Box Score DENVER—The 10th-ranked University of Denver dominated three key statistical categories—shots, ground balls and faceoffs—on its way to a 15-8 ECAC Lacrosse League win over Hobart College. The Statesmen hung tough in the first half, but the Pioneers eventually wore them down with five unanswered goals in the third quarter.

Denver outshot Hobart 60-20, owned a 42-23 advantage in ground balls and won 24-of-25 faceoffs. Mark Matthews led the Pioneers with five points on four goals and an assist. Jeremy Noble (2-1), Eric Law (0-3) and Alex Demopoulos (1-2) contributed three points apiece. Chase Carraro won 22-of-23 faceoffs, collected 10 ground balls, scored a goal and assisted on another.

Sophomore Alex Love paced the Statesmen with a goal and two assists. Senior Sam Miller and first-year Taylor Vanderbeek scored twice while senior Chris Pedersen added a goal and an assist. Sophomore goalie Peter Zonino went the distance for Hobart, posting 16 saves.

Senior Bobby Dattilo, who has been plagued by injury this season, won the opening faceoff for Hobart. Love converted the possession into a 1-0 lead with his team-high 20th goal of the season. Dattilo took just five more faceoffs before getting sidelined by injury again.

Love set up Vanderbeek at the 11:06 mark to give the Statesmen a two-goal advantage. Matthews got Denver on the board, scoring back-to-back goals to tie the game at the 8:26 mark. Vanderbeek put Hobart back in front with an unassisted strike with 5:41 left in the first. 

The Pioneers built a 6-3 lead with four straight goals spanning the first and second quarters, but the Statesmen battled back with three straight goals of their own. First-year Zach Reed buried a feed from Love with 5:21 remaining in the first half. Forty-nine seconds later, Pedersen found the back of the net to close the gap to 6-5. Pedersen assisted on Miller's game-tying goal with just an additional 58 seconds run off the clock.

Denver (6-3, 2-1) posted the final three goals of the half to carry a 9-6 lead into the break. The Pioneers broke the game open with a 5-0 third quarter. Miller and first-year Emmy Poccia sandwiched fourth quarter goals around a Denver tally to complete the afternoon's scoring.

Hobart (2-6, 0-2) will be back in action on Saturday, April 7, when the Statesmen host Ohio State. Faceoff at Boswell Field is scheduled for noon.