University of Denver makes history in NCAA lacrosse title win over Maryland

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By Colorado Public Radio Staff
· May 25, 2015, 7:38 pm
Photo: DU beats Maryland NCAA Lacrosse championshipAP
Maryland's Bobby Gribbin (34) runs into Denver's Christian Thomas (43) during the first half of the NCAA Division I men's lacrosse championship, Saturday, May 25, 2015, Philadelphia.
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The No. 4 seed Pioneers beat the No. 6 seed Maryland Terrapins 10-5 in the title game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Five of those goals came from senior Wesley Berg.

Here's more from The Associated Press:

Berg was chosen as the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. He ended the season with a team-record 58 goals.

Denver has won its first national title in men's lacrosse. Allen Kee/ESPN Images The victory gave coach Bill Tierney his record seventh title. He won six with Princeton.

Zach Miller added a goal and two assists for Denver. The fourth-seeded Pioneers (17-2) beat top-seeded Notre Dame in overtime in the semifinals Saturday.

Maryland made its third appearance in the past five national title games.

In a post-game interview on ESPN 2, Pioneers coach Bill Tierney said the win should show that lacrosse championships are no longer restricted to the East Coast. "It can happen anywhere," Tierney said.

Photo: University of Denver men's lacrosse coach Tierney, NCAA titleAP
University of Denver Pioneers head coach Bill Tierney gets a hug after the team's 10-5 win over Maryland in the NCAA Division I men's lacrosse championship, Saturday, May 25, 2015, Philadelphia.

We spoke with Tierney in 2010, a year after he stunned the world of college lacrosse by leaving his job as head coach at Princeton to lead DU. In his 22 years at Princeton, Tierney'd won six national titles and 14 Ivy League championships. And in a sport dominated by eastern schools, Tierney’s move to Denver was seen as downright odd.

The Pioneers almost blew the semifinal game this year. They raced to a big lead against Notre Dame but needed overtime to win, 11-10, and advance to the final.

Here's some of our favorite tweets from the landmark win:

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