Connect with us

Denver, CO

Paul Klee: How Denver Pioneers hockey, lacrosse, soccer bond over Nerf hoops and banners

Published

on

Paul Klee: How Denver Pioneers hockey, lacrosse, soccer bond over Nerf hoops and banners


Who needs college football when there’s a Nerf hoop?

While a solid chunk of college athletic departments chase the almighty football dollar, the wild success at the University of Denver can be traced to… games of H-O-R-S-E in a fourth-floor office hallway at the Ritchie Center?

DU’s hockey, lacrosse and men’s soccer coaches share an L-shaped office space — and a Nerf basket that serves as the great equalizer if any egos grow too large for the workplace.

Advertisement

“I can’t dunk,” soccer coach Jamie Franks told me prior to DU’s 2-1 loss to Kansas City in the Summit League championship match Saturday at University of Denver Soccer Stadium.

“But it does get pretty competitive up there. Ask the lacrosse guys. They think they always win.”


Denver Pioneers revel in 75th anniversary bash: ‘Greatest college hockey program in history of mankind’

See, the Denver athletics department isn’t perfect.

On the fourth floor of the Ritchie Center, it only seems that way. Check out this lineup of winning among three coaches who share a hallway: Franks, whose soccer Pios reached No. 1 in the country in September; Matt Brown, whose lacrosse Pios reached No. 1 in the country in the spring; David Carle, whose hockey Pios are the reigning NCAA champs and hold the No. 1 ranking now.

There’s no football at DU. But is there a more successful hallway in all of Division I sports?

Advertisement

“It’s pretty fun,” said Franks, whose soccer club won the Summit League regular-season title and should be a shoo-in for the NCAA Tournament bracket released Monday. “We’ll get a game of ‘Around the Horn’ when all the coaches are around. It’s just a different community here.”

And talk about a leap of faith (and fantastic evaluation) from the DU administrators who hired three 20-somethings and allowed them to grow their programs into national names.

When DU hired Carle he was 28, the youngest head coach in Division I men’s hockey. When DU hired Franks he was 28, the youngest head coach in Division I men’s soccer. Brown was 26 when he joined Bill Tierney’s staff as a lacrosse assistant. Their programs are all grown up.

“I think it’s crazy at this time in college athletics when everything is more revenue-based, we’re trying to protect the kids and keep it pure and focus on holistic development,” Franks said.


Denver Pioneers men’s soccer ascends to No. 1 in national ranking

Your daily report on everything sports in Colorado – covering the Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and columns from Woody Paige and Paul Klee.
Advertisement

Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

Advertisement

Between the hockey, lacrosse and soccer programs, secrets are few and far between.

Advertisement

The three coaching staffs from different sports share all kinds of information to help out their office mates. Got a question on travel? Shout it down the hall. Sports psychology? Knock a couple doors down. Parent education? Your office neighbor’s probably been through it.

They even share new techniques on breathing, which regulates athletes after intense workouts.

“When I have a bad game or think I have a bad game, breathing, it helps you remember it’s not that bad,” said Ian Smith, a soccer defender and Highlands Ranch graduate. “It keeps you level-headed and allows you to reflect more clearly.”

DU hockey won its record 10th national championship in April. DU lacrosse is coming off a trip to the Final Four. DU soccer has the belief it can make a run at its first national title.

“I think most people at this school, if you’re not finding success, it’s a disappointment. It’s kind of expected,” said Ben Smith, a soccer midfielder who graduated from Arapahoe High.

Advertisement

The three neighboring programs share a philosophy: If the guys down the hall are hanging banners, why not mine their strategies?

“We all share all of our practices. For us, we can learn from each other. All these coaches have been successful in their respective sports. How do we bring their best practices into ours?” Franks said. “And the head coaches are so close because of who we are as people. We all believe in the same thing, the best way to guide our student-athletes in the right direction.”

Saturday’s loss to Kansas City had the Pios heated. In a 1-1 game after a lengthy video review, DU’s Ian Smith was hit with a red card, leaving the Pioneers down a man for the final 17 minutes of the game.

“To be honest, it was a shock. When you watch (the replay) again it’s still a shock,” Franks said after.

Kansas City (12-4-3) took advantage when Elie Kisoka drilled the game-winning goal off a corner kick with 13 seconds left, awarding the Roos the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. 

Advertisement

“The red card, you can watch it 100 times over, and I just don’t see the intent that’s involved,” Franks said.

At No. 3 in the Ratings Percentage Index, Denver (12-3-4) should be in fine shape for an at-large bid when the NCAA Tournament field is unveiled at 11 a.m. Monday. Then it’s up to the soccer Pios to join their office mates as national champs. Hockey has 10, lacrosse one.

“This (senior) class came in and said, ‘I’m here to win a national championship,’” Franks said. “We’ve had success in the past. But I don’t know if we’ve ever had a real belief we could win a national championship. We have that.”



