Box Score Playing their second-straight nationally ranked opponent to start the season, the No. 16 Big Red hung tough with the 17th ranked Roanoke Maroons, before falling 13-11 from Kerr Stadium in Salem, Va.
It was the Maroons who set the tone offensively in the early stages of the game, taking a 4-1 lead before Blair Farinholt's score with 1:02 remaining in the first quarter timed the DU deficit to two goals.
The action was fast and furious as the two teams opened the second quarter. Roanoke's Will Pilat scored after the Maroons secured the opening faceoff of the quarter. Denison would storm back seconds later when after a faceoff win, Will Donohue found Nick Caravana for the goal.
Denison would win another faceoff after the Caravana goal, but James Meager's shot would go off the stick of Roanoke goalie Dylan Torrey and carom out into the field of play. Roanoke's Kevin Jackson secured the ball heading toward midfield and the fast break was on. Jackson would take it the whole way and score, putting his team up 6-3 early in the quarter.
Under a minute later, DU would strike back when long pole John Reinhardt notched his first goal of the season after a caused turnover by Farinholt, cutting the RC lead back to two.
At the other end, Roanoke would answer with a goal by Tyler McWilliams from Jackson, but once again, seconds later it would be Denison's Teddy Sawyer who found nylon in transition after a caused turnover by Max Burge.
At the 9:31 mark of the second quarter, Roanoke's Will Carter scored after a Denison turnover, extending the home team's lead to 8-5.
Denison's Donohue would cap off the scoring in the quarter with his first goal of the contest. Throughout the final six minutes of the second quarter, eight total turnovers would plague both teams heading into the intermission.
In the third quarter, Roanoke's lead would balloon to four after unassisted goals from Colin Mackenzie and McWilliams. A second goal by Caravana would send the Big Red into the decisive fourth quarter trailing 11-8.
Just as they had in each of the previous three quarters, Roanoke opened the fourth with the first tally. Denison would get goals from Meager, Jamie McCahan and Farinholt, but a two goal deficit with 1:37 to play would prove to be a steep hill to climb. After Farinholt's goal, Burge would be flagged for a 30-second penalty while attempting to dislodge the ball from Roanoke's Robby Moore. The EMO for Roanoke would chew up enough clock to dash Denison's hopes of a comeback.
Three Roanoke players, McWilliams, Pilat and Joey Dishaw, all finished with hat tricks. Torrey had a strong day in the cage, stopping 14 Denison shots while playing all 60 minutes.
Denison got two goals and one assist from Donohue and two goals apiece from Farinholt and Caravana. Meager and Liam Rooney added one goal and one assist each while the rest of the scoring came from McCahan, Reinhardt and Sawyer. Justin DeMarchi also chipped in an assist on the first quarter goal from Donohue.
Eric Baumgardner won 14-of-27 faceoffs. He also paced the Big Red with 12 ground balls. First-year goalie Elliott Avis played 46 minutes in relief of starter Clark Bullington. He finished with five saves while Bullington added two.
Denison (0-2) will return to action this Sunday (March 1) when they travel to Greencastle, Ind. For a 3 p.m. North Coast Athletic Conference match against DePauw University.
