Buffs Conclude Road Trip Friday At UMass Lowell

BOULDER - The University of Colorado lacrosse team wraps up its three-game road trip on Friday, March 27 at 12 p.m. MT when it faces UMass Lowell at the River Hawks' Cushing Field.

The Buffaloes (4-1) will look to earn its second road win of the season when it squares off against first-year program UMass Lowell. The River Hawks are searching for their first victory as a Division I team. They enter the game with a 0-9 record.

A free livestream can be found at the following link: http://buffs.me/1Bv2hn4 and live stats are available on CUBuffs.com.

QUICKLY: The University of Colorado lacrosse team (4-3) concludes its three-game road trip on Friday, March 27 at 12 p.m. MT when it faces UMass Lowell at the River Hawks' Cushing Field. The Buffs have gone 1-1 since the trip started, defeating Michigan on March 22, 14-13 in double-overtime and falling to No. 2 Boston College, 17-9 on March 25.

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.

DON'T MISS A MINUTE: A livestream is available via the following link: http://buffs.me/1Bv2hn4 and live stats can be followed on CUBuffs.com.

COLORADO VS. UMASS LOWELL: The game on Friday will mark the first meeting between the Buffs and River Hawks.

SCOUTING THE RIVER HAWKS: The River Hawks' lacrosse team is in its first year as a Division I program at UMass Lowell and is under the direction of head coach Carissa Medeiros. UMass Lowell is  searching for its first victory in its debut season, entering Friday's game with an 0-9 record. The River Hawks young team is comprised of 22 underclassmen (21 freshmen, one sophomore) and two juniors. They are led by freshman Jesse Jay on the attack with 11 goals, five assists and 16 points. A pair of River Hawks (Taylor Sokol and Emily Wright) are second in team-scoring, with seven each.

LAST TIME OUT:  The last time CU took the field, it faced one of its toughest opponents of the season, falling 17-9 to No. 2 Boston College. The Buffs put up a good fight against one of the best programs in the country, keeping the Eagles within two goals at halftime, however Boston College pulled away at the end, going on an 8-2 run to close out the game and remain undefeated at 10-0. Johnna Fusco led the Buffs with four goals, recording her sixth multi-goal performance of the year and fifth hat trick in seven games.

PROGRAM FIRSTS: In the Buffaloes' game against Presbyterian on March 2, CU turned in a record setting performance for the black and gold, posting the largest margin of victory (19), allowed the fewest number of goals (0), shots (5), assists (0) and points (0) by an opponent and tallied their first shutout in program history. The Buffs also recorded the second most points in a single-game (25) and tied a program record with 19 goals.

HATRICKS ALL AROUND: Five Buffaloes have recorded hat tricks this season. Johnna Fusco leads the pack with five in seven games. Kiernan has five. Freshman Blair Sisk follows with two, and sophomore Cali Castagnola along with freshmen Taylor Oliver each have one.

FEARLESS FRESHMEN: In their first collegiate season playing for the black and gold, Kiernan and Sisk have made an immediate impact, each contributing in a variety of ways for the Buffs. Kiernan has started all seven games and is second on the team with 16 goals and 16 ground balls. She already has four hat tricks this season and has one five-goal game in her pocket (at Michigan on March 22). Sisk also continues to develop in her role on the attack. The midfielder from Greenwood Village, Colo. has started six of seven games and joins Fusco and Kiernan as one of only three Buffs in double-digit scoring. Sisk ranks third on the team with 12 goals. She also boasts an impressive .889 SOG percentage, as 24 of her 27 shots have been put on frame.

FIERCE FUSCO: Sophomore Johnna Fusco continues to be a main contributor on the attack each week. She leads the Buffaloes in goals (21), points (23), shots (43), shots on goal (34) and is 12-18 on free position shots.

MULTI-GOAL PERFORMANCES: Seven different Buffs have recorded at least one multi-goal game in 2015. Fusco  has six, Kiernan has five, Sisk has four, Castagnola and Macleay with two, and Taylor Oliver and Tori Link have one multi-goal performance a piece.

SCORING STREAKS: Four Buffs have active scoring streaks on the line heading into Friday's game. Fusco has scored at least one goal in every game this season (seven straight). Kiernan and Sisk have found the back of the net in six straight and Katie Macleay has tallied one goal in three straight contests.

NEW COMPETITION: Colorado has six first-time opponents on its schedule this year: Marquette, Presbyterian, Northwestern, Michigan, Boston College and UMass Lowell. The Buffs are 3-2 thus far against them, with wins against Marquette. Michigan and Presbyterian.

MPSF HONORS: Three Buffaloes swept the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Week honors this week for their standout performances, March 16-22. Kiernan was awarded Offensive Player of the Week, goalkeeper Paige Soenksen won Defensive Player of the Week and Sisk earned Rookie of the Week honors. Each played a critical role in helping CU earn back-to-back victories over New Hampshire and Michigan.

NEXT UP: Colorado returns home to host a pair of games conference games. Up first is a contest against UC Davis on Friday, April 3 (3 p.m. MT) and the Buffs close out the weekend on Sunday, April 5 (12 p.m. MT) when they battle the Stanford Cardinal, which will be televised on Pac-12 Networks.