CU Lacrosse Hosts USC On The Pac-12 Networks

QUICKLY: Splitting games in a California road trip last weekend, the University of Colorado lacrosse team returns to Boulder for a four-game home stand. The Buffaloes open play with back-to-back Mountain Pacific Sports Federation games. CU (6-6 overall, 3-2 MPSF) hosts fellow newcomer USC on Friday, April 11. First draw is at 4 p.m. at Kittredge Field. The first 300 fans in attendance will receive a free T-shirt.

SCOUTING THE USC WOMEN OF TROY: In just its second season of lacrosse, USC is already proving to be a threat in the MPSF. The Women of Troy hold a 7-4, 5-0 MPSF record and are currently on a four-game winning streak, taking down San Diego State, Fresno State, St. Mary's and California. While USC breezed through victories over the Bulldogs and Gaels, their three other conference wins were by five or fewer goals. USC has fallen just once on the road this season, losing 13-10 to then-No. 7 Boston College at the beginning of the season. USC has a deep bench, with 19 players scoring goals this season, including six with 12 or more. Caroline de Lyra leads the group with 31 points, off 18 goals, including three game-winners, and 13 assists. The sophomore standout tallied nine total points in USC's 18-4 win over SMC and 20-15 victory against Cal. Freshman Alex Moore has netted 20 goals and caused six turnovers, while freshman Michaela Michael and sophomore Amanda Johansen have each recorded at least 13 goals, 30 draw controls and nine ground balls. The Women of Troy's strong attack has them leading the conference with 152 draw controls (a mark that also ranks 14th in the nation), ranking in the nationGÇÖs top 27 in scoring offense, scoring margin and win percentage. They average 27.82 shots per game (over four more than the Buffs), taking an astounding 76 shots in their last two games combined. Lead goalie Liz Shaeffer has grabbed 49 saves and allowed 101 goals in over 608 minutes. Her 9.95 goals-against average ranks 49th in the nation. Shaeffer has also scooped up 31 ground balls, which rounds out the NCAA top 20.

PAC-12 NETWORKS: The Buffs get their second game under the bright lights of the Pac-12 Networks on Friday. Watch CU take on USC on the Pac-12 Mountain and Los Angeles Networks, with Jason Knapp doing play-by-play and Kara Lentz providing analysis. New to the Networks? Find out where to watch at http://pac-12.com/channel-finder.

LAST TIME OUT: CU battled back to within three goals late in the first half, but the then-No. 8 Stanford Cardinal proved too strong a foe, downing the Buffs 13-5 in Palo Alto. Stanford came out to a 5-0 start, but back-to-back goals by the Buffs helped trim their deficit to three. Stanford quickly got back to form, closing the first half on a 3-0 run to enter the break with an 8-2 lead. The Cardinal dominated the draw in 15 to five, including eight to one in the second half, and outshot CU 40 to 13. The 13 shots match a season-low for the Buffs, with then-No. 9 UMass serving as the only other opponent to slow the team to that level. The Buffs have had a strong inaugural schedule, with four of their six defeats coming at the hands of teams ranked or receiving votes in the IWLCA poll. Three ranked teams have been the only opponents to hold CU to five or fewer goals.

BUFFS AGGRAVATE THE UCD AGGIES: The Buffs picked up a big win during their California road trip, defeating UC Davis 14-5 to claim their third MPSF victory. CU had a season-low nine turnovers for a third time and held UCD to zero assists and five points, both lows for a CU opponent this season. Seven Buffs scored, with Johnna Fusco and Cali Castagnola combining for nine goals. For the second consecutive game, Katie Macleay was an important part of the attack, contributing three assists.

WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM: The Buffs are 3-1 at home this season. CU defeated Regis 13-10 at Folsom Field in the Buffs' inaugural home game and took down Temple 15-6 in the first home game at Kittredge. Despite a late comeback, Brown handed CU its first home loss, 11-8 on a snowy Kitt Field. The Buffs resoundingly bounced back a week later with their first home conference victory, a 19-5 win over St. Mary's. That game had added importance, as it saw the Buffs breaking several records. The 14 goal win was CU's biggest margin of victory to date. CU was commanding on the attack, with its 19 goals, including 14 in the first half, 13 assists and 32 total points each marking team bests. Katie Macleay contributed a program-best seven assists in the win, tying for fourth most in MPSF history and the second most this season (behind Oregon's Shannon Propst's nine assist performance at Stetson on February 10), while Marie Moore won a CU single-game high eight draw controls. The Buffs also took a program-high 33 shots, a mark they would match in their next game, a 14-5 win over UC Davis. Fan support is key to CU's home success, as the Buffs rank second in the conference in home attendance with an average of 329 fans at each game.

