Thursday’s game three pre-game between the Denver Nuggets and the Golden State Warriors in round one of playoffs [Photo by Katherine Sweeney]
DENVER – After two at-home victories for the Warriors, round one of the Western Conference playoffs resumed at Denver’s Ball Arena on April 21.
20 minutes before the game began, the seats were close to empty, but by 7:55p.m. the arena was full and the crowd was deafening. The fans were a sea of blue and gold, making it difficult to tell each team’s supporters apart. A Nuggets announcer warned that the Warriors tend to travel well, but the Denverites supplied an animated home crowd.
“It was a tough game. Right? I knew at the beginning… oh my. They have very good players,” said Alberto Rodriguez, a Nuggets fan and Ball Arena employee.
30 minutes before the game started. Photo by Isabella Villalobos
The crowd cheered and chanted once the game against the Philadelphia Phillies with the Colorado Rockies began on Tuesday, April 19th, 2022, and many Rockies fans knew that they has a strong chance of coming out with another win in their pocket from the previous game on Monday, April 18, 2022, that ended with the Rockies taking the win with the final score of 6-5. This left the Rockies with the standing of 8-3 overall and the Phillies with 4-8 which left the Rockies third in their standing for the National League West. Once the first inning started, Phillies’ first baseman Rhys Hoskins hit a triple and waited for the opportunity to score a run for the Phillies. Shortly after, Phillies’ right fielder Bryce Harper offered the perfect chance, hitting a single, allowing Hoskins to score the first run for the team. During the second inning, the Phillies continued to persevere, and they scored another run. Phillies’ left fielder Matt Vierling hit a single, which allowed Phillies’ third baseman Alec Bohm to secure another run for the Phillies.
It was a game to remember for the Washington Capitals fans in attendance at Ball Arena on April 18. Many seats were filled with red jerseys, as chants of “C-A-P-S, CAPS CAPS CAPS” echoed throughout the arena, and the Capitals snapped the Colorado Avalanche’s nine-game win streak with a 3-2 win in regulation.
“I’m very happy to see us winning here away from our hometown, especially against the Avalanche, who are a great team and who were on a good home winning streak,” said Andrew Baer, a Capitals fan from D.C. that currently lives in Denver.
Coors Field from the Rockpile, Friday night. [Photo by Leah Tanner]
DENVER – A chilly spring night left the Rockies triumphant in a 6 to 5 win over the Cubs, home in Denver, Friday night.
In their second at home weekend of the 2022 season, the Rockies hosted the Cubs for the second night of their four game series. Following a five-run fourth inning, the Rockies remained in the lead for the final five innings, tying the series before the start of the weekend.
Coors Field was packed with fans despite the temperature dropping below 40°F and wind speeds edging 12mph. With a fair share of Cubs fans present, the atmosphere was electric following each play.
“It was the perfect night for a baseball game” says Nina Stoops, a Rockies fan, “A bit cold, but I’m happy baseball season is back”.
[photo by AJ.Mercurio: pioneers walking to the locker room at halftime]
Senior day in Peter Barton lacrosse stadium the Denver pioneers are hosting St. Johns for a chance to go 2-1 in the big east conference and build off their last win against Villanova.
With the stadium filled to the brim with friends, families’, diehard fans, and everything in between ready to watch the game.
Before the game was to kick off the pioneers had a ceremony for all of the seniors and grad students to celebrate all of there hard work and dedication to the game.
“I’m so happy to see all of the boys that started their first day of college lacrosse together now to see them coming down to one of their last days as teammates together.” Said Tina Stroman a mom of a senior goalie.
Because the emotions were high in the stands with happiness for seeing their sons end a part of their lives, they still knew business was not yet done with a minimum of 3 weeks left in the season.
“The boys need this win so they can get on a roll to go into the big east tournament with confidence.”
The pioneer has had a rocky start to the season losing some big games versus duke, UNC and yale going into big east play nationally ranked at 20th.
With the emotions shifting gears from happiness and loving it was getting intense and quite in the stands and on the field because both teams knew what were on the line here.
“We needed this win as a statement game that the first half of the season was not the real pioneers and that were coming for that national championship” says Teddy Sullivan a midfielder on the pioneers”
Right from the start it was a dominant performance from the pioneers keeping the foot on the gas all of the first half ending at 9-1 going to the second half.
“we’re not done yet” says Teddy Sullivan repeatedly as the team walks out of the locker room to start the second half.
As the second half begins the crowd and players on the far side got loud and intense. Feeling there was a spark of life to the St. Johns team hoping to claw there way out of this deficit.
They gave it all in the third quarter scoring three goals in a quarter put the pioneers on their toes.
“The coaches will make the adjustments to dominate in the 4th “says Joedi Stillstrop a father of a Denver lacrosse player.
The pioneers ended just as hot as the started score 4 in the 4th quarter and allowing 0 goals.
With the final seconds counting downs the families of the seniors and rest of the family and fans cheering on the Pios for a dominant win over the hard-fought St. Johns team.
The game ended 18-4 the pioneers did exactly what they set out to by getting a dominant win to start their win streak.
The pioneers dominated in every category ground balls, shots, forced turnover, and the main one goals.
[photo by AJ .Mercurio: at the end of the game shaking hands]
This win gives the Denver pioneer seniors a good memory of their senior day and gets them into the big east tournament. It also gets them ready to continue this steak and mentality for their next game away against providence next week.
MFJS Reporter Spring 2022 