Source link

Advertisement

Denver, CO

Things To Do In And Around Denver This Weekend – 12/17-12/21 – 303 Magazine

Published

on

Things To Do In And Around Denver This Weekend – 12/17-12/21 – 303 Magazine


When: Dec 7, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Where: Fight Club – 1959 16th St Mall Denver
Cost: Price varies
The Lowdown: 

Guests have the option of $39 bottomless flatbreads, which includes the price of their oche reservation for Social Darts®. The bottomless flatbread menu features Smoked Salmon Flatbread, Four Cheese Flatbread, Breakfast Flatbread, or Garden Vegetable Flatbread. Guests can also order off the á la carte menu, which includes a fresh-cut fruit plate, breakfast sliders,, avocado toast, and Flight Club’s famous churros.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Denver, CO

Denver airport delays, crashes, broken windows, downed power lines: What to know about Colorado’s windy Wednesday

Published

on

Denver airport delays, crashes, broken windows, downed power lines: What to know about Colorado’s windy Wednesday


Hurricane-force winds in Colorado on Wednesday had a major impact across the Denver metro area, Front Range, and foothills. It’s a First Alert Weather Day because of the dangerous conditions.

Gusts of over 100 mph — equivalent to a category 2 hurricane — were reported in some parts of the Front Range, and over 100,000 people were without power as of 7 p.m. On Berthoud Pass, between Empire and Winter Park, wind gusts reached at least 102 mph. They reached 97 mph at Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge in Boulder County, 96 mph in Marshall, and 93 mph in West Arvada. 

Several highways were closed, Denver International Airport saw dozens of delays, power lines and other property damage were reported, schools were closed, Denver’s holiday events were canceled, and thousands of homes and businesses were without power after Xcel’s Public Safety Power Shutoff and unplanned outages.

Power shutoff

Xcel Energy was implementing what it calls a Public Safety Shutoff, for only the second time ever in Colorado. An estimated 50,000 people across the Front Range were impacted, mostly in Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld counties.

Advertisement

Restoration for some areas was expected to start around 6 p.m. Wednesday, but many customers told CBS News Colorado that Xcel told them it could be up to three days before their power is restored.

Downed power lines are seen as a result of powerful winds near Golden, Colorado, on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025.

CBS


As a result, the Colorado Division of Emergency Management opened charging centers, shelters, and resource centers in the impacted areas.

Advertisement

Xcel said it shut off the power in these areas because of the combination of wind speeds and dry conditions that increase the chance of wildfires.

Once conditions improve, Xcel Energy Colorado President Robert Kenney said crews will begin inspecting lines to determine when power can be restored.

“Once the wind event stops, that does not mean your power will be immediately restored,” he said. “We have several hundred crew members that are already being pre-positioned, that are on standby, so that when the wind event does end, they will be able to immediately begin inspecting the lines. They have to visually inspect the lines for damage before restoring the power.”

Delayed flights

The Federal Aviation Administration called for a ground delay at Denver International Airport from 5 through 8 p.m., although that’s subject to change, based on evolving weather conditions.

As of about 6:30 p.m., 66 flights were delayed, and one was canceled.

Advertisement

Wind gusts were recorded at around 40 mph at the airport around 5 p.m.

School closures

Several school districts — including Jefferson County, Colorado’s second-largest — closed schools, and many also canceled after-school activities.

The University of Colorado cancelled classes, but the Buffs’ basketball game against Portland State is continuing, although fans are not allowed to attend.

Highway closures

Several highways in the foothills near Boulder, as well as in Northern Colorado up to the Wyoming state line, were closed. At least one crash also closed the westbound lanes of Interstate 70 on the Eastern Plains.

Those planned closures included:

Advertisement
  • Highway 93 between Boulder and Arvada
  • Highway 36 between Boulder and Lyons
  • Highway 128 from Superior to Highway 93 
  • Highway 287 between Ted’s Place and the Wyoming border closed this afternoon, but has since reopened

Damage and other closures

Power lines were reported as having fallen across the Denver metro area, adding to the number of customers without power.

A number of local businesses were also forced to close — some out of caution, others due to a lack of power.

Car and structure windows were also broken by flying debris, like this car in Boulder, whose windows were shattered by small, flying rocks.

windows-shattered-boulder-logan-smith-2.jpg

A car window in Boulder, Colorado, was shattered by flying rocks on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025.

CBS


Despite losing power around 10 a.m., Ace Hardware in Golden remained open and kept busy, selling generators, flashlights, batteries, and tools and materials to prevent or fix damage.

Advertisement

Some business owners raised concerns about what a days-long outage could mean for their companies, products, and customers.

“We could lose everything,” DeAnn Wieber, owner of the Windy Saddle Cafe in Golden, said. “We could lose all our food, the time that it took to prepare everything, and we just don’t know. And there’s are a lot of businesses going through the same thing.”

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Denver, CO

Canceled due to high winds: Wednesday’s drone show, holiday tree, Christkindlmarket

Published

on

Canceled due to high winds: Wednesday’s drone show, holiday tree, Christkindlmarket


Downtown’s Mile High Drone Show, the Denver Christkindlmarket and access to the Mile High Tree have been canceled for Wednesday, Dec. 17, due to high winds, said producers at Visit Denver.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending