Golden Eagles Visit Denver in BIG EAST Finale
Marquette to Battle Denver with Postseason on the Line
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 his career-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.
Detwiler Drafted by Carolina Chaos
On April 14th, Peter Detwiler was selected 28th overall by the Carolina Chaos in the fourth round of the 2026 Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) College Draft.
Detwiler becomes the third Marquette player selected in the PLL College Draft. Mason Woodward was chosen eighth overall by the Utah Archers in 2024, while Noah Richard was selected 14th overall by Waterdogs LC in the third round of the 2019 draft.
Detwiler has recorded 22 ground balls and a career-high nine caused turnovers this season. His nine caused turnovers are tied for 10th nationally among SSDMs.
Climbing the Record Book
This past Saturday, Nolan Rappis recorded a season-high and career-tying five goals. With five points in the contest, he is now tied for eighth all-time with former teammate Will Foster (’22–’25) in career points. Rappis also ranks among the program’s top 10 in career goals, currently tied for sixth all-time with Kyle Whitlow (’13–’16).
Carsen Brandt enters the regular-season finale sixth all-time in points (111) following a four-point performance against Villanova. His 47 points this season lead the team and are tied for seventh-most in a single season in program history. Brandt’s 23 assists also lead the team and rank third-most in single-season history.
Despite the heartbreaking overtime loss last Saturday, Lucas Lawas recorded 13 saves, bringing his career total to 329 and solidifying his spot as second all-time in program history. Lawas now needs 32 saves to pass Cole Blazer (’15–’18) and become Marquette’s all-time leader in saves.
Adam Slager collected six ground balls against Villanova on April 18 and now has 108 career ground balls. He surpassed B.J. Grill (’13–’16) for ninth all-time and is now 17 ground balls shy of passing former teammate David LaMarca (’21–’25) for eighth all-time.
Efficiency in the Clearing Game
Marquette has established itself as one of the top clearing teams in the country. The Golden Eagles rank seventh nationally and first in the BIG EAST with a .913 clearing percentage, successfully completing 253 of 277 attempts.
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.
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