GREENWOOD VILLAGE — Just before Riley Curran took over Erie boys lacrosse, the Tigers suffered their worst season in their seven years of existence, falling to 6-10. What a difference a year makes.
On Wednesday at Stutler Bowl, the seventh-seeded Tigers ended their 2026 run with a 15-5, Class 5A quarterfinal loss to No. 2 Cherry Creek. They polished off their season with a 13-4 record. The buy in, Curran said, has been wholesale, as they’ve embodied his “be the guy you want to play next to” mantra.
“Something I preach a lot is this ‘next moment mentality,’” Curran said. “We’re going to make mistakes. We’re going to screw up. It’s just about making sure we don’t make those mistakes over and over.”
He noted that the Tigers’ 11-8 earlier win over Ralston Valley and second-round playoff game against No. 10 Colorado Academy, where Erie won 12-11, most encapsulated that change.
Erie’s Drake Chivukula runs down the field with pressure from Cherry Creek’s Charlie Kiefer during their Class 5A state quarterfinal game at Stutler Bowl on May 13, 2026. (Alissa Noe/BoCoPreps.com)
Erie’s Tyler Keating battles for a ground ball with Cherry Creek’s Henry Goldberg during their Class 5A state quarterfinal game at Stutler Bowl on May 13, 2026. (Alissa Noe/BoCoPreps.com)
Erie’s Jake McFann Kopp (1) defends the crease against Cherry Creek’s Wyatt Branish during their Class 5A state quarterfinal game at Stutler Bowl on May 13, 2026. (Alissa Noe/BoCoPreps.com)
Erie’s Max Sinclair battles for a ground ball with Cherry Creek’s Layne Mills during their Class 5A state quarterfinal game at Stutler Bowl on May 13, 2026. (Alissa Noe/BoCoPreps.com)
Erie’s Luke Foley makes a save against Cherry Creek during their Class 5A state quarterfinal game at Stutler Bowl on May 13, 2026. (Alissa Noe/BoCoPreps.com)
Erie’s Jacob Adams takes a shot on goal over Cherry Creek’s Luke Wilscam during their Class 5A state quarterfinal game at Stutler Bowl on May 13, 2026. (Alissa Noe/BoCoPreps.com)
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Erie’s Drake Chivukula runs down the field with pressure from Cherry Creek’s Charlie Kiefer during their Class 5A state quarterfinal game at Stutler Bowl on May 13, 2026. (Alissa Noe/BoCoPreps.com)
“Those were just back-and-forth games,” he explained. “We’re down. We’re up. We’re tied. It’s just making sure we’re playing in the next moment, not getting down on ourselves when we get scored on. I know the team last year definitely wouldn’t have made it out of those games alive. It would have just sat in the corner and kind of wallowed a little bit, but this year, it’s the next moment.”
This year’s squad certainly never gave up, even as things looked bleak against the Bruins. The Tigers first hit paydirt with a goal from junior attacker Jacob Adams four minutes into the second quarter, pulling them within 5-1.
They didn’t strike again until the start of the fourth, when Braylon Englehart scored to make it 14-2, but that was just the start of a barrage of Erie goals. Junior attacker Drake Chivukula scored twice and junior midfielder Tyler Keating netted another over the course of four minutes that followed, all before Cherry Creek put the final nail in the coffin.
Chivukula believes this is just the start for what the Tigers can achieve as they head into Year 2 of Curran’s leadership.
“He is less yelling and more encouraging us to do better on the field,” Chivukula said. “We just had a lot more family this year and I feel like the whole team is way more connected than they were last year. It was just team dinners every single weekend, team hangouts and all that. We still have our whole offense and we’re only losing Davis (Quam). We have a lot of players next year that are coming in and we’re still going to be good.”