Buffs Take On Marquette, Saturday At Kittredge Field
BOULDER - The University of Colorado lacrosse team is set to battle Marquette this weekend when the Golden Eagles travel to Boulder on Saturday, Feb 14 for a 12 p.m. first draw.
The game is Colorado's second of three straight at home to open the season and CU's first non-conference match-up of the year as the Buffaloes will try to earn their first victory after a tough loss against Denver on Feb. 12 to open the season.
Marquette, in its third year as a Division I program, also is searching for its first win after falling to John Hopkins in its 2015 debut. Saturday's game will mark the first meeting between the Buffs and Golden Eagles.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early to the game and help celebrate Valentine's Day. As part of the festivities, Animal Ambassadors from the Boulder Humane Society will be in attendance with puppies and giving away free prizes. They will also be available to answer any questions about pet adoption.
For those that cannot make it to the game, a free livestream and live stats of Saturday's action will be available online at CUBuffs.com.
QUICKLY: The University of Colorado lacrosse team (0-1, 0-1 MPSF) continues its three-game homestand to open the 2015 season with a contest against Marquette on Saturday, Feb. 14 at Kittredge Field. The first draw is set for 12 p.m. The Buffs will look for their first victory of the season after falling short, 10-6 in the opener against No. 19 Denver. Saturday's game will be the Buffs' first of seven scheduled non-conference match-ups.
INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES: For those members of the media wishing to interview the women's lacrosse team during the season, please contact Assistant Sports Information Director/Lacrosse Contact Ashley Braun at (303) 492-7525 or ashley.braun@colorado.edu.
PUPPY LOVE: Fans are encouraged to arrive early to the game and help celebrate Valentine's Day with the Boulder Humane Society. As part of the festivities, Animal Ambassadors from the Humane Society will be bringing puppies to Kittredge Field and will have free giveaways. The Ambassadors will also be available to help answer any questions about pet adoption.
DON'T MISS A MINUTE: A live stream and live stats of Wednesday's contest will be available online at CUBuffs.com.
COLORADO VS. MARQUETTE: Saturday's game will be the first meeting between the Buffaloes and Golden Eagles.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES: Marquette is 0-1 on the season after dropping its first game in double-overtime, 8-7 against John Hopkins on Feb. 8. The Golden Eagles are in their third season as a Division I program and members of the Big East Conference. Key returning players for Marquette include four 2014 All-Big East Second Team selections- attacker Amanda Bochniak, midfielder Hayley Baas, defender Elizabeth Goslee and goalkeeper Sarah Preim. Bochniak was second on the team in points last season with 22 goals and 20 assists in 17 games. Priem played in every game last season for the Golden Eagles, recording 99 saves and an 11.82 goals-against average.
LAST TIME OUT: The Buffs fell 10-6 against No. 19 Denver on Wednesday in their season opener at home. The game was also CU's first MPSF match-up of the year. Colorado, the aggressors early on jumped out to a 5-2 lead at halftime, but Denver came storming back to add five goals in the second half and claim the victory. Johnna Fusco led the Buffs with three goals.
WHO'S RETURNING: The Buffs return 19 (18 sophomores and one junior) for their 2015 campaign. All 12 starters are back in a black and gold uniform, led by sophomore, midfielder Johnna Fusco who recorded 62 points off 45 goals and 17 assists in CU's debut season. Fusco was first in goals, points and shots last year for Colorado. Six Buffs tallied double-digit goal totals in 2014 and each return to compete again this year, including Sarah Lautman, a junior midfielder and CU's only upperclassman.
WHO'S NEW: CU welcomes 12 newcomers- all freshmen to its young squad. The new Buffaloes have come from all across the country with seven from the east coast, two Minnesota natives, one from the west coast and three Coloradans. The team's latest additions include seven midfielders, four attackers, a defender and one goalkeeper.
MPSF COACHES' POLL: CU was picked to finish fifth in the 2015 Preseason Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Women's Lacrosse Coaches' Poll. The Buffs received 46 points. Reigning MPSF Champion Denver took the top spot, receiving seven of the possible 10 first-place votes.
1. Denver
2. Stanford
3. USC
4. Oregon
5. COLORADO
6. San Diego State
7. California
8. UC Davis
9. Fresno State
10. St. Mary's
NEW COMPETITION: Colorado will face off against some new opponents this year, adding Marquette, Presbyterian, Northwestern, Michigan, Boston College and UMass Lowell to its schedule.
A LOOK BACK: In 2014, the inaugural season for the Colorado lacrosse program, the Buffaloes built a solid foundation as they continue to develop the program for the future. As a first year member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, the Buffs turned in an impressive 11-8 overall record and finished tied for third in the league with a 6-3 mark. Colorado earned a spot in the MPSF Tournament and advanced to the semifinals after a thrilling overtime victory in the first round.
HOME SWEET HOME: In 2015, Colorado will look to continue taking advantage of its home field throughout the season. The Buffs boasted an impressive 6-2 mark at Kittredge Field during their inaugural campaign. CU posted identical 3-1 records against non-conference and conference opponents while playing at home.
CAPTAINS: The Buffs will turn to their three captains for leadership on and off the field this year. The 2015 co-captains are sophomores Sophia Gambitsky (goalkeeper), Marie Moore (midfielder) and Molly Rovzar (defender).
SUCCESSFUL SOENKSEN: Paige Soenksen, the 2014 MPSF Rookie of the Year, not only the anchor of CU's defense last season, but also shined as one of the nation's top shot blockers. Soenksen started all 19 of CU's games, helping the Buffs to 11 wins. She ranked second in the nation in saves (203) and posted a .525 save percentage. She held a 10.08 goals-against average, spending over 1,095 minutes between the pipes. Soenksen earned back-to-back MPSF Rookie of the Week titles during the 2014 regular season as well. Her first came after a trip to her home state of California, where she combined for 28 saves and an incredible .609 save percentage in games against UC Davis and then-No. 8 Stanford. Against the Cardinal last year, Soenksen recorded a career-high and MPSF season-high-tying 19 saves. Continuing her strong defensive presence in the following week, Soenksen helped the Buffs to back-to-back overtime victories over USC and San Diego State. She tallied 27 saves and seven ground balls that weekend, recording a career-high four ground balls against SDSU. In CU's double-overtime thriller MPSF quarterfinal against SDSU, Soenksen grabbed 10 saves, including seven in the first half alone.
MEET MARIE MOORE: A key return from the 2014 roster, Marie Moore turned in a solid freshman season in the Buffs' inaugural year, earning a spot on the All-MPSF Second Team. Moore led the team with 68 draw controls, outpacing the nearest Buff by 18. Moore also had a team-high 43 ground balls and 15 caused turnovers.
DEFENSE IS KEY: Defense was a major part of the Buffs' success during their 2014 campaign. Perri Baker, Maddie DeWinter and Molly Rovzar were consistent factors in CU's defense. Baker proved strong on the draw, ranking third on the team with 28 draw controls, 29 ground balls and second with 14 caused turnovers. DeWinter was the only defensive field player to record points last season, netting her first collegiate goal and contributing an assist in CU's 19-5 victory over St. Mary's. In total during 2014, DeWinter had 28 ground balls, 15 caused turnovers and 11 draw controls. Rovzar held a balanced stat line with 17 ground balls, seven draw controls and six caused turnovers.
NEXT UP: Colorado has a couple weeks off before it returns to the field for a game against Presbyterian on Monday, March 2. It will be the final game of a three-game homestand. The contest begins at 3 p.m.