YALE at DENVER
Sun., Mar. 10 – 2 p.m. EDT (Noon MDT)
Denver, Colo.
Pioneer All-Access Video | Live Stats
 
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The final game before the start of Ivy League play will provide the Yale men's lacrosse team with a big test. The Bulldogs are headed to the Mile High City to meet the No. 1 team in all the land, the University of Denver. Action at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium gets under way at 2 p.m. EDT (noon in Denver).
 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
 
• Yale (2-1) is coming off a heartbreaking 15-14 loss at Penn State last Saturday. The Bulldogs had a 9-2 halftime lead, but the Nittany Lions roared back and tied the score at 14 with 4:15 left in the fourth quarter and then tallied the game winner with 59 seconds remaining in the first overtime. Penn State's only lead of the game came on the overtime goal.
 
• Sophomore David Anderson continued his strong start to the season, scoring five goals against Penn State to earn a spot on this week's Ivy League Honor Roll. Anderson (12 goals) is second in the nation in goals per game (4.0). Last year in his rookie season, he appeared in three games and did not score.
 
• Matt Brandau, who had one goal and two assists vs. Penn State, leads the nation in assists per game (4.33) and points per game (7.33). In Yale's win over Colgate, Brandau tallied a school-record 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists). Brandau's 118 career assists are second in school history, trailing only Ben Reeves (139, 2015-2018).
 
• The Bulldogs have two of the nation's leaders in caused turnovers per game. Patrick Pisano (2.67) is fourth (2.67) and Jack Stuzin (2.33) is eighth.
 
• Machado Rodriguez's .583 face off winning percentage is second in the Ivy League.
 
• Yale leads the nation in ground balls per game at 40.67. The Bulldogs are sixth in scoring offense (16.0 goals per game).
 
• Yale has won all three meetings with Denver, including an 11-9 victory last spring at Reese Stadium. Brandau had three goals and five points on the day. The Bulldogs had a 10-5 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
 
• Yale first Ivy League game comes against Harvard next Saturday (Mar. 16) vs. Harvard at 1 p.m. at Reese Stadium.
 
SCOUTING DENVER
 
Yale is the second Ivy League opponent for the Pioneers, who edged Cornell 17-16 on Feb. 24 at Barton Stadium. Denver (5-0) is coming off a 15-6 victory over Le Moyne last weekend. The score was tied at 5-5 at halftime, but the Pioneers scored 10 of the next 11 goals to seize control. Denver is ranked No. 1 for the first time since the 2017 season. The Pioneers are 121-25 since Peter Barton Stadium was built in 2005. Matt Brown is in his first season as Denver's head coach, taking over for Bill Tierney, who retired after the 2023 season.