Welcome to the Supernova series, a breakdown (and build-up) of some of the most influential players in the history of professional lacrosse. The catch? These are the guys you probably haven’t heard of mostly because their impact, while notable, was also short-lived. Up first: Former Johns Hopkins and MLL attackman Dan Denihan.
The name Dan Denihan strikes fear into the hearts of older lacrosse fans that reside primarily in the upstate region of New York. (Did you know that Syracuse is home to New York’s college teams?) As a member of a feared and wickedly versatile Johns Hopkins attack line from 1997-2000, Denihan was a Swiss Army Knife of a player that could do figuratively everything on the field. In today’s game, players are typecast as feeders, dodgers, shooters, or off-ball finishers. Denihan’s game included all of those things and more. At Hopkins, he is the only player to have both a 30 goal/30 assist season (which he accomplished as a junior) and a 40 assist season (which he accomplished as a senior.) Though, as those that saw him play will testify to, it’s not just the numbers that stand out, but how he accumulated them. There are players that clearly work hard to get to where they need to go and there are players that appear to be gliding to spots with effortless grace. Denihan was a worker for sure, but he had a little bit of chaos magic thrown in for funsies.
College: Johns Hopkins
Pro: Baltimore Bayhawks, Bridgeport Barrage, Philadelphia Barrage
Peak Seasons: 2001, 2002
How Good Was He?
Simply put, there was nothing he couldn’t do with or without the ball. In today’s terms, he was equal parts Marcus Holman and Eric Law. A superb dodger that invented new ways to beat defensemen who could also disappear and reappear in front of the net for an easy finish. His improvisational ability to beat defenders is apparent in clips like this:
But it’s his ability to read and react to what was needed in each game that set him apart from his contemporaries. Denihan was the joint second-leading scorer on the Baltimore Bayhawks in Major League Lacrosse’s inaugural 2001 season. He dropped 20 goals and dished 25 assists in the regular season for 45 points, the same points total reached by Tom Marecheck, who hit 34 goals and 11 assists respectively.
Sidebar: The Bayhawks’ leading scorer was Mark Millon, maybe you have heard of him? If you’re an undersized DIII player that loves to shoot (like me) you better pay your respects to the original #shortking; he paved the way for all of us to ball. Throw him a thank you tweet, you ungrateful heathen.
That initial Bayhawks team was so good that it took BOTH Gait brothers, AJ Haugen, Terry Riorden, AND Casey Powell to beat them in the first MLL championship game, 15-11. I know that you know who at least three of those five guys are, and if that lineup doesn’t impress you then you’re one of those Gen Z kids that hates everything, which case, go on, git. Stop peeing on our lawn of fading memories. It’s crazy that the first superteam in sports was the 2001 Lizards and no one talks about it. Probably because the league is so bad at telling their own stories and everyone thinks that the 2005 Bayhawks cured polio, but I digress.
(This is where I reiterate my scorching hot take that the 2008 Rattlers are the best pro lacrosse team I’ve ever seen and you take it out of context and send me a mean email. I forgive you in advance.)
Dan Denihan played just one season for the Bayhawks, but his second season in the MLL was his best. In 2002, Denihan led the Bridgeport Barrage in scoring with 22 goals, one two-pointer, and 24 assists. That ‘02 Bridgeport team had some serious talent on it - including Brian Langtry, Matt Streibel, Blake Miller, Andy Towers, Nicky Polanco, and Jamie Hanford - but they only managed to win three of their 14 games and were lost to obscurity. Denihan was easily the team’s best player as he scored on a consistent basis despite drawing the opposition’s No. 1 defender game in and game out. Denihan would go on to play one more season for the Barrage in 2003 but left the league entirely afterward. Two roads diverged in a wood and he took the one more traveled by.
Best Game in the Pros?
Unfortunately, Denihan’s best game was a 20-21 overtime loss to the New York Lizards where he scored three goals and dished four assists, which is more points than any other individual scored in that game. He also scored on every shot he took. It’s perhaps worth noting that the Barrage went on to be one of the most - if not the most - successful outdoor pro lacrosse teams in the history of the sport. That started with a team that went 3-11 and was led by Denihan as the team’s constant. It’s unfortunate that he didn’t get to participate in the winning ways of those later squads, but every story you hear about Denihan is about how great of a dude he was off the field as well. Those Barrage teams - and generally all the early MLL teams - really knew how to have fun if you know what it is that I am saying. But that’s none of MY business...
What’s He Doing Now?
According to LinkedIn, Dan Denihan is currently the founder and managing partner at Homewood Real Estate Partners. A “Real Estate investment, management, and holding company located in New York, NY. Investments are diverse in asset class including Office, Multi-Family Residential, Hotel, and Single Family Development.” So, if you are in need of office space, a home for your mother-in-law or your significant other just told you that they have to talk, hit up Dan Denihan. And make sure to ask him about that final game of the 2002 regular season where the Barrage and the Lizards threw hands.
The Bridgeport Barrage baseball stadium spin move takes me way back to the days of my youth
more of these. pls.