University of Denver

Denver, CO 80208

Colorado Southwest

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Liza Kelly

Liza Kelly is in her 17th season as the head coach of the University of Denver women's lacrosse program in 2023 after leading the Pioneers to an 18-3 overall record and the Big East tournament and regular-season championships last year.

Kelly's squad won its third-straight regular-season title in 2022 and claimed consecutive conference tournament championships for the first time in school history after DU won its first Big East Tournament Championship in 2021. The Pioneers sported a 7-1 record on the road and began the season on a six-game winning streak, the longest stretch to begin a campaign in program history. Denver reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth-straight season after defeating Vermont 16-3 in Round 1.

Leading the team's defense, the Pioneers ranked first in the nation with a school-record 273 caused turnovers, averaging 13.0 per game (second in the NCAA). Denver also ranked fifth in the country in both total ground balls (393) and goals-against average (8.38). She was recognized by the Big East for having the Coaching Staff of the Year in 2022, and her team was ranked as high as No. 8 in the country in the Inside Lacrosse/IWLCA Coaches Poll, the highest ranking for the team since the end of the 2019 campaign.

Kelly owns a 278-109 overall record in her coaching career and is 214-76 during her time at DU. She picked up her 200th victory at Denver on Feb. 25, 2022 vs. Ohio State. Following the 2022 campaign, Kelly was named the IWLCA West/Midwest Region Coach of the Year, the first national regional honor of her career.

Denver claimed its first Big East Tournament Championship in 2021 after going 16-2 during the regular season and going 10-0 in conference play. The Pioneers, who won 16 straight games, returned to the NCAA Tournament that season after no postseason was held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and defeated Stanford in the first round.

In addition to the trip to the NCAA Tournament, Denver's defense finished third in the country in caused turnovers per game at 12.56 and 10th in the country in scoring defense at 9.39 goals allowed per game.

In 2020, Kelly led the Pioneers to a 7-1 record. DU entered the season at No. 10 in the IWLCA preseason poll, the highest preseason rank in program history. The Pioneers landed two players on the Tewaaraton watch list to begin the season and earned five Big East player of the week honors. Denver finished the season ranked No. 16 in the final IWLCA poll.

In 2019, Kelly led the Pioneers to a 16-4 record, a runner-up finish in the Big East Tournament and an NCAA Tournament appearance in their third season in the Big East Conference. DU finished as the Big East Tournament runner-up for the third straight season after falling to Georgetown in the title game. Kelly guided the Pioneers to their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance, reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in program history. All four appearances were under the guidance of Kelly.

During the 2019 year, Denver had an RPI of 17 and was ranked throughout the entire season for the first time in program history. DU ranked No. 1 in scoring defense for six-consecutive weeks, leading the Pioneers to their first perfect Big East regular season title, going 5-0. The Crimson and Gold tallied a 4-1 home record, went 9-1 on the road and 3-2 at neutral sites. In eight instances the Pioneers held their opponents to five goals or less, and scored 20+ goals in four contests throughout the year.

Kelly reached another milestone in her coaching career during the 2018 season. In the March 29 game versus Colorado, Kelly recorded her 150th win at the helm of the Pioneers’ program with the 10-8 victory.

In 2017, the Pioneers finished fourth in the nation in scoring defense (8.44), eighth in caused turnovers per game (11.61) and 11th in scoring margin (4.83). Denver led the Big East in scoring defense, while on an individual basis, Voorhees led the conference in caused turnovers by game (2.33), Julia Feiss led in shots on goal per game (4.94) and Stevenson led in goals-against average at 8.65.

On March 12, 2017, Kelly recorded her 200th career win with a 14-4 victory over Vermont.

In 2016, DU went .500 at 9-9, while in 2015 Kelly led the Pioneers to a 13-5 finish and their fourth straight winning season.

Kelly led DU to its second-straight NCAA Tournament in 2014, where the Pios beat Jacksonville to advance to the Round of 16. Denver went undefeated in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation for the second season in a row in 2014 and finished the year with a 19-2 record.

