No. 25 Colorado Heads To Oregon For Friday Match-Up
BOULDER — The Colorado lacrosse team heads to the Pacific Northwest for a game this Friday, March 18, against Oregon.
Opening draw is set for 6 p.m. MDT at Pape Field. This is the first time since 2019 the two programs will square off in Eugene, Ore. The Ducks were able to visit Colorado in Boulder for one game in 2020 and both contests in 2021 were canceled due to Covid-19 protocols within the Oregon program.
Pac-12 Network is televising the game live. Troy Clardy will have play-by-play and color duties as the veteran lacrosse analyst.
ABOUT COLORADO: The Buffaloes are ranked 25th in the IL Women/IWLCA DI Coaches Poll. They are 5-2 overall after starting the season 5-0 but dropped the first two Pac-12 Conference games last weekend on the road to then-No. 17 USC and Arizona State.
CU leads the Pac-12 and ranks 15th in the NCAA in free-position percentage (0.540). Rudy is sixth in the NCAA in free-position goals per game (1.43) and ranks 26th in FP percentage (0.667). Sadie Grozier is 18th in the NCAA in free-position goals per game (1.00). Rudy and Grozier are first and second in the Pac-12, respectively, in free-position goals per game. Grozier is third in the conference in goals (18) and is fourth in goals per game (2.57), while Rudy is close behind at fifth in goals (16) and sixth in goals per game (2.29).
Colorado has allowed 12.00 goals per game. Grace Donnelly has started all seven games, playing in 383:24 of the possible 423:00 minutes. She has an 11.74 goals-against average and a .432 saves percentage. Devon Bayer and Kate Burnside have combined for 68 of CU's 101 draw controls. Bayer leads the team with 40, while Burnside has 28.
ABOUT OREGON: The Ducks are 1-5 overall and 0-2 in conference play. They defeated George Mason 14-11 to start the season but have lost the following five games.
Hanna Hilcoff leads the Ducks with 21 points through six games and 18 of those are goals. Her 3.00 goals per game rank third in the Pac-12. Second on the team is Lillian Stump, who has 20 points, 13 goals and seven assists. Shonly Wallace is third with 15 points (10 goals and five assists).
Morgan McCarthy and Gabby Cleveland have combined for almost half of the Ducks' draw controls. McCarthy has recorded 23 this season, while Cleveland has 18.
Oregon has used both goalkeepers, although Cassidy Eckert has played in all six games. She has allowed 69 goals (15.37 per game) while making 44 saves (38.9 save percentage).
THE SERIES: Colorado has never lost a game to Oregon, leading the series 11-0. The Buffs have made the trip to Eugene four previous times. Their last visit on April 19, 2019, was a 14-8 victory for CU. The last game between the two teams was on March 6, 2020, less than a week before the season was canceled. Colorado won that game 21-5 at Kittredge Field.
UP NEXT: Colorado returns home to finish the first half of Pac-12 play at Kittredge Field. The Buffs will host Stanford on March 25 and California will be in town for a March 27 tilt.