Lacrosse Exhibition Season Continues In Illinois
BOULDER – The University of Colorado lacrosse team has reached the halfway mark in its exhibition season and will hit the road for three games in the Chicago, Ill. area this weekend.
Competition begins on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 12 p.m. MT when the Buffs face off against the Northwestern Wildcats on the NU campus at Lakeside Field.
The trip to Northwestern means a return to a familiar place for head coach Ann Elliott and her coaching staff, who each played collegiately for the Wildcats. Elliott helped Northwestern appear in seven consecutive NCAA title games, winning six championships, including three as a player and three as a member of the staff. Elliott spent four years as an assistant coach in Evanston, Ill. before arriving in Boulder to lead the Buffaloes.
“I am really excited we have the opportunity to go back to Northwestern this fall. Obviously Northwestern has a special place in my heart and my staff’s. [Head coach] Kelly [Amonte Hiller] has built an incredible program and tradition at Northwestern and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to play them not only this fall, but in the spring as well. It is going to be a great experience and challenge for our kids. I am looking forward to seeing how our players come out and compete.”
The Buffs close out its lone road trip of the preseason with a doubleheader on Sunday, Oct. 12 when action shifts to Loyola Academy’s campus in Glenview, Ill. CU will face Northwestern in its first game at 8:40 a.m. MT and then finish the afternoon against the Marquette Golden Eagles at 12 p.m. MT.
Colorado has played three exhibition games leading up to this weekend. The Buffs opened their fall season on Sept. 20 against Friends of CU Lacrosse at Kittredge Field.
“Our fall season is so important to the development of our players, team and program,” said Elliott. “It has been very exciting to watch our team grow this fall. Our philosophy is to focus on one day at a time and to get better every day. Our kids have bought into that and have been working hard every day.”
CU recorded 10 goals in the contest with eight different Buffs scoring at least one time. Johnna Fusco and Cali Castagnola picked up right where they left off last year, each scoring a pair of goals. Fusco led the Buffs in scoring with 45 goals and was tied with Katie Macleay in assists with 17 in their inaugural season. Castagnola played in all 19 games in 2014 and netted 39 goals, the second most for the Buffaloes. Colorado assistant coaches Colleen Magarity and Hannah Nielsen led the Friends of CU Lacrosse team.
A week later, CU hosted the Regis Rangers on Sept. 27. Not only did Colorado’s offense have another impressive performance, their defense turned in a solid effort as well. The Buffs held the Rangers to only four goals, two in each half of play. Similar to the first scrimmage, CU spread the offense, getting nine different players involved in the scoring.
“Our 14 freshman are starting to come out of their shells and we are starting to come together as a group,” said Elliott. “This fall has shown us we have more depth than we did last year and that will help us as we move into the spring. As a coach it is fun to watch the development of our players both on the field and off the field in our second year.”
Colorado wrapped up its three-game homestand on Saturday, Oct. 4 against Mountain Pacific Sports Federation opponent Denver. The two teams played two regular 30 minute halves and then added an additional 10 minutes at the end. Castagnola scored three of the Buffs’ six goals in the game.
The Buffs will finish exhibition play on Saturday, Oct. 18 with their Black and Gold Scrimmage set to start at 9:30 a.m. at Kittredge Field.
“We have a lot of hard work ahead to get to where we want to go, but I am excited about the potential this group has and some of the things we have already seen,” Elliott said.