2023-24 Annual Report

Denver Pioneers Family & Friends,

WHAT A YEAR!

Greetings from the 4th floor of the Daniel L. Ritchie Center for Sports and Wellness on the beautiful campus of the University of Denver.

On behalf of our entire athletic department, we hope you are enjoying the summer season. As we prepare for the fast approaching 24-25 campaign, please take a moment to reflect on the multitude of accomplishments our student-athletes, teams and department achieved this past year. It was a special one.

I couldn’t be prouder to lead a staff that once again planted our flag as one of the top athletic departments in the country, while also performing at an elite level academically and socially. The legacy and tradition of Pioneer Athletics has been furthered this year, and we will continue to push ourselves to new heights, chasing excellence in all that we do going forward.

Our Pioneer fans came out in droves this year, and we couldn’t be more thankful that you joined us for all the excitement this season. From gymnastics’ record breaking attendance numbers to hockey’s 102% capacity this season to nationally ranked attendances for both programs in Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium, so many have helped keep DU as Denver’s Home for College Sports.

Please take a moment to relive our 2023-24 season below and we can’t wait to see you in 2024-25.

Be well, and, as always, GO PIOS!

Josh Berlo - Vice Chancellor for Athletics and Ritchie Center Operations

Reaching New Heights

Denver continues its winning legacy, highlighted by nine NCAA Tournament appearances and the hockey program's 10th national title

TENver Championship Central
  • The Pioneers hockey program won its NCAA-record 10th national championship, breaking its tie with Michigan for the most in the country.
  • DU's total number of Division I national championships was lifted to 35, the 14th most in the country.
  • Denver's athletic programs finished 109-22-8 at home this season, the fourth time the program has racked up 100+ home wins in the last eight years.
  • Men's and women's tennis went a combined 20-0 at the Denver Tennis Park; volleyball went a perfect 9-0 in Hamilton Gymnasium last fall; and the men's soccer program finished unbeaten at home at 8-0-3, including an NCAA Tournament win over LIU.
  • The Pios combined for a 46-23 record in direct head-to-head matchups against Power-5 programs (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC).
  • Denver had four programs finish with at least five Power-5 victories: gymnastics (18), men's lacrosse (5), women's lacrosse (5) and women's tennis (5).
  • The Crimson and Gold had 18 national television contests this year, paired with 29 ESPN+ broadcasts and 26 regional sports network broadcasts.
  • Triathlon's Maira Carreau won the D-I individual national title, the first in the new program's short history.
  • Under first-year head coach and DU alum Matt Brown, men's lacrosse reached the national semifinals for the first time since 2017 and the sixth time in the program's history, beating Michigan at Peter Barton and Syracuse in Baltimore to get back to Championship Weekend.
  • DU's athletic programs combined for 105 all-conference selections, 26 All-Americans, eight conference coaches of the year, six Academic All-Americans, seven regular-season champions and seven conference tournament champions.
  • The Pioneers collected regular-season titles from both soccer programs, volleyball, both tennis programs and both lacrosse programs.
  • Denver won conference tournament titles with women's golf, hockey, women's lacrosse, both swimming and diving programs, and both tennis programs.
  • Tommy Bruner (men's basketball) and Carreau (triathlon) were named Denver's Male and Female Athletes of the Year.
  • Denver men's swimming and diving won the prestigious Gold Vest award for exemplifying superior community service, leadership and academic achievement.
  • In the continued evolution of Denver's new brand, the new arch Denver was added to playing surfaces (Hockey, Lacrosse and Hamilton Gymnasium), and the Pioneers proudly represented the city and campus with Denver across the chest of official uniforms.

Top I-AAA Athletic Department

The Pioneers earn best Directors' Cup finish since 2017

  • Denver finished as the top I-AAA (D-I universities without football) athletic department in the country for the 11th-straight year and the 15th time in the last 16 completed seasons.
  • The Pioneers finished 46th in the country in the overall Directors' Cup standings with a combined point total of 527.75 points, their most since scoring 529.25 in 2018 and DU's highest national ranking since finishing 35th in 2016-17.
  • Denver earned the NACDA I-AAA All-Sports Trophy for the first time since the scoring formula was revised in 2021-22. Since the change, the I-AAA standings do not include Denver's successes in hockey, skiing and gymnastics.
  • In addition to being the top non-football school, Denver finished third in the standings among schools that are outside the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision), trailing only Harvard and Princeton.
  • The Pioneers also finished ahead of 25 programs that were in the Power-5 last season, including Four Corners-region schools Utah (47) and Arizona (48).
  • Denver was the highest-ranked school in the state of Colorado, with CU finishing the next closest at No. 59.
  • Men's soccer highlighted Denver's fall with its third trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in as many seasons.
  • Hockey's 10th national championship, skiing's third-place finish and gymnastics' trip back to the regional final rounded out a winter that produced 251.75 points to propel the Pios to 51st in the standings.
  • Five programs earned points in the spring to move the athletic department up five more places. Men's lacrosse got back to Championship Weekend for the sixth time in its history; women's lacrosse got to the second round in its eighth-consecutive NCAA appearance; women's golf earned 40 points; and both tennis programs punched their ticket to the postseason.
Directors' Cup Press Release

