The University of Colorado women’s lacrosse defeated the San Diego State Aztecs 17-5 on the road this weekend. The No. 5 ranked Buffaloes fell to their conference rivals, the No. 9 USC Trojans, on Friday, their second loss of the season. Colorado’s win against the Aztecs improved their overall record to 13-2, and to 5-1 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Conference (MPSF).
Due to their success this season, Colorado has already clinched a bid to the MPSF Tournament, which begins April 27 in Los Angeles.
Eager to move past Friday’s bitter loss, Colorado went on the attack early. The Buffs were quick to fire off shots in the first half, finding success around the three-minute mark of the game. Junior attacker Carly Cox was the first to score for the team.
Shortly after Cox, Colorado scored two more times, with goals coming from senior midfielder Marie Moore and junior attacker Darby Kiernan. CU notched a 3-0 lead with 25 minutes still remaining in the first half.
Although off to a quick start, the Buffs defense was tested by the Aztecs. San Diego State responded with three straight goals of their own, tying the match 3-3.
But the Buffs retaliated in a big way. Colorado scored six more goals by the end of the first half. Moore and Kiernan each had a second goal, and senior attacker Johnna Fusco scored two of her own. Senior attackers Cali Castagnola and Katie Macleay both hit the back of the net as well.
The Buffs led the Aztecs 9-3 as the entered the final 30 minutes of play. Fusco continued a fiery streak, netting the team’s 10th goal of the game. With a seven-point boost over their opponent, the Buffs offensive tactics relaxed. Neither team would score again for nearly 11 minutes.
With 16:45 remaining in the match, Colorado saw another series of success with additional goals from Cox and Macleay. San Diego State managed to sneak two more goals by Senior Goalie Paige Soenksen, but that would conclude their progress on offense for the day.
CU netted five more goals to close out the match, including a third from Macleay, a third from Kiernan and a fourth from Fusco. Sophomore midfielder Miranda Stinson and redshirt sophomore midfielder Blair Sisk also tallied a goal apiece in the last few minutes of play.
Colorado defeated San Diego State 17-5, giving them their seventh win this season with a ten-point victory or greater.
Soenksen finished her day with seven saves. The Buffs also managed 31 shots on goal to the Aztec’s 12. CU played a clean game in terms of ball handling, only turning the ball over 15 times in the 60 minutes of play.
With three goals that day, Kiernan now has 40 goals in the season. Fusco’s four goals increased her season total to 37. Overall, the Buffs saw hat tricks from three players and goals from six.
This upcoming weekend, Colorado concludes its regular season on the road. The Buffs will take on Saint Mary’s on April 21 at 6 p.m. MST and California April 23 at 2 p.m. MST.
Contact CU Independent Assistant Sports Editor Olivia Butrymovich at Olivia.Butrymovich@colorado.edu.
