Contact CU Independent Assistant Sports Editor Justin Guerriero at justin.guerriero@colorado.edu and follow him on Twitter @TheHungy_Hippo
The University of Colorado women’s lacrosse team hosted the No. 7 ranked USC Trojans Friday in Boulder and lost in devastating fashion, 9-8.
The Buffs (8-4, 3-2 MPSF) were seconds away from handing the undefeated Trojans their first loss of the season. With just under a minute left in the game and the scored tied 8-8, junior midfielder Katie Macleay had a go-ahead goal overturned due to a “dangerous shot attempt.”
In women’s lacrosse, the rule is put in place out of fairness to the goalkeeper and to prevent injuries to defenders who are in shooting space.
In the next forty seconds, the Trojans were able to evade CU’s defense and net the actual game-winner, which came off the stick of USC’s Cynthia Del Core.
The Women of Troy drew first blood, going up 1-0 about six minutes into the first half. But the Buffs answered quickly, as sophomore midfielder Darby Kiernan netted one 1:24 later.
The first half of play featured the Trojans retaking the lead and the Buffs answering and tying things up, although back to back goals by Macleay and junior attacker Johnna Fusco put the Buffaloes up 3-2 with a bit less than 15 minutes left before halftime.
The Buffs and Trojans went into halftime with the score tied at 5 all thanks to an additional two goals by Macleay. Colorado outshot USC 12-10 in the first half.
Junior midfielder Marie Moore opened up the scoring in the second half, putting the Buffs up 6-5. After the Trojans tied things up at 6 about six minutes into the half, Fusco netted another to give the Buffs yet another one-goal lead.
The teeter totter of scoring continued until there was about eight minutes left in the game, when the final minutes of regulation turned into a stalemate, with both teams striving to grind out a win.
But it would be the Trojans who would leave Kittredge Field with their heads held high and their perfect season intact, thanks to Del Core’s game-winner with 16 seconds left on the clock.
The Buffs’ goaltender, junior Paige Soenksen, registered six saves in the loss. Fusco and Macleay both scored hat tricks for the Buffaloes in the losing effort.
The Buffs will host San Diego State this Sunday at noon in Boulder for their next contest.