We're Fans of Our Fans

Pioneer fans came out in droves to support DU's student-athletes in 2023-24

  • The 2024 national champions played in front of 12 sellout crowds in Magness Arena, and the total attendance throughout the season put Magness at 102% capacity.
  • The Pioneers gymnastics program received record support this season with more than 1,350 season ticket holders in Magness Arena.
  • DU finished 13th in attendance average (4,712) at its gymnastics meets and 12th in total attendance (23,562), both program regular-season records for a single season.
  • DU Gymnastics recorded two of its top five and three of its top 12 single-meet attendance marks in the program's history.
  • Denver's hockey ticket package purchases combined for 3,234 full-season equivalents (FSE), more than 50% of Magness Arena's capacity.
  • The Crimson and Gold broke its single-game attendance record in Magness Arena twice this season, including 7,033 on March 9 against Colorado College.
  • DU finished seventh in the country in total hockey attendance (122,594) and eighth in average (6,130)--the latter of which was a program record at Magness Arena.
  • Denver men's lacrosse sold out four of its seven home games this season, recording four of the top six attendances in the history of Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.
  • DU men's lacrosse ranked sixth nationally in total attendance (18,792) and seventh in average attendance (2,349).
  • Denver women's lacrosse finished 11th in the country in total attendance (5,808) and 11th in average attendance (645) in its 2024 campaign.
  • The 'Hot Pink Pios' surpassed their single-game attendance record at Peter Barton Stadium, with 1,153 fans watching the women's lacrosse matchup on March 2 against Maryland.
  • Denver's ticketing revenue surpassed $4.3 million in 2023-24, a new University of Denver Athletics record.

Getting it Done in the Classroom

The athletic department combined for a 3.585 grade point average in 2023-24

  • Denver's student-athletes combined for a 3.585 in the last academic year, a full tenth of a point higher than the overall undergraduate population's grade point average.
  • Denver had 14 programs finish with a 3.4 or above and 11 that finished with above a 3.6.
  • Nine programs earned perfect single-season APR scores in the cohort year of 2022-23: men's golf, women's tennis, women's skiing, women's golf, women's soccer, women's gymnastics, women's basketball, women's volleyball and men's swimming and diving.
  • The nine perfect program's is the second-best single-season mark in the athletic department's Division I history.
  • The Pioneers had six student-athletes earn Academic All-American honors from College Sport Communicators: Jason Belloli (1st team), Nora Brand (1st team), Florian Knopf (1st team), Kent Anderson (2nd team), Kaitlyn Glover (3rd team) and Andreas Kirkeng (3rd team).
  • Individual team academic achievements are presented later on through the document.

Donors Provide Modern Look to Student-Athlete Spaces

Philanthropic support key in new-look lower level of the Daniel L. Ritchie Center for Sports and Wellness

  • Denver provided a refresh of current spaces in 2023-24, including upgrades to the Haefner Media Suite (media/team film room), the DU Gymnastics Practice Facility, the DU Indoor Golf Practice Facility, the DU Triathlon Spin Studio and the DU Hockey Gold Club Lobby that includes an upgraded Hall of Champions.
  • Hamilton Gymnasium and Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium were resurfaced in 2023-24, joining Magness Arena in displaying the new arch Denver.
  • New seating was approved this year for the entirety of Magness Arena, which is scheduled to be installed ahead of the 2024-25 hockey season.
  • These projects could not be completed without the generosity of Denver Athletics' donors and alums that combined to give $5.73 million in 2023-24, the fifth-highest fundraising total in department history.
  • The fundraising figure was a 168% increase from last year.
  • In May, Otto Tschudi (BSBA ’75), Olympian, University trustee, and DU ski team legend, generously endowed the Otto Tschudi Head Alpine Ski Coach to empower DU student-athletes and help ensure the sustained excellence of DU Skiing.
  • Tschudi's gift marks the fifth head coach endowment for DU Athletics following gymnastics, hockey, men’s lacrosse, and men’s soccer.
  • 1DAY4DU surpassed $525,000 raised in support of DU student-athletes, a new University of Denver Athletics record on the annual day of giving.
  • Denver Athletics played host in the launch of the University's Denver Difference Campaign which aims to set a new standard in higher education in the 21st century through its $1 Billion campus-wide fundraising campaign.
Support DU's Student-Athletes

Champions in the Community

  • Denver women's basketball, men's soccer programs, and women's lacrosse signed kids from the Team IMPACT program, an organization that matches children facing serious illness and disability with college athletic programs to create a long-term life-changing experience for everyone involved.
  • DU's swimming and diving programs partnered with the organization "No More Under," which facilitates connections between existing organizations to support deserving children through learn-to-swim programs. According to the organization, participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the likelihood of childhood drowning death by 88%.
  • Denver men's soccer visited a local elementary school to both interact with the community and teach them the sport.
  • The Pioneers men's lacrosse program spent a part of their spring break at the Annunciation School. In the second year of the partnership with Denver City Lax, DU's program both read to the children and provided a lacrosse clinic to the students.
  • Denver women's soccer visited Children's Hospital during their offseason to share time and love with children in the hospital.
  • DU gymnastics spent its week in between the Big 12 Conference Championship and NCAA Regionals by giving back to the community at the Denver Rescue Mission.
  • Fifth-year Denver men's basketball guard Tommy Bruner was featured in the Associated Press and other media outlets for the work he has done in the community through his non-profit called "Be Different". A project his non-profit completed during the season featured the delivery of Christmas presents to more than 100 children in the Denver area.
Tommy Bruner at his Christmas Gift event.
Denver women's soccer visited Childrens' Hospital again this spring to share their offseason time with children.

