MLAX Earns BIG EAST Semi Berth with 18-11 win over Denver

MILWAUKEE – Nolan Rappis scored five times in an 18-11 victory for the Marquette University men’s lacrosse team over Denver on Friday evening at Valley Fields to earn a spot in the 2025 BIG EAST Conference semifinals.

The Golden Eagles (7-6, 2-3 BIG EAST) fell behind 3-0 in the first 5:19 of regulation but exited the opening quarter with a 5-4 lead. MU led 8-5 at the intermission and eventually built a 12-6 edge on Carsen Brandt‘s third goal early in the second half.

The Pioneers (7-7, 2-3 BIG EAST) pulled within three to open the fourth, but could get no closer as MU used a 5-0 run late to close things out.

MU secures the No. 4 seed in the BIG EAST Championship semifinals with the victory and will face top-seeded No. 14 Georgetown at 4 p.m. Central time on Thursday, May 1 at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium in Denver.

The Golden Eagles dominated at the faceoff dot on the slick natural grass surface, winning 24-of 33 (.727) of their draws, including 9-of-10 in the final frame. Adam Slager won 14, while redshirt freshman Chandler Caster won 10-of-11, all in the second half, and scored his first career goal in MU’s final flurry.

MU won the ground ball battle, 36-31, and it’s prolific man-up unit converted on three of four opportunities.

In addition to the five goals from Rappis and hat trick from Brant, senior captain WIll Foster notched his fourth career hat trick in his final game at Valley Fields. Prior to the game, Foster sang the National Anthem with the Gold ‘n Blues, Marquette’s first coed a cappella group on campus.

NOTABLE:

• The Golden Eagles held a senior day celebration prior to the game, honoring 14 student-athletes plus three senior team managers.
• MU will make its first conference tournament appearance since 2022, which the freshman season for this year’s senior class.
• Rappis, a senior from nearby Delafield, Wisconsin, is Marquette’s goal (31) and point (45) leader this season. Those marks are seventh and sixth, respectively, for a single season in program history. Rappis entered this season with just 16 total points in his first three seasons.
• The win by MU is its first over DU in the regular season and in the state of Wisconsin. The previous three contests at Valley Fields have been one-goal decisions in 2019, 2021 and 2023 (OT).
• As a team, the Golden Eagles entered the game third in the nation on man-up opportunities and after a 3-for-4 performance on Friday night are converting at a .594 clip (19-of-32). Junior Matt Caputo scored his team-best seventh EMO goal midway through the third quarter.
• MU entered the game 25th in the nation in faceoff winning percentage (.532), while the Pios had won just 131-of-307 faceoffs (.427) to rank 67th out of 74 teams in NCAA Division I.
• Junior goalie Lucas Lawas continued his hot play with 12 saves, including multiple stops from point-blank range. Lawas made nine saves in the second half, including five in the fourth quarter.
• The win over DU snapped an eight-game winning streak by the Pios over MU. Denver leads the all-time series 13-3.
• Both of MU’s previous wins over DU have come in the BIG EAST tournament; a 10-9 win at then-No. 1 Denver in the 2016 title game and an 11-8 victory over then-No. 2 Denver in the 2017 league semis.
• Denver fails to reach the BIG EAST semifinals for the first time since joining the league.

UP NEXT: The BIG EAST Championship opens Thursday, May 1 at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium, with No. 1 seed Georgetown facing off against No. 4 seed Marquette for a spot in the title game. The game will air on CBS Sports Network at 5 p.m. Central time. The second semifinal will be played between No. 2 seed Villanova and No. 3 seed Providence. The game will also air on CBS Sports Network with a projected 8 p.m. CT faceoff.

2024 BIG EAST Men’s Lacrosse Championship
Presented By Jeep
Semifinals – May 1 – CBSSN
No. 4 seed Marquette vs. No. 1 seed Georgetown, 5 p.m. CT
No. 3 seed Providence vs. No. 2 seed Villanova, 8 p.m. CT
Final – May 3 – CBSSN
Semifinal Winners, 4 p.m. CT

Times subject to change – Semifinals and Finals hosted by Denver

Keep up with the Marquette men’s lacrosse program through social media by following on X (@MarquetteMLax) and Instagram (@MarquetteMLax) and ‘liking’ on Facebook (/MarquetteMLax).

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.