(MARQUETTE COMMUNICATIONS) – The Marquette University men’s lacrosse team (6–6, 2–2 BIG EAST) travels to Denver (5–7, 1–3 BIG EAST) on Friday, April 24 for the regular-season finale, with a BIG EAST Tournament berth on the line. A victory punches Marquette’s ticket to the postseason, while a loss brings the 2026 campaign to a close
Last Time Out
Marquette dropped a 16–15 overtime decision to Villanova on April 18 at Valley Fields on Senior Day.
The Golden Eagles controlled much of the contest, using a strong second quarter to take a 9–7 lead into halftime before extending their advantage to 15–12 in the fourth quarter.
Villanova responded with a late surge, scoring three goals in the final minutes of regulation to tie the game and force overtime. The Wildcats then capitalized on their first possession of the extra period to secure the win.
Nolan Rappis led Marquette as he tied hiscareer-high of five goals, while several Golden Eagles contributed in a balanced offensive effort. In goal, Lucas Lawas made 13 saves in the loss.
History vs. Denver
Marquette and Denver meet for the 17th time in program history, with the Pioneers holding a 13–3 advantage in the all-time series.
The Golden Eagles snapped a eight-game skid in the series with an 18–11 victory over Denver in last season’s regular-season finale at Valley Fields, marking their largest margin of victory against the Pioneers.
Despite Denver’s overall edge, several matchups have been tightly contested in recent years, including a 15–14 loss in 2023 and a one-goal defeat in 2019 (9–8).
Marquette’s most notable win in the series came during the program’s historic 2016 campaign, when the Golden Eagles defeated No. 1 Denver, 10–9, to capture the BIG EAST Tournament title and secure the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance..
Scouting the Pioners
Denver enters Friday’s matchup with a 5–7 overall record and a 1–3 mark in BIG EAST play. Offensively, Denver is led by Marek Tzagournis and Cody Malawsky, who pace the team with 33 and 32 points, respectively. Tzagournis has recorded 17 goals and 16 assists, while Malawsky leads the team in goals with 24. The Pioneers feature a balanced attack with six players posting 14+ points, and have totaled 77 assists on 119 goals, showing strong ball movement.
In the cage, Grayson Manning has handled the bulk of the minutes, posting a .615 save percentage with an 8.74 goals-against average, ranking among the top goalkeepers in the league.
Defensively, the Pioneers have recorded 74 caused turnovers and limited opponents to a .202 shooting percentage.
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