Showcasing DU's Campus to the Outside World

The University of Denver hosted nearly 70 outside events during the 2023-24 academic year

  • Denver retained partnerships with the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL), Colorado Rapids 2, Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA), FIRST Robotics, Colorado Gymnastics Institute (Winterfest Invitational), Rocky Mountain Color Guard Association and the Junior League of Denver (Holiday Mart).
  • The Ritchie Center hosted the kick-off of the University of Denver's $1 Billion campaign, called the Denver Difference.
  • DU partnered with community sports and wellness liaisons to showcase their commitment to the public good. Community events included a Rise Above Basketball Clinic (Native American non-profit), a Friendship Cup karate competition, the Challenged Athletes Foundation and The Murph Challenge (in partnership with DU Veterans & Military Resources Department).
  • Denver hosted 66 outside events, including 27 graduations, during the 2023-24 academic year.
  • DU hosted the Pepsi Next-Up Event called "Cultivating Winning Teams" for an inspiring afternoon focused on how to lead teams to their greatest potential.
"I think building a winning team is about both loving your players and holding them to a higher standard than they think they are capable of. The second piece is surrounding yourself with a circle that does the same for you. You need assistants who are innovators and challenge your way of thinking as well as coaching friends that you can bounce ideas off. Lastly, having a family that supports your dreams but allows you time to shelf them and change focus is so important.” - Head women's lacrosse coach Liza Kelly
“Developing the culture where our players feel like they can grow as people and players is important to be successful. Building a team of players who feel seen, heard and appreciated will always be the focus. Ultimately, it’s making time to offer feedback, give grace when mistakes are made and encourage positivity.” - Head women's basketball coach Doshia Woods

Pioneer Partnerships

  • PlayFly Sports provides both ticket sales and sponsorship assistance to the department, bringing best practices from across the country back to the DU campus.
  • Denver Sports Properties provided sponsorship revenue growth of 10% in 2023-24 compared to the season prior.
  • DSP added 15 new corporate partners in to the DU Athletics portfolio.
  • Multiple food and beverage partners were introduced to the Ritchie Center for the first time in 2023-24, complementing official concessionaire Sodexo to provide a greater depth of options for the record-setting number of patrons who came through DU's doors this season.
  • DSP extended its exclusive partnership with Safeway, the Official Grocer of DU Athletics.
  • Pepsi Bottling Group's exclusive partnership was extended for another 10 years. PBG is DSP's longest-standing partner at 35-consecutive years.
  • CBS Colorado extended their partnership and will remain the exclusive broadcast TV news sponsor. Athletics is a community partner for the organization's annual holiday toy drive and its Girls in the Game initiative.
  • The Burg Simpson Law Firm continued their partnership with DSP and will continue to be the title sponsor of the DU Men's Basketball Team.

Student Leaders Leading Students

DU SAAC was hard at work in 2023-24

  • Denver's Student-Athlete Advisory Council was led by co-presidents Jessica Hutchinson (gymnastics) and Charlie Higgins (men's lacrosse) in 2023-24.
  • Executive board member Gabe Schwartz (men's soccer) represented DU at Summit League SAAC meetings.
  • SAAC had representation across campus to maintain athletic department connections with Undergraduate Student Government; Sports Psychology; the Health & Counseling Center; Career Advising; DU's Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; DU’s Division of Student Affairs and Inclusive Excellence; and the Collegiate Recovery Center.
  • The student group hosted 40 student-athletes and several other students in two Green Bandana suicide prevention trainings, one each during the fall and winter quarters.
  • SAAC assisted sports psychology with sharing information via meetings and social media, hosting Dr. Tommy Fritze as a guest speaker.
  • DU SAAC organized a live silent auction during a hockey game that raised more than $1,800.
  • The Pioneers led all Summit League schools in online Food Fight donations, raising more than $2,900.
  • DU SAAC hosted a 50/50 raffle during a hockey game that raised more than $1,500 for the Pride Fund.
  • SAAC held a drop-in resume workshop for representatives with the help of career peer advising.
  • The organization's leadership mentored freshmen student-athletes with a small-group Q&A on “what we wish we knew as freshmen."
  • DU participated in NCAA Inclusion Week on social media and organized a committee-wide talk with Assistant Vice Chancellor for DEI Partnerships and Operations Kristen Deal.
  • Denver Broncos President Damani Leech spoke to SAAC during the spring quarter.
  • Hutchinson and Higgins were named the second winners of the William Tierney Leadership Award for their efforts within their sports and in the classroom in 2023-24.