Denver completed the 2013 season with an 18-3 overall record and a perfect 8-0 mark in the MPSF. DU was ranked No. 16 in the final IWLCA Coaches Poll. The Crimson and Gold ranked second in the nation in caused turnovers (11.76), fourth in win percentage (.857), fifth in points (433.0) and ninth in scoring offense (13.9). Denver broke a team record, set a season before, by winning 15-straight games.

In 2012, the Pioneers posted a 12-3 overall record and a 6-1 record in the MPSF. DU was No. 1 in the nation in caused turnovers (12.6 per game), 10th in scoring offense (13.93 goals per game) and 11th in scoring margin (4.2). The Pioneers also set a team record by winning 12-straight games.

The Pioneers went 13-5 overall and a perfect 6-0 in the MPSF in 2010. Denver advanced to the MPSF Championship Tournament final, which DU hosted at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium, but was edged 11-10 by Stanford in double overtime. Denver ended the season ranked No. 20 in the nation.

Kelly led the Pioneers to a record of 13-6 overall and 5-0 in the MPSF, concluding the 2008 season ranked No. 19 in the nation. In 2007, Kelly steered DU to a 16-3 mark and a 5-0 sweep of the MPSF schedule, ending the season ranked No. 15. In Kelly’s first two years at DU she led her players to success. Kristie Leggio (2007) and Kelly O’Connell (2008) picked up IWLCA All-America honors during their careers and were named MPSF Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008, respectively.

In addition to her duties with Denver, Kelly serves on the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse committee.

Prior to DU, Kelly served five years as the head coach at Boston University. The Baltimore, Maryland, native posted an impressive 64-33 (.660) mark as head coach at BU, including consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and America East regular season and tournament championships in 2005 and 2006. The Terriers finished in the top 10 in the national rankings in Kelly’s final two seasons, and Kelly was named America East Coach of the Year twice during her five-year tenure at BU.

During Kelly’s tenure, 24 players were named to the America East Honor Roll, while five received selection to the Commissioner’s High Honor Roll. In addition, six Terriers received IWLCA Academic Honor Roll accolades. During her five seasons at BU, 15 different Terriers earned a combined 26 selections to the all-conference first team, while 11 players received a combined 19 regional All-America accolades, including the first two first-team All-Americans in program history.

Before taking over the reins at BU, Kelly served under Linda Ohrin as an assistant coach at Towson University for three years. Kelly coached the Tigers’ defense and assisted in scouting and recruiting.

As a player, Kelly was a standout midfielder at the University of Delaware from 1995-98, earning All-America honors in 1996, 1997 and 1998, before playing for the United States National team from 1997-2001. Kelly was inducted into the University of Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Baltimore Chapter of U.S Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2009.

Kelly has held a number of coaching positions. In addition to traveling throughout the U.S. teaching lacrosse, she has been an ambassador for the game of lacrosse all over the world. In 1995, she traveled to Tokyo, Japan, to teach the sport to Japanese university students.

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Brice Queener

Brice Queener is in his fourth season at the University of Denver and his second as the Associate Head Coach of the women’s lacrosse program in 2023. He was promoted to his current position on Aug. 24, 2021 after serving as an assistant coach on Liza Kelly’s staff starting in fall 2019.

Queener, 38, helped the Pioneers to an 18-3 overall record, a 5-0 mark in conference play and Big East Tournament and Regular-Season Championships in 2022. Leading the team's offense, Queener's system saw graduate student Bea Behrins set the school record with 71 goals en route to her winning her second consecutive Big East Attacker of the Year award and being recognized as an IWLCA Third-Team All American. Rookie Lauren Black also broke out on the scene in 2022 to earn Big East Freshman of the Year honors, as her 74 points were the most ever by a DU freshman while her 54 goals ranked second among newcomers in program history.

