation the year before. However, the rejuvenation of the program didn't just begin when Caravana came back to Granville for the 2009 season. As The Insider explains, it really started in 2005 with the arrival of the Class of 2008 and Assistant Coach Matt McGinnis.