2023-24 Sport-By-Sport Summaries

2023 Triathlon Highlights

  • Freshman Maira Carreau won the individual national championship in Division I triathlon in November, becoming the first triathlete and the 128th DU student-athlete to win an individual national championship for the Pioneers.
  • As a team, Denver finished fourth at the National Championships in Tempe, Ariz.
  • Carreau, who also won the Eastern Regional Championship in Virginia, led a trio of DU All-Americans in 2023. She was joined by freshman Alex Campbell and junior captain Clara Normand on the All-America list.
  • Six Denver triathletes earned Scholar All-America honors in 2023. Junior Clara Normand, freshmen Alex Campbell and Maira Carreau earned First Team Scholar All-America honors, while sophomore Elizabeth Harita, junior Avarie Faulkner and graduate student Maren York earned Scholar All-America Honorable Mention honors.
Denver Triathlon Homepage

2023 Men's Soccer Highlights

  • Denver men's soccer again advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 13th time in its Division I history. In the first round, goals less than three minutes apart from Bryce Willoughby and Tyler Schommer brought Denver from 1-0 down in the final 10 minutes to get the Pios back in the second round for the third-consecutive year.
  • The Pioneers were ranked as high as 14th in the country in the United Soccer Coaches' poll.
  • DU secured its ninth Summit League regular-season title in its 11 years in the league, stretching its run to claiming 17 of the last 21 trophies available since joining the conference in 2013.
  • Sam Bassett was named a USC Second Team All-American, the third different All-American in the men's soccer program's history, joining Reagan Dunk (2015 and 2016) and Andre Shinyashiki (2018).
  • Jason Belloli was named a College Sports Communicators First Team Academic All-American, the 21st first-team selection in the athletic department's history, including the fifth men's soccer student-athlete to earn the honor.
Denver Men's Soccer Homepage

2023 Women's Soccer Highlights

  • With a 5-2-1 mark in Summit League play, the women's soccer program earned its sixth-straight Summit League regular-season title, its eighth Summit League title overall and its 14th NCAA Division I conference regular-season title since joining D-I in 1998.
  • Under first year head coach Julianne Sitch, the Pioneers opened the season 4-0-4, including a pair of Power-5 wins against N.C. State (4-2) and at Oregon (2-0).
  • Top Drawer Soccer's Top-55 Freshman Liv Moritz was named the 2023 Summit League Newcomer of the Year. Seven Pioneers were named to All-Summit League teams, including first-teamers Jordan Crockett, Kaitlyn Glover and Vanessa Murray.
  • Glover and Murray earned United Soccer Coaches All-Region second-team nods, while Moritz was named to the third team.
  • Kaitlyn Glover was tabbed a 2023 College Sports Communicators Second Team Academic All-American, the ninth Denver women's soccer player to earn the honor and the first since Natalie Beckman in 2021.
Women's Soccer Homepage

2023 Volleyball Highlights

  • Under late-arriving first-year head coach Megan Pendergast, the Pioneers overcame a tough start to the season with a 12-4 record in conference play to earn a share of the Summit League regular-season title, the 11th conference regular-season title in the program's Division I history and its first since 2020.
  • The Pioneers were a perfect 9-0 on their home court, Denver's first perfect record at home since the 2015 season (18-0).
  • Denver swept South Dakota State in the Summit League quarters before losing a five-set heartbreaker to Omaha in the semis.
  • Five Pios earned All-Summit League honors, led by first-team selection Cassie Davis.
Volleyball Homepage

2023-24 Men's Basketball Highlights

  • The men's basketball program reached its first Summit League Tournament Final, playing the top-seeded South Dakota State Jackrabbits and coming within five points of DU's first NCAA Tournament appearance in the final 20 seconds of the championship game.
  • DU's appearance in a conference tournament championship was its first since 2005 when the team reached the Sun Belt Conference Final.
  • Denver's offense averaged 81 points per game, ranking 27th nationally. The Pioneers scored 80+ points 16 times, the program's most since 1996-97. DU's 10, 90+ point games ranked in the top five nationally heading into March.
  • DU won at North Dakota State for the first time since 2018, completing its first season sweep of the Bison in seven seasons.
  • The Pios scored 99 points against South Dakota State on Jan. 13, snapping a 12-game losing streak to the Jackrabbits. The 99 points was the program's most in a regulation game since Feb. 10, 2001 vs. North Texas.
  • Fifth-year guard Tommy Bruner led the country in scoring for a majority of the season, ultimately finishing second behind National Player of the Year Zach Edey. The All-Summit League First Team pick was the only player in the country to have two 40+ point games in the season and Denver's first to do so since 1989-90.
  • Bruner reached 1,000 points in his DU career 15 games faster than the next closest D-I Pio, doing so in 52 career games.
  • On the national scale, Bruner was named to the Oscar Robertson and All-America Watch List, the Lou Henson Award Midseason Watch List and was the Oscar Robertson Award National Player of the Week in January.
  • Denver's first All-Summit League First Team selection since Joe Rosga in 2018, Bruner was the league's Male Athlete of the Month in each of the first three months of the season and was the league's Player of the Week on five different occasions.
  • In addition to their scoring output, the Pioneers took care of the ball as well, finishing 35th nationally, averaging 10 turnovers per game.
  • DU finished with a 3.669 grade point average in the spring quarter, the highest term GPA for the program on record.
  • Denver had eight student-athletes named to the NABC Honors Court, tied for the second-highest total in Division I men's basketball this season.
  • Ben Bowen, Carlos Fuentes, Drake Muller, Isaiah Addo-Ankrah, Jaxon Brenchley, Pedro Lopez-Sanvicente, Touko Tainamo and Tyson Garff all earned the academic distinction.
Men's Basketball Homepage