The Penn Yan, New York, native came to Denver after a serving as the head coach of Southwestern University in 2018-19, leading the Pirates to a 7-6 record in 2019, the first winning season in program history.

Prior to his time at Southwestern University, Queener spent two seasons as an assistant at Fresno State, leading the MPSF program to the first two winning seasons in its program history as well, and a trip to the MPSF Championship.

In the three seasons prior to his stint at Fresno State, Queener started the women's lacrosse program at Rhodes College (DIII) in 2013-14, guiding the Lynx to a 36-11 record a Southern Athletic Association regular season title and a pair of SAA Tournament Championships. The Lynx advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in both 2015 and 2016.

After assistant coaching tenures at Siena and Binghamton, Queener founded the women's lacrosse program at The Hill Academy before taking the head coaching job at Rhodes.

Queener played collegiately on the men’s lacrosse team at Georgetown University, making four-straight NCAA Quarterfinal appearances with the Hoyas. Queener's six-year Major League Lacrosse career saw him drafted by the Rochester Rattlers and playing there for two seasons before spending four with the Hamilton Nationals, including a trip to the title game in 2011

2021: Queener helped lead Denver to a 16-2 record, including a 16-game winning streak, a Big East regular season title, the program's first Big East Tournament title and a win in the NCAA First Round against Stanford. Queener led an offense that set a program record with nine double digit goal scorers, led by Big East Attacker of the Year Bea Behrins.

2020: In his first season with the Pioneers, Queener helped lead Denver to a 7-1 record before the season was cut short due to COVID-19. Queener guided the DU offense to enormous numbers through eight games, outscoring their opponents 135-69. The Pioneers had three players record sock tricks and landed three Big East Attacker of the Week honors. DU entered the season at No.10 in the IWLCA coaches’ poll, the best in program history before closing the season at No. 16 in the final poll.

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Brittany Read

Assistant coach Brittany Read is in her fifth season on head coach Liza Kelly's staff in 2023, primarily working with the goalkeepers, draw specialists and helping with defensive strategies.

A 2018 grad from the University of Oregon, Read was named a member of the All-Pac-12 Second Team, and broke the Oregon single-season record for saves (179) and Oregon single-game record for ground balls (10). Read was a starter in all 18 games for the Ducks in the 2018 campaign.

Before the University of Oregon, Read spent three seasons at Louisville where she showcased her talents 42 times in net. Read helped the Cardinals advance to three NCAA Tournaments and remains the Louisville record holder for career save percentage (.516).

Prior to her colligate career, Read lived with her parents Denise and Don in Gibbsboro, New Jersey, where she attended Eastern Regional High School. While there, she was a four-time letter winner, named honorable mention for U.S. Lacrosse All-America, shattered Eastern Regional's record for saves with over 600, and was a two-time all-conference first-team honoree.

Read played her second season of professional women's lacrosse with Athletes Unlimited in summer 2022 and helped Team England win a bronze medal while also earning All-World Team honors at the World Lacrosse Women's Championship in Towson, Maryland, in June and July of that year.

2022: The Pioneers went 18-3 overall and a perfect 5-0 in Big East play, earning their third straight conference regular-season title. Denver won its second consecutive Big East Tournament title and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth year in a row. Under Read's watch, DU allowed only 8.38 goals per game (fifth-best in the NCAA) and saw freshman Emelia Bohi develop into one of the best young goalkeepers in the nation.

2021: Read helped lead Denver to a 16-2 record, including a 16-game winning streak, a Big East Regular Season Title, the program's first Big East Tournament title and a win in the NCAA First Round against Stanford. Read coached goalie Amelia Cole, who earned Big East Goalkeeper of the Year honors.

2020: Read helped lead the Pioneers to a 7-1 record in a season that was cut short due to COVID-19. The Pioneers entered their 2020 campaign at No. 10 in the IWLCA preseason poll, the highest in program history and finished the season at No. 16.

