Vanderbilt (1-2, 0-0 AAC) vs. No. 17/22 Denver (3-0, 0-0 BIG EAST)
Sunday, Feb. 22 • Noon • ESPN+
Vanderbilt Lacrosse Complex • Nashville, Tenn.
Series History
• Denver leads the all-time series 8-4, with the first ever matchup taking place in 1999 in Colorado. Vandy earned a decisive 22-7 win
• The two programs last met during the 2024 season, resulting in a Pioneer 17-8 win
• Vandy’s last win in Music City came during the 2020 season and the Dores are 2-4 all time in Nashville and are looking to break a three-game skid against the Pioneers
The Opponent
• Denver defeated the Towson Tigers, 15-11, in its home opener at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium on Thursday afternoon
• The Pioneers have the 22 best scoring offense in the country and are in the top-15 in scoring defense and scoring margin
• The Pioneers are 42-8 as a top-10 team in the country
The Scouting Report
• Olivia Ripple leads the way with 11 goals on the year which is 28th nationally and second in the BIG EAST, her 3.67 goal per game average leads the conference and is 26th in the country. Last season, Ripple broke the single-game scoring record with 10 goals in the Pioneers’ 23-10 victory over Marquette
• Lexie Gwaku has earned all three starts in cage this season, making 22 saves and boasting a 3-0 record
Hall of Famer
• During a special ceremony on campus Friday night, Vanderbilt Athletics inducted Vanderbilt Lacrosse great Michelle Allen into the 2025 Hall of Fame Class
• Allen transferred to Vanderbilt in 2001 ahead of her sophomore year and quickly established herself as the cornerstone of a program looking to take the next step after gaining varsity status in 1996
• Allen led the Commodores in assists and points as both a junior and senior, as well as ground balls as a junior and draw controls as a senior. She was named the American Lacrosse Conference Player of the Year and earned All-America honors in 2004, when she was also one of three captains on the team that won 12 games, upset No. 4 overall seed Loyola (Md.) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and went on to reach the national semifinals
Dores Tab Three Conference Honors after Week 2
• Emme Martin earned the first Goalie of the Week award of her career after recording a career-high 10 saves in Vanderbilt’s 14-11 win over Mercer in Thursday’s home opener. Five of her stops came in the fourth quarter, helping shut down the Bears’ late comeback attempt
• Gabby Putman, a freshman from Cicero, New York, was named Freshman of the Week after scoring her first career goal and posting a career-best nine draw controls. Her nine draw controls are the most by a Commodore in a single game since 2025, when Bailey Lower achieved the same mark as a freshman
• Nancy Halleron collected her sixth career weekly conference honor after scoring four goals against Mercer, marking the eighth time in her career she has reached that total. The graduate student finished 4-of-5 shooting, including one goal on a free-position attempt
