Colorado midfielder Greg Kelsic gets ready to catch the ball during the University of Colorado and Arizona State game Saturday, March 14, 2014 at Kittredge Field in Boulder, Colo. (Maddie Shumway/CU Independent)
Amidst snowstorms and inclement weather, the No. 2 Colorado men’s lacrosse team fell to the top-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils 8-6 Saturday, March 14. After attaining the top rank in the NCAA club lacrosse polls two weeks ago, this is the second loss the Buffs have suffered after losing to the Michigan State Spartans 11-10 on March 8.
Averaging 16 goals per game, the Buffs were held to half that average by the Sun Devils, who jumped out to a 5-3 halftime lead. Missed groundballs and simple mistakes plagued Colorado early on, but the Buffs managed to keep the game close, with two goals and one assist from senior attackman Jack Cranston. Cranston continued his stellar early season form, netting his 20th and 21st goals of the year, as well as his 16th assist. But a goal from Sun Devils’ junior midfielder Cooper Pickell assured that CU would not tie the game again.
Mistakes continued to plague the Buffs as the second half began, and Arizona State maintained its 6-3 lead with almost nine minutes left in the third quarter. Colorado stayed in the game with a goal by junior midfielder Mitch Erikson with three minutes remaining in the third quarter. After trading goals in the fourth quarter, Arizona State’s Logan Quinn scored with just over seven minutes left in the game to push the Sun Devil lead to 8-6. Good ball possession by ASU allowed them to hold CU scoreless in the final minutes.
Arizona State will keep their top ranking with 7-0 on the year so far, while CU drops to 4-2.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Andrew Haubner at andrew.haubner@colorado.edu.