2019: In her first season at Denver, Read helped lead the Pioneers to a 16-4 record, a runner-up finish in the Big East Tournament and an NCAA Tournament appearance in their third season in the Big East Conference. Read coached goalkeeper Carson Gregg who was named the Big East Goalkeeper of the Year, after recording 74 saves and a 7.30 goal-against average. The Pioneer staff, including Read were a unanimous selection for Big East Coaching Staff of the Year.

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Matt Brown

Former DU men's lacrosse stand out Matt Brown joined the Pioneers' coaching staff in 2007 as the volunteer assistant coach and has since moved from assistant coach to associate head coach and is now the program's next William G. Tierney Head Men's Lacrosse Coach, effective July 2023. Brown will make his debut as Denver's men's lacrosse head coach in February of 2024.

After three seasons under the former coaching staff, Brown was asked to join the legendary head coach Bill Tierney's coaching staff, upon his arrival to DU in June 2009. During his time at DU, Brown has helped the Pioneers to a 190-82 overall record, and transitions from the Great Western Lacrosse League to the Eastern College Athletic Conference to the BIG EAST.

The Pioneers have reached Championship Weekend five times, including the 2015 National Champion Pioneers, the first program to sit atop the national plateau from a state not sharing a boarder with the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

In his 14 seasons under coach Tierney, Brown served as the offensive coordinator. Under his guidance, the Pioneers' offense has consistently been ranked within the top -10 in scoring offense, even ranking as high as No. 3. Brown has also helped the Pioneers to make it to the NCAA Tournament 11 times as well as help DU claim its first-ever NCAA Tournament win and trip to the Semifinals in 2011.

In combination with Tierney, Brown's impact on the student-athletes at Denver has already resulted in 11 USILA First Team All-America (program's first 11), nine USILA Second Team All-America, six USILA Third Team All-America, 25 USILA All-America Honorable Mention selections, 10 USILA Scholar All-Americans, one ECAC Offensive Player of the Year, four BIG EAST Attackmen of the Year, six BIG EAST Midfielders of the Year, two ECAC Rookie of the Year award winners, 57 all-conference first team selections and 35 all-conference second team selections.

Brown is one of the founders and directors of Denver Elite Lacrosse and directs the Denver Elite Box Lacrosse Program, which is a founding member of the USBOXLA. USBOXLA began the Colorado Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (CCBLL) in the Summer of 2017, which has led to the creation of five leagues nationally.

Brown's coaching experience extends beyond the collegiate sphere, as he serves as the head coach for the Canadian National Lacrosse team. Brown served as the offensive coordinator for the 2012 Under-19 Canadian Men's Field Team and was an assistant coach for Canada when it defeated the USA 11-9 at the Duel in Denver in September of 2012. In Oct. of 2012, Brown was named the offensive coordinator once again for the 2014 team that won the FIL World Lacrosse Championship in Commerce City, Colo. Brown was named the head coach of the Canada U-19 Team in June, 2019, ahead of the 2020 U-19 World Championships, which went on to be played in 2022, and the full Canadiant National Team in 2023 in San Diego.

Since Brown took over as the offensive coordinator, Denver has finished in the top-10 in the country in scoring offense nine times, including in the top-5 six times and a program-best third in the country in both 2014 and 2016. The shot clock era has seen Denver's goal production increase, as the Pioneers offense capped off the 2021 COVID-19 altered season with 14.18 goals per game, a program best.

After coaching Wesley Berg in the summer on the FIL World Lacrosse Champion Team Canada side, Brown coached Berg and the Pioneers to a national title in 2015, a tournament that also saw Berg named the MOP. Berg was also a 2015 Tewaaraton finalist, the first in program history.

Brown's 2015 offense was seventh in the country in scoring (13.74), first in man-up percentage (0.603), second in scoring margin (+5.26), seventh in points per game (21.95), seventh in turnovers per game (11.63) and third in shooting percentage (0.357).