KITTREDGE FIELD: Kitt Field, located on Kittredge Loop on the eastern edge of CU's Main Campus, is the official home of Colorado lacrosse. Kitt Field showcases Boulder's Flatiron Mountains and a pristine field courtesy of CU's turf management team. While there are bleachers for approximately 350, fans of CU lacrosse are welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets to sit on in the open areas. Amenities for Colorado lacrosse fans include concessions, bathrooms and free game programs. Free parking is available in Lot 416 beginning an hour before first draw. For more information, including a parking map and directions, please visit http://buffs.me/1fCNVuE.

FAMILIAR FACES, DIFFERENT PLACES: For the third time this season, CU head coach Ann Elliott will stand on the same field as one of her teammates from Northwestern, but instead of both wearing NU purple, the coaches will be heading opposite benches. Though they're now competitors on the field, Elliott and Lindsey Munday have had a lot to share over the past few years. Munday, a 2006 NU graduate, is also helping build a new team. Her Trojans began play in 2013, posting an 8-10, 5-3 MPSF record in their inaugural season. In just her second year, she has put together Inside Lacrosse's 10th ranked freshman class, and has helped her team remain perfect in 2014 conference play. Elliott, who graduated from NU in 2007 with three NCAA titles and added three more as a member of the staff, said she is excited to play against Munday and is grateful to the help she's received from her old teammate during CU's inaugural season. Elliott, whose coaching staff is built from NU grads, has faced two other former teammates this season. The Buffs took them on in back-to-back games against Angela McMahon's UMass Minutewomen and Sarah Albrecht's New Hampshire Wildcats.

SUNNY ONE SO TRUE: Goalie Paige Soenksen has earned her first MPSF Rookie of the Week title. Soenksen has come out as one of the young team's defensive leaders and one of the nation's best shot blockers. Soenksen ranks third in the nation with 119 saves, fourth with a .502 save percentage and sixth with 9.92 saves per game. Soenksen combined for 28 saves against UC Davis and then-No. 8 Stanford. Soenksen began the weekend with nine saves in the Buffs' 14-5 victory over UCD, allowing just two players to sneak past goals and helping the Buffs go perfect in clears for the second consecutive game. Soenksen had a career performance at Stanford, breaking career and CU single-game records while also tying the 2014 MPSF single-game high of 19 saves. Though Stanford's first half stronghold helped them to the victory, the Cardinal also became the Buffs' sixth straight opponent to be held to five or fewer second half goals, with Soenksen spending time in the cage in five of those final periods. While she allowed 18 goals during the split weekend, she had an impressive .609 save percentage on the trip.

SCORERS GOING STREAKING: Seeing their five-game scoring streaks come to an end against Brown last month, Cali Castagnola and Sarah Lautman have each bounced back during conference play. The two have combined for 13 goals in the past three games. Marie Moore had her six-game scoring streak iced out during CU's trip out east, but has jumped back on a scoring spree since. She recorded back-to-back hat tricks against Brown and Saint Mary's, and added one against both UC Davis and Stanford. Moore ranks 48th in the nation with 41 draw controls and 51st with 28 ground balls. Behind its resurgent attack, CU enters the week ranking in the nation's top 50 in points (39th), ground balls per game (42nd), scoring offense and win percentage.

THE FUSCO, THE PROUD: Two-time MPSF Rookie of the Week Johnna Fusco continues to build on her killer freshman campaign. Against UCD, Fusco set a CU single-game record with eight points. Her five goals were a career-high and matched Castagnola's single-game record. With three assists, Fusco and Katie Macleay are the only Buffs to notch at least three in two games. Fusco has also scored five of CU's 10 latest goals this season. She paces the Buffs with 38 points (off 26 goals and 12 assists) and 62 shots. She ranks second on the team with eight free-position goals, 25 ground balls and 31 draw controls. Fusco has scored in all but one of her 11 games played, scoring two or more goals in eight games.

GOING BACK TO CALI: Cali Castagnola has quite an impressive resume in her freshman season. Castagnola has had five games with at least four goals, posting back-to-back four goal games against St. Mary's and UC Davis. She tied a team-high two points against Stanford, netting a goal and contributing an assist. She leads the team with 30 goals, ranks second with 37 points and is third with seven assists.

AMELIA BEDELIA HELPS OUT: Amelia Brown had three goals in her first nine games. In the three games since, she has been a consistent scoring presence, netting six goals. Against St. Mary's, Brown was a perfect 4 for 4 in shooting, scoring a career-high four goals. Brown netted one in each of the Buffs' games last weekend, tying a team-high two points against Stanford. Brown has also scooped up three of her six ground balls in the last three games.

NEXT UP: CU continues its four-game home stand against the San Diego State Aztecs at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 13. To celebrate Youth Lacrosse Day, players in the eighth grade and younger are invited to a post-game skills and drills clinic.

Colorado University Athletics

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