Colorado
1-1
Marquette
0-2
Buffaloes Pick Up First Lacrosse Win, 13-5 Over Marquette
February 14, 2015 | Lacrosse
BOULDER - On a sunny Saturday afternoon, the University of Colorado women's lacrosse team won its first game of the season, defeating Marquette University 13-5.
The Buffaloes opened by scoring two goals in the first two minutes for a 2-0 lead. Freshmen Darby Kiernan started her CU account by scoring her first goal in black and gold only 1:12 into the game. She scored again five minutes later on a free-position goal, giving the Buffaloes an early 3-0 edge.
Kiernan wasn't the only newcomer to stand out for Colorado.
Freshman Blair Sisk had a hat-trick, which included a pair of goals in the middle of eight straight scores by the Buffaloes, blowing the game open.
“It's really fun and exciting, especially as a freshman,” said Sisk after the game. “I hope there is more to come!”
But Marquette didn't go away quietly, scoring three goals within five minutes to cut the deficit to one. With a 4-3 score line, Colorado came alive again offensively, rattling off three goals, while Marquette added one before half. The Buffaloes walked into halftime with a 7-4 lead.
Sophomore Johnna Fusco, who led the team with four goals and two assists, believed that the Buffs had much to improve when they came out for the second half. The Georgia product now has seven goals in her last two games.
“We just wanted to pick up the intensity and come out just like how we came out in the first half, but even a little more intense,” Fusco said. “We needed to get all the ground balls, just pick it up, and play together.”
The second half was expected to be close, but Colorado came out firing on all cylinders. The Buffaloes scored six goals, led by Fusco and Sisk. Marquette got one consolation goal back in the last minute, an unassisted effort from Nicole Gleason.
After the Buffs lost to the University of Denver last Wednesday, Sisk made it clear that CU was coming to play Saturday.
“That loss was definitely fuel to our fire. We're not walking off the field feeling like that again,” said Sisk. “That feeling made us not want to be there ever again.”
The win shouldn't come as much of a surprise to head coach Ann Elliott and her players, who were 6-2 at home last year. With the victory over Marquette, the Buffaloes are 1-1 this season. They have just over two weeks off until they host Presbyterian University at Kittredge Field on March 2.
