Lacrosse hosts No. 12/14 Denver on Friday night

MILWAUKEE – The Marquette University men's lacrosse team hosts No. 12/14 Denver at 8 p.m. Central time on Friday in its regular season finale at Valley Fields.

The game will air live on FS1 and through the FOX Sports Go application from Milwaukee with Scott Sudikoff and Rich Donovan on the call.

Denver can clinch at least a share of its sixth-straight BIG EAST regular season crown with a win, while Marquette likely needs a victory for a berth into next week's BIG EAST tournament. MU could still earn a share of the league's regular season title at 3-2 should it win but tiebreakers will determine tournament seeding and the four teams who make the semifinals.

Prior to face-off, the Golden Eagles will host "Rally at the Valley," a pregame tailgate at the Shimek Track & Field Facility at the east end of Valley Fields. The event, which features live music, food, drinks and yard games, is open for all to attend (a game ticket is not required for "Rally at the Valley").

Game tickets are $5 and can be purchased online, by calling the Marquette Ticket Office at 414-288-4668, or at the main box office on game day.

The Golden Eagles will also assist the MU women's team in its support of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, raising money and awareness in the fight against pancreatic cancer. Fans who wish to assist the MU fundraising effort can donate online or at the marketing table on gameday. In total, the MU women's team has raised over $50,000 for the Milwaukee affiliate since the program's inception.

GAME DETAILS
Marquette (6-7) vs. No. 12/14 Denver (8-4)
Valley Fields (Milwaukee)
Friday, April 26 at 8 p.m. CT
FS1
TICKETS | MU WLAX PanCAN Fundraising | Rally at the Valley

LIVE COVERAGE
VIDEO | STATS | GAME NOTES (PDF) | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

MARQUETTE (6-7): The Golden Eagles dropped a 10-9 overtime heartbreaker to then-No. 3 Duke on Saturday afternoon in the "Battle at Bethpage" on Long Island after taking a 9-8 lead with 10 minutes remaining. John Wagner scored a career-high five goals in the defeat, while sophomore goalie John Hulsman made 11 saves. Wagner and Noah Richard, who posted career-highs of nine ground balls and four caused turnovers, each earned BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll mention for their play against the Blue Devils. MU has lost three straight games away from Milwaukee following a 12-8 win over St. John's on April 6 at Valley Fields. Tanner Thomson leads MU with 26 goals and 38 points on the year, while Wagner is close on his heels with 20 goals and 36 points.

DENVER (8-4): The Pioneers can secure at least a share of their sixth-straight BIG EAST regular season title with a victory over MU, which it has defeated in all previous six regular season matchups. Denver sits at 3-1 in league play and enters the weekend coming off a 14-8 win over Providence on Saturday afternoon. DU's lone BIG EAST loss came to Villanova, 12-11, at Peter Barton Stadium in Denver but the Pios are 3-3 away from home this season, including a 10-7 loss to Notre Dame on March 9 in California. BIG EAST Preseason Attackman of the Year Ethan Walker paces the Denver offense with 33 goals and 44 points and sits third in the league in both goals and points per game.

KEY STORYLINES:

Saturday's game marks the 105th contest in the history of Marquette men's lacrosse, which played its first games in the spring of 2013. MU is 52-52 all-time entering Saturday.
Marquette is 0-6 all-time against Denver in regular season action but 2-1 in BIG EAST tournament play.
MU defeated the Pios in both the 2016 and 2017 BIG EAST tournaments on its way to the league's NCAA automatic berth.
The squads have met each of the last three years in the final game of the regular season and in the BIG EAST tournament.
Denver has defeated MU both times the two have played in Milwaukee (2015 and 2017).
Denver assistant coach John Orsen was on Joe Amplo's first coaching staff at Marquette where he served alongside Stephen Brundage from 2012-14. Orsen played for Amplo during the pair's time at Hofstra.
DU captured both meetings last season, 7-4 in the regular season finale in Denver and 10-7 in the semifinals of the BIG EAST tournament at Villanova.
A scenario exists with MU, Providence and Georgetown wins where there is a five-team tie at 3-2 for the league title and MU is left out on goal differential.
It is possible MU could get in with a loss but it would need some help in goal differential.
John Wagner became third player in Marquette history to reach 100 career points and 70 goals with his first goal on April 13 at Providence.
Wagner's 16 assists in 2019 are a career-high and more than any Golden Eagle totaled during the entirety of the 2018 season. The single-season program record of 20 was set by Conor Gately as a freshman in 2013. Wagner is tied for Andy DeMichiei's 2017 total of 16 for the third-best single season mark.
Tanner Thomson (38 points) is two points from becoming only the fourth player in MU history to reach 40 points in a single season. Ryan McNamara (57 in 2016), Jordan Greenfield (52 in 2015) and Tyler Melnyk (51 in 2014) are the three who have done so already.
Thomson (26 goals) is also four scores from becoming the fifth MU player to reach 30 in a single campaign.
Thomson became the fifth player in Marquette history to reach 60 career goals against St. John's on April 6. He joined Ryan McNamara (102), Conor Gately (77), Kyle Whitlow (70) and John Wagner (71) on the prestigious list. He currently has 65 in his career.
The Marquette program and head coach Joe Amplo captured their 50th victory all-time on March 16 against Michigan.