2023-24 Women's Basketball Highlights

  • #LongBallElite - Denver ranked 10th nationally in three-point attempts per game at 27.4 and knocked down 8.2 triples per game – the 29th-highest mark in the country.
  • Jordan Jones was named to the 2023-24 All-Summit League Second Team after posting seven double-doubles and 11, 20+ point games in her sophomore campaign. Jones finished in double figures in 22 of Denver's 30 contests and had a career-high 29 points against Central Arkansas.
  • Classmate Emma Smith was named to the All-Summit League Honorable Mention squad. Smith led the Summit League in minutes per game (35.85), assist/turnover ratio (1.58), steals (63) and steals per game (2.1). In Denver's Division I history, Smith finished sixth in single-season three-point field goals with 70 triples in her sophomore campaign.
  • Moving into the starting lineup in her sophomore season, Angelina Robles finished in double figures in 14 contests, including a career-high 28 points at Omaha. Robles' 13 field goals in the Omaha contest is the third-highest mark in the program's D-I history.
  • On Feb. 3, Denver defeated Oral Roberts 102-92, Denver's most points in a D-I victory since a 104-99 win over South Dakota on Jan. 3, 2019.
Women's Basketball Homepage

2024 Gymnastics Highlights

  • In 2024, Denver competed in its 50th season as a program, kicking off a year-long celebration of 50 years of women's sports at the University of Denver.
  • Denver finished the season in the top 10 of the national rankings for the fifth time in the last six years and the sixth time in the last eight. Prior to 2017, Denver had finished a season in the top 10 just once.
  • The Pioneers advanced to NCAA Regionals for the 24th-straight season and placed third at the regional final in Berkeley, Calif. The team's 197.450 score in the April 7 regional final was just 0.025 points – the smallest possible margin – behind the highest score among non-advancing teams. Denver's mark in the regional final tied for the program's third-best postseason score and its second-highest NCAA Regionals score in program history.
  • At the Big 12 Conference Championship, DU set new program postseason and road-meet records with its 197.975 performance.
  • Denver spent the entire season in the top 12 of the national rankings, peaking as high as No. 6 in the final regular-season rankings.
  • In the regional semifinal, the sixth-ranked Pioneers rallied from fourth place after the first rotation to win the semifinal and advance to the regional final.
  • For the fourth time in the 50-year history of the program and for the first time since the shortened 2020 season, Denver did not count a fall in the entire season. In the NCAA Regional Final, Denver battled through early-rotation falls on three of four events to keep that stat intact.
  • Seniors Jessica Hutchinson (beam and floor) and Bella Mabanta (beam) each won NCAA Regional event titles.
  • Hutchinson became the first Denver gymnast to be named a first-team regular season All-American on four events in a single season (all-around, vault, beam, floor).
  • Denver posted two scores of 198+ this season, just the second and third such marks in its program history.
  • The Pioneers were 18-5 against Power-5 programs, Denver's most wins over the P5 since earning 19 wins in the 2019 season. Among its victories were its second- and third-ever wins against UCLA; its second-ever win against Stanford; and its first-ever road win at Michigan.
  • DU's Mia Hebinck and Rylie Mundell earned Academic All-District honors from College Sports Communicators for their work in the classroom and in performance last season.
  • Nine Denver student-athletes earned Academic All-Big 12 honors in: Mila Brusch, Mia Hebinck, Jessica Hutchinson, Momoko Iwai, Bella Mabanta, Rylie Mundell, Abbie Thompson, Rosie Casali and Kiley Rorich
Denver Gymnastics Homepage

