US Lacrosse Magazine released the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Women’s Preseason Top 20 on Dec. 17. Team-by-team previews will be unveiled on uslaxmagazine.com through the end of the month and will also appear as part of the magazine’s NCAA preview edition in February.

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No. 13 Denver

2019 Record: 16-4, (5-0, Big East)
Coach: Liza Kelly (14th year)
Assistants: Brittany Read, Brice Queener, Shannon Williams

All-Time Record: 227-145
NCAA Appearances: 4
Final Fours: 0
Championships: 0

2020 Schedule

* = neutral site

Save the Date
March 15

It’s a rematch of the defensive battle in last year’s NCAA tournament in which the Pioneers outlasted the Wolverines 9-5 and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time in program history. Expectations are high for both programs after history-making seasons, so this could be a high-energy meeting.

Time for DU's Attack to Take the Mantle

Denver’s defense garnered most — if not, all — of the attention in 2019, casting a shadow on an offense that had its moments. Now, it might be the offense’s time to step into the spotlight.

Having graduated a stable of experienced defenders, the Pioneers enter 2020 with a mostly untested defensive unit. Molly Little, who switched to defense toward the end of the spring, brings the most experience to a group that should feature sophomores Grace DeRose and Madeleine Mason and freshman Sam Thacker.

Carson Gregg is likely to start between the pipes, bringing some continuity to the unit, but Denver’s offense will be relied upon to bail out a defense that could need some time to mesh.

“I felt like offensively, our attack kind of got overshadowed by our defense last year,” head coach Liza Kelly said. “I think our defense is something we’ve been better known for as a program. Last year, we had all seniors down there and they really performed at a high level.”

Now, the attention turns to an attack led by a quartet of juniors in Quintin Hoch-Bullen, Eliza Radochonski, Hannah Liddy and Bea Behrins. With Liddy spending most of her time at the X, the remaining three spread the scoring. Hoch-Bullen, though, led the team with 59 goals and could be in for more.

“She’s really stepped more into a leadership role this year,” Kelly said. “That’s something we’ve asked more of her. Last year, there were a lot of cooks in the kitchen [with a large senior class].

“She’s a very kind leader. She does it by example, but she’ll take you aside and help you and talk to you.”

An unexpected boon comes from the mid-year transfer of Ellie Curry, a freshman who played with Syracuse in the fall. The Notre Dame Prep (Md.) graduate is “super-fast,” according to Kelly.

Denver’s 2019 was a rollercoaster. The Pioneers fell to Georgetown in the Big East championship game, as the Hoyas earned the 9-8 win in double-overtime after Denver squandered an 8-4 halftime lead. Then, the Pioneers recovered to win NCAA tournament games over USC and Michigan.

Maryland proved too tall a task in the quarterfinals, but Denver is primed for another successful campaign if the defense comes together and the offense produces as expected. Especially Hoch-Bullen. She was quietly a standout last year and could find increased national exposure with another strong showing.

She and the offense won’t be overshadowed anymore.

Projected Starters

D – Molly Little – Sr. – 62 DC, 28 CT
D – Grace DeRose – So. – 2 G, 2 GB
D – Sam Thacker – Fr. – 37 CT, 20 GB (high school)
D – Madeleine Mason – Soph. – 3 GB, 3 CT
M – Caroline Wiseman – Jr. – 9 GB, 6 CT
M – Sammie Morton – Jr. – 6 G, 10 GB
A – Quintin Hoch-Bullen – Jr. – 59 G, 12 A
A – Eliza Radochonski – Jr. – 38 G, 26 A
A – Hannah Liddy – Jr. – 15 G, 43 A
A – Bea Behrins – Jr. – 49 G, 5 A
A – Julia Gilbert – Fr. – 70 G, 7 A (high school)
GK – Carson Gregg – Sr. – 102 SV, 7.68 GAA

Tewaaraton Watch
Quintin Hoch-Bullen, A, Jr.

The Ontario native quietly tallied 59 goals in her sophomore season, highlighted by a five-goal performance against Michigan in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Expectations are higher now, though, and Hoch-Bullen could shine if Denver finds success early on.

X Factor
Hayden Dean, Draw, Sr.

With the graduation of draw specialist Maddie Baum, Denver faces a gaping hole inside the circle. Enter Hayden Dean, who Liza Kelly had high praise for. “She’s one of the smartest kids I’ve ever coached,” Kelly said. “She’s an engineering major, and she takes that mindset into the draw.” Improving upon the nation’s 75^th-ranked draw unit will be imperative to the Pioneers’ success.

National Rankings

2

The number of teams on Denver’s 2020 schedule that finished last season with a top-20 RPI. Michigan (10^th) and Colorado (19^th) represent reasonable challenges for Denver, which finished with the No. 9 RPI. The Pioneers’ schedule doesn’t appear challenging at first glance, but Stanford and Georgetown aren’t teams to sleep on.

Enemy Lines

“Offensively, they have a ton of firepower. Liza gets them ready every year. They play hard. They’re big, aggressive and physical. They have a lot of firepower back, and I’d expect them to score a lot of goals.”