Playing Career: Brown was a four-year starter for the Pioneers from 2002-05. While at DU, Brown played 56 games and accumulated 137 points, the sixth-best total in Pioneers' history, and 113 goals, fourth on the DU's career goal list. As a senior, he was named First Team All-Great Western Lacrosse League at attack, earned Preseason All-American honorable mention honors and was selected to the USILA North/South All-Star Game.

Brown was a three-time Face-Off Classic All-Tournament team member. Brown was named the GWLL Newcomer of the Year in 2002 after leading the team in points and goals and was named to the All-GWLL Second Team as a junior.

Led by Brown, the Pioneer lacrosse program gained national attention, tying for the GWLL title in 2003 and 2005 and finishing with a then school-high ranking of No. 18 in 2005.

Upon completing his DU career, Brown was drafted fifth overall by the Arizona Sting of the National Lacrosse League, where he played in all 18 games and accumulating 40 points. Brown spent his first two summers playing for the Denver Outlaws of Major League Lacrosse, recording 63 goals and 72 points.

Personal: A native of Burnaby, British Columbia, Brown graduated from DU with a B.S./B.A. in finance/marketing in 2005. He resides in Denver with his wife Jewel and daughters Mackenzie, Peyton and Sydney.

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John Gallant

University of Denver men's lacrosse assistant coach John Gallant will begin his fifth season with the program in 2024. Gallant filled the defensive coordinator position following the departure of John Orsen after the 2019 season, and was retained when head coach Matt Brown took over after Bill Tierney's retirement in 2023.

2023: Denver's defense ranked eighth in the country and first in the BIG EAST in scoring defense en-route to a 10-5 season. The Pioneers allowed just over 10 goals per game, and in its four wins over top-15 programs, held the opposition to 8, 12, 6 and 9 (8.75/game). Denver finished second in the BIG EAST regular season and reached the BIG EAST Final once again, avenging last season's BIG EAST Semifinal loss to Villanova with a 16-9 victory over the Wildcats on May 4. Starting LSM AJ Mercurio earned a spot on the BIG EAST First Team for his performances in his senior season.

2022: Denver opened the season with wins over Utah and Duke before dropping four of the next five, with all four losses coming against nationally ranked opposition. The Pios then picked up a win at No. 7 Ohio State to kickoff the second half of the season, earning their first top-10 road win since the pandemic. Gallant helped lead the Pios to a 6-1 record in the last seven, including another ranked road win at Villanova to kick-start a four-game winning streak to end BIG EAST play.

2021: Gallant coached the 11th-ranked scoring defense in the country in the 12-5 campaign, a record that included a 9-1 mark in the BIG EAST and another regular season title for the Pioneers.

2020: COVID-19 shortened the 2020 season. The Pioneers were young and starting to turn the corner when the season was cut short after just six games. Denver ended the season with a win at No. 10 Notre Dame, a 14-11 victory that included a 7-0 run in the middle of the game.

Pro Career: Gallant was a two-time captain for the Colorado Mammoth, and wore the 'A' on his chest in two other campaigns during his 14-year National Lacrosse League career. A member of the Mammoth's All-Decade Team in 2012, Gallant moved with the franchise from Washington to Colorado in 2002, completing his career with a single franchise. In his career, the Mammoth defenseman played in 209 games, scored 14 goals and added 86 assists for 100 points. Gallant also picked up 953 loose balls and caused 54 turnovers.

Prior to Denver: Gallant was a science teacher and lacrosse coach at Rock Canyon High School before joining the Pioneers staff. In his three seasons in charge at Rock Canyon, the Jaguars went 12-4 in 2017, 12-4 in 2018 and 14-3 in 2019 (38-11 overall). The Jaguars reached the 5A CHSAA Quarterfinal in 2019.

The 2001 Lake Superior State graduate directed the Colorado Collegiate Box Lacrosse League player combine each of the last two years and served as a guest coach for multiple franchises. Prior to his time at Rock Canyon, Gallant was an assistant at Valor Christian, under former teammate and current Air Force assistant John Grant Jr. Gallant has also served as a Jr. Mammoth instructor.