SERIES HISTORY: Denver leads 7-2 all-time
Denver leads 2-0 in Milwaukee
4/15/13                A             L, 15-4
4/26/14                A             L, 17-9
4/25/15                H             L, 18-11 (Hart Park)
4/30/16                A             L, 14-11
5/7/16 A             W, 10-9 (BIG EAST Final)
4/29/17                H             L, 16-8 (Valley Fields)
5/6/17 N             W, 11-8 (BIG EAST Semifinal – Providence, R.I.)
4/20/18                A             L, 7-4
5/3/18 N             L, 10-7 (BIG EAST Semifinal – Villanova, Pa.)

CAREER VERSUS DENVER:

Brendon Connolly: 6 GP/2 GS, 1g, 3 gb, 2 ct
Jackson Ehlert: 4 GP/4 GS, 7 gb
Griffin Fleming: 2 GP/2 GS, 3a
Nick Grill: 4 GP/4 GS, 3 gb. 1 ct
Anthony Orsini: 1 GP/1 GS, 2g
Noah Richard: 5 GP, 9 gb, 3 ct
Tanner Thomson: 4 GP/4 GS, 9g, 2a, 2 gb
John Wagner: 6 GP/4 GS, 10 g, 1a, 2 gb
Jack Zerrillo: 5 GP/2 GS, 2g, 2a

NOAH RICHARD DRAFTED IN PLL & MLL; JACOB RICHARD AND B.J. GRILL LEARN PLL TEAMS

Noah Richard was selected 14th overall by Atlas LC in the third round of the inaugural PLL Collegiate Draft. He joins brother and current Marquette assistant coach, Jacob, and former MU volunteer assistant coach Ryan Brown on the Atlas roster.
Richard became the second-highest drafted MU player when the Chesapeake Bayhawks selected him in the MLL Draft on March 9 at 25th overall (third round). Richard is one of six MU players who has heard his name called in the MLL Collegiate Draft, joining his brother Jacob, who went 35th overall to the New York Lizards in 2016.
On Monday, March 4 the PLL officially unveiled its rosters for the 2019 season and the Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft is slated for Saturday, March 9 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Marquette's Jacob Richard (Atlas LC) and B.J. Grill (Chrome LC) learned their PLL team assignments on Monday, as did volunteer assistant coach Tim Rotanz (Whipsnakes LC).

APRIL 26 NIGHT GAME AGAINST DENVER FEATURED ON FS1

The Friday, April 26 showdown with league favorite Denver at Valley Fields is scheduled for an 8 p.m. Central time faceoff on FS1. Marquette's BIG EAST opener at Georgetown also aired live on the BIG EAST Digital Network through FOX Sports Go.
The Golden Eagles will host a pregame tailgate with food, live music and a beer garden at the Shimek Track at Valley Fields prior to the game against the Pioneers. The event is open to all in the Milwaukee and Marquette communities and free to attend. Game tickets are $5 and can be purchased in advance or at the entrance on game day.

GOLDEN EAGLES IN TOUGH FINAL MONTH

The Golden Eagles are in the midst of a difficult schedule over the final month of the season, beginning with the March 23 game at then-No. 14 Georgetown. MU's annual midweek contest at then-No. 12 Notre Dame on April 10 is sandwiched by games against St. John's and Providence before Marquette closes the year with No. 3 Duke and No. 12 Denver.

WAGNER'S GOAL SCORING MATCHED BY ACADEMIC PROWESS

All-America candidate John Wagner has proven to be one of the most accomplished goal scorers in Marquette history, becoming just the fourth player to reach 30 goals in a single season last year. But his work in the classroom may be more impressive. The St. Davids, Ontario native is the reigning BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award winner for men's lacrosse and the first junior to win the award since 2010. He carries a 3.87 grade-point average in finance and private equity banking and is a member of Marquette's prestigious Applied Investment Management (AIM) Program. To participate in the program, Wagner was chosen by a panel of professionals to collectively manage over $2 million o MU's endowment across equity and fixed income securities.
He is a three-time member of the BIG EAST's All-Academic Team as well as a College of Business Dean's List and Athletic Director's Honor Roll designee. John has had the top GPA on the MU men's lacrosse roster for three semesters and is a national member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society.

ANDERSON STEPS UP IN JUNIOR SEASON

Defensive midfielder Luke Anderson has stepped up in a big way for the Golden Eagles on both ends of the field this season. The Lakeville, Minnesota native has been called one of the most athletic SSDMs in the country by head coach Joe Amplo and has shown his ability as a junior. In addition to being MU's top short stick D-mid, the 6-foot-3 210-pounder has scored nine goals and posted three assists in the first 13 games of 2019. Those goal (9) and point (12) totals are the highest single-season marks ever for a defensive midfielder at MU. Both totals top the previous high of four goals and seven points recorded by current assistant coach Jacob Richard during the 2015 campaign.