Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
2-1
Presbyterian
0-3
Buffs Shut Out Presbyterian, Finish Homestand In Dominant Fashion
March 02, 2015 | Lacrosse
BOULDER - Kittredge Field was sunny, but frigid Monday afternoon, surrounded by three-foot-high snowbanks and flanked by freezing fans and media. The players, at least, were warm — well, the Presbyterian Blue Hose were warm. Colorado was on fire.
The