2023-24 Hockey Highlights

  • Denver won its NCAA-record 10th men's ice hockey national championship with a 2-0 win over No. 1 Boston College on April 13, winning the race to 10 and pushing the Pioneers one championship ahead of Michigan and two ahead of long-time conference rival North Dakota.
  • The Pioneers have won five national championships since 2004, two more than any other program in the country during that span.
  • DU improved to 10-3 all-time in national title games and 19-9 at the Minnesota Wild's Xcel Energy Center.
  • Denver's Zeev Buium, Sean Behrens, Tristan Broz and Rieger Lorenz joined NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Matt Davis on the NCAA All-Tournament Team.
  • Davis finished the NCAA Tournament with 138 saves against just three goals allowed, including stopping 68 of 69 shots in the Frozen Four, tying for the best NCAA Frozen Four save percentage in history. The MOP made 35 saves in his title-game shutout, including 23 in the third period.
  • Minnesota-born Jared Wright scored the game-winning goal in his home state in the national title game.
  • Zeev Buium finished with the most points (50) and assists (39) by a defenseman in the NCAA last season and had the primary assist on the Lorenzs insurance goal in the championship tilt.
  • Tristan Broz became the first player in NCAA history to score two overtime goals in the same national tournament, tallying in double-overtime against UMass and in the first extra session against Boston University in his home state of Minnesota during the Frozen Four.
  • Denver reached 30 wins in a campaign for a third-straight season for the first time in program history.
  • The Pioneers won four trophies in the 2023-24 season: retained the Gold Pan in its rivalry with Colorado College and won the NCHC Frozen Faceoff, the NCAA Springfield Regional Championship and then the aforementioned national title.
  • Richard and Kitzia Goodman Head Hockey Coach David Carle led Team USA to the World Junior Championship (U20) in the middle of Denver's holiday break in late December/early January.
  • Five Denver student-athletes signed NHL contracts following the 2023-24 season: Shai Buium (Detroit), Massimo Rizzo (Philadelphia), Sean Behrens (Colorado), Tristan Broz (Pittsburgh) and Miko Matikka (Utah).
  • Five Pioneers were selected in the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas in Zeev Buium (12th/Minnesota) and incoming freshmen Jake Fisher (121st/Colorado), Hagen Burrows (128th/Tampa Bay), Tory Pitner (185th/Colorado) and James Reeder (Los Angeles/198th).
  • 2024 marks the third time in the last four years that the Pioneers had five players selected and the fifth time overall in school history.
  • Buium was the second-highest drafted player and the fifth Pioneer chosen in the first round in program history.
  • Following the championship, Denver announced that it has been awarded the 2025 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game, which will see the Pioneers host Minnesota at Ball Arena during the 2025 Thanksgiving Weekend (date TBD).
  • Kent Anderson, Matt Davis and Carter King earned College Sports Communicators' All-District honors for their performance in the classroom and on the ice. Anderson went on to be named an Academic All-American.
  • Anderson, Davis, King, Boston Buckberger and Alex Weiermair were all named to AHCA All-American Scholars.
Denver Hockey Homepage

2024 Skiing Highlights

  • Denver finished in third at the 2024 NCAA Skiing Championships in Steamboat Springs, Colo.
  • On the opening day of competition at the championships, Christian Soevik earned a bronze-medal finish in the men's giant slalom, one of three DU skiers that finished in the top 10 in the first event.
  • Nora Brand also finished in third at the championships, earning the podium spot in her final collegiate race in the slalom.
  • As a team, the Pioneers finished in the top two in four collegiate races this season.
  • At the 2024 RMISA Championships, Andreas Kirkeng repeated as the Nordic Classical champion for the third-straight season. In total, nine Denver student-athletes were named to the 2024 All-RMISA Team, with Kirkeng and Sara Rask earning conference Most Valuable Skier awards.
  • Denver earned 13 All-America honors in total at the 2024 NCAA Championships: Christian Soevik (SL, GS), Liv Moritz (GS), Nora Brand (SL, GS), Sara Rask (SL, GS), Florian Knopf (FS, CL), Andreas Kirkeng (FS), Selma Andersen (FS), Thomas Hoffman (SL) and Krystof Zatloukai (CL).
Denver Skiing Homepage

2023-24 Men's Swimming and Diving Highlights

  • Denver men's swimming and diving claimed its 10th Summit League Championship in its 11 seasons in the league.
  • Zyad Morsy was named the Summit League Men's Diver of the Championship and the league's overall diver of the year while Aaron D'Addario was tabbed as the Summit League Men's Diving Coach of the Year.
  • The Pioneers placed 14 student-athletes on the 2023-24 All-Summit League Team: Brandon Chapman, Donat Fabian, Joseph Hancock, Noah Laird, Alexander Lynch, Dylan Mes, Zyad Morsy, Marco Nosack, Dakotah Parker, Liam Simmons, Nikola Tadic, Frank Tirone, Kieran Watson and Dylan Wright.
  • Denver's men qualified Zyad Morsy, Nathan Cox and Dakotah Parker for the 2024 NCAA Zone E Diving meet.
  • For their work in the classroom and in the pool, Brandon Chapman, Noah Laird and Marco Nosack were named to the Summit League All-Academic Team.
  • The Pioneer men turned in the third-highest GPA in the country in the spring with a 3.72 grade point average.
  • Junior Nathan Cox, sophomore Joseph Hancock, senior Alex Lynch, junior Zyad Morsy, junior Marco Nosack, sophomore Dakotah Parker, junior Kieran Watson and junior Dylan Wright were named to the CSCAA Scholar All-America Team.
Denver Men's Swimming and Diving Homepage

2023-24 Women's Swimming and Diving Highlights

  • Denver women's swimming and diving continued its Summit League dominance with its 11th-straight conference championship in its 11 years in the league.
  • Jessica Maeda was named the Summit League Women's Swimmer of the Championship; Olivia Gordon was named the Women's Diver of the Championship; and Sabrina Rachjaibun was named the Newcomer of the Championship.
  • Alicia Hicken Franklin and Aaron D'Addario swept the two coaching awards at the Summit League Championships.
  • Denver placed 14 student-athletes on the All-Summit League Team: Alison Beay, Kaitlin Calvery, Olivia Gordon, Kaelyn Hinesley, Darian Koler, Megan Lucyshyn, Jessica Maeda, Ines Marin, Kali Metuzals, Sabrina Rachjaibun, Erika Remington, Mina Ada Solaker, Nika Spehar and Sarah Turchanik.
  • Three divers qualified for the NCAA Zone meet in Olivia Gordon, Kaitlin Calvery and Kaelyn Hinesley.
  • The Pioneers placed five women on the 2023-24 Summit League All-Academic Team: Nika Spehar, Erika Remington, Ines Marin, Jessica Maeda and Olivia Gordon.
  • DU's women finished 39th in the country in grade point average with a 3.69 in the spring.
  • Freshman Savanna Berry, sophomore Kaitlin Calvery, senior Olivia Gordon, junior Kaelyn Hinesley, junior Jessica Maeda, senior Ines Marin and sophomore Mina Ada Solaker were named to the CSCAA Scholar All-America Team.
Denver Women's Swimming and Diving Homepage

2024 Men's Tennis Highlights

  • Denver became the first Division I men's team to enter the NCAA tournament with an undefeated record (23-0) since eventual national champion Virginia in 2013. It marked the first time DU achieved a 20+ win season in program history.
  • The Pioneers earned Power-5 wins at Purdue (4-3), against Utah (4-0), at Wisconsin (6-1) and against Oregon (4-1).
  • DU was ranked as high as 28th in the ITA rankings in February, the program's highest national ranking since 2010.
  • With the undefeated regular season that included five Summit League victories, the Pioneers won their fifth-straight Summit League regular-season title and their 10th conference regular-season crown as a Division I program.
  • Nicolas Herrero Cuesta retained his Summit League Men's Tennis Player of the Year title while graduate transfer Marvin Schaber was tabbed the Newcomer of the Year. Drew Eberly was voted the Coach of the Year by his peers for the second-straight season.
  • Denver won its sixth Summit League Tournament title and its seventh D-I conference tournament title overall after a 4-1 win against North Dakota and a 4-0 sweep of host Drake. The Pioneers lifted the tournament trophy for the second time in the last four years.
  • The Pios drew No. 22 Michigan State in the NCAA First Round, falling 4-0 in tightly-contested match.
  • Denver collected a majority of the ITA Mountain Regional awards including Player of the Year and Most Improved Player nods for Herrero Cuesta and Raffaello Papajcik, respectively. Eberly and assistant coach Will Davies swept the coaching honors.
Denver Men's Tennis Homepage

2024 Women's Tennis Highlights

  • Denver finished the regular season 15-6 and remained perfect all-time in Summit League play with a 6-0 conference record en-route to the program's 10th-straight Summit League regular-season title.
  • The Pios won a pair of 4-0 matches in the Summit League Tournament, hosted by Drake, to also claim the program's 10th-straight league tournament championship.
  • DU earned a point off of No. 25 Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament when Alice Otis earned a straight-set win on court five, but the Pios fell 4-1 to finish the campaign 17-7.
  • Andrea Burguete Beltran was voted the Summit League Women's Tennis Player of the Year while sophomore transfer Alice Otis was tabbed the Summit League Newcomer of the Year. Paul Wardlaw earned the league's Coach of the Year honors for the third season in a row.
  • The Pioneers were ranked as high as 27th in the country at the end of February, the program's highest national ranking since 2008.
  • Denver earned Power-5 wins over Kansas State (4-2), versus Iowa (4-1), at Oregon (4-3), against Utah (4-0) and at Minnesota (4-3).
Denver Women's Tennis Homepage

2023-24 Women's Golf Highlights

  • Denver won the Summit League Women's Golf Championship by 42 strokes, claiming the program's fifth-straight league title and its 19th Division I conference championship overall.
  • All five Pioneers finished in the top 10 of the Summit League field, led by a tournament championship for Clara Gestsdottir, who edged out teammate Emma Bryant with a score of 6-under par.
  • At the NCAA Regionals in East Lansing, Mich., Denver finished one spot out of qualifying for its fourth NCAA Championship appearance in its program history, taking sixth at the regional with a score of 3-over par.
  • Graduate student Anna Zanusso cracked the top 10 at the regional with a three-round score of 4-under par, good for seventh and just one spot out of qualifying as an individual for the NCAA Championships.
  • Zanusso was named an Ambassador for ANNIKA Development Program at Old Barnwell, a program that furthers the foundation's mission to provide opportunities for women to excel in both golf and in life.
  • Denver put five student-athletes on the All-Summit League Team: Anna Zanusso, Clara Gestsdottir and Emma Bryant earned spots on the first team while Anna Krekling and Katarina Drocarova made the second team.
  • The Pioneers placed their entire starting five: Zanusso, Gestsdottir, Krekling, Bryant and Drocarova on the WGCA All-American Scholar Team, requiring a minimum 3.50 GPA.
  • Anna Zanusso and Clara Gestsdottir earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors for their excellence in the classroom and on the course this season
Denver Women's Golf Homepage

2023-24 Men's Golf Highlights

  • The Pioneers competed under first-year DU head coach Gary Bissell, who was hired in August 2023 after nine seasons at Grand Valley State University.
  • DU finished in the top half of the field at the 2024 UC San Diego Invitational, finishing eighth out of 17 teams in San Diego.
  • In the penultimate round of the season, the Pios fired off their lowest score of the season, shooting a 278 in the second round of the 2024 Summit League Men's Golf Championships.
  • Jack Dozer was named to the All-Summit League Honorable Mention list for his performances during his sophomore campaign.
  • Dozer and Pio alum John Sand reached the final round of U.S. Open Qualifying after advancing out of the Westminster and Broomfield qualifiers in Colorado in early May.
Denver Men's Golf Homepage

2024 Women's Lacrosse Highlights

  • Denver reached the NCAA Tournament for the sixth-consecutive season and the eighth time overall.
  • The Pios defeated No. 17 Stanford (13-12) in the NCAA Evanston Regional to continue its streak winning at least one NCAA Tournament game in all eight of its postseason appearances.
  • DU won the program's 11th conference regular-season title, including its fifth-straight BIG EAST crown.
  • The Crimson and Gold finished a perfect weekend in Cincinnati with wins over Villanova (19-7) and UConn (16-14) to lift the program's fourth-straight BIG EAST Tournament trophy and secure the conference's automatic bid.
  • DU went on a 13-game winning streak before falling in the NCAA Second Round against the host Northwestern Wildcats.
  • Denver earned regular-season wins over ranked opponents at No. 11 Stony Brook (8-7), against No. 20 Colorado (14-8) and against No. 8 Yale in Philadelphia (12-11).
  • The Pios finished the season 16-4 with the four top-20 wins and all four losses coming against top-10 teams, including three of those on the road.
  • Graduate student Trinity McPherson was drafted into Athletes Unlimited, the women's professional lacrosse league in the United States.
  • Defender Sam Thacker was named to the USA Lacrosse All-America First Team while graduate student attackers Julia Gilbert and Olivia Penoyer, defender Trinity McPherson and defender Anna Palmisano all received honorable mentions.
  • In the BIG EAST Awards voting, Trinity McPherson was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and Julia Gilbert repeated as Attacker of the Year. Liza Kelly and her staff were voted the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.
  • McPherson and Gilbert were joined by Lauren Black, Caroline Colimore, Abby Jenkins, Anna Palisano and Olivia Penoyer on the All-BIG EAST First Team while Bryn McCaughey and Emelia Bohi earned second-team nods.
  • Both Gilbert and McPherson earned IWLCA West/Midwest All-Region Honors. McPherson earned first-team recognition while Gilbert was named to the second team.
  • The BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year also earned IWLCA Second Team All-America Honors for the second consecutive season.
  • Junior Attacker Lauren Black was named to the Team Canada U20 roster and will play for the U20 World Championship in Hong Kong in summer 2024.
Denver Women's Lacrosse Homepage

2024 Men's Lacrosse Highlights

  • Denver punched its ticket to Championship Weekend in Philadelphia after a 10-8 win over No. 4 Syracuse, marking Denver's first appearance in the final four since 2017.
  • The Pios reached the NCAA Quarterfinal round for the first time since 2018 after a 16-11 win over No. 11 Michigan in-front of the fifth-largest crowd in the history of Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium in the tournament's opening round.
  • Under first-year William G. Tierney Head Men's Lacrosse Coach Matt Brown, the Pios made their 13th NCAA Tournament appearance, their first since 2021 and their 11th since 2010.
  • Denver won its first BIG EAST regular-season title since 2021, going 5-0 in the league to claim the program's 15th Division I conference regular-season championship, including its eighth in its BIG EAST era.
  • The Pios opened the season with its first four-goal fourth-quarter comeback since 2010 to defeat No. 6 Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
  • DU won three games against the No. 6 team in the country throughout the course of the regular season: the aforementioned season opener against Hopkins, a Feb. 24 win at Barton against Cornell (17-16) and against Georgetown (10-8) on April 13, breaking the program's five-game losing streak to the Hoyas.
  • The win over Cornell drew the second-largest crowd in the history of PBLS (3,025), one of four attendance figures in 2024 that landed in the top-six of the stadium's history.
  • Denver put four student-athletes on USA Lacrosse Magazine All-America teams in Alec Stathakis (second), Jimmy Freehill (second), AJ Mercurio (third) and Casey Wilson (honorable mention).
  • Freehill was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year; Stathakis was tabbed the Specialist of the Year; and Malcolm Kleban was named the BIG EAST Goaltender of the Year.
  • Matt Brown and his staff were voted the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year by their peers.
  • Joining Freehill, Stathakis and Kleban on the BIG EAST First Team were AJ Mercurio and Michael Lampert while Richie Connell, Jack DiBenedetto, Jake Edinger and Casey Wilson were all named to the BIG EAST Second Team.
  • Denver's defense finished the regular season in the top five in the country in scoring defense (first), faceoff winning percentage and winning percentage.
  • Malcolm Kleban was named a USILA Scholar All-American.
Denver Men's Lacrosse Homepage

2023-24 Athletics Year in Review Video

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