The Case For Denver
Tierney is excited about the Pioneers’ depth throughout the attack and midfield, but he probably has more answers at the defensive end than any other.
Goalie Alex Ready is back. The addition of Maryland transfer Matt Neufeldt solidifies the long pole position after Sean Mayle’s graduation. And, of course, there’s defensemen Dylan Gaines, Dylan Johnson and Colin Squires, who Tierney described as the “overlooked rock” of last year’s success.
“We feel good about the defensive end of the field,” Tierney said. “Those three guys are going to hold us together at that end,” Tierney said.
The Case Against Denver
Trevor Baptiste was a four-year security blanket, and there was never much need to look to other options when he was around. After all, he was only the sixth player in the sport’s history to earn first team All-America honors four times, a fact Tierney thinks is a bit underappreciated.
“The flip side is, everybody graduates,” Tierney said. “You’ve got to move on with life.”
Baptiste’s replacements will come from some combination of senior Ryan Harnisch (2 of 3 last season), junior Sean Penna (1 of 4) and freshmen Brett Boos and Jackson Harvey. Any of those could work out for the Pioneers, but none of them are seriously tested at the college level.
Path to the Playoffs
The clearest road for Denver is through the Big East tournament, which will conveniently be played at Peter Barton Stadium this season. But as usual, Tierney’s barnstorming schedule is littered with potential NCAA tournament teams. The Pioneers face three ACC teams (Duke, North Carolina and Notre Dame) and will also see Ohio State, Princeton and Towson.
Win a few of those, and the Pioneers will have a great chance at a 10th NCAA tournament appearance in a row — and that’s even before diving into conference play.
Players To Watch
Austin French, A, Sr.
29G, 31A
French was quietly an exceptional table-setter for the Pioneers last year, and he’ll have the benefit of familiarity while leading an attack unit that also includes Colin Rutan and Ethan Walker.
Dylan Gaines, D, Sr.
36GB, 22CT
A third team All-America pick last season, Gaines is probably a bit overlooked because of how much possession the Pioneers have enjoyed throughout his career. He’ll anchor a defense likely to face more pressure this season.
Ethan Walker, A, Jr.
48G, 45.3 SH%
Only two Pioneers have produced multiple 70-point seasons. One is Wesley Berg. The other is Walker, who has done it in back-to-back seasons and is a good bet to make it three in a row at the head of the potent Denver offense.
National Rankings
Category
|
Rank
|
Value
|
Offense |
20th |
11.35 GPG |
Defense |
3rd |
7.88 GAA |
Faceoffs |
2nd |
73.8 FO% |
Ground Balls |
42nd |
26.70/game |
Caused TO |
65th |
4.88/game |
Shooting |
14th |
32.8% |
Man-Up |
5th |
51.2% |
Man-Down |
62nd |
55.6% |
Assists |
5th |
8.21/game |
Turnovers |
7th |
11.63/game |
Clearing |
36th |
85.6% |
Power Ratings (Scale of 1-5)
Offense
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Defense
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Goalkeeping
⭐⭐⭐
Faceoff
⭐⭐
5
Consecutive games away from home, a stretch spanning nearly the entire month of March. The Pioneers visit North Carolina, face Notre Dame in Costa Mesa, Calif., travel to Ohio State and then have an East Coast swing against Towson and Princeton that month.
5-Year Trend
Man-Down Defense
Year
|
Rank
|
GPG
|
2014 |
T-40th |
62.9% |
2015 |
56th |
57.1% |
2016 |
T-8th |
70.6% |
2017 |
54th |
56.8% |
2018 |
62nd |
55.6% |
Coach Confidential
Bill Tierney
“Can we win a decent amount of faceoffs? We’ll be OK if that happens and if we stay healthy at the defensive end of the field.”
Enemy Lines
"It’ll be interesting to see what they do without Trevor Baptiste. People are expecting them to play a little faster, especially with a guy like Ethan Walker leading the attack. They have a lot coming back."
"The shot clock, they’re going to use that to their advantage. They’re that hybrid of American and Canadian, and they blend so well and they’re hungry. I’m sure they felt like they underachieved last year and they’re going to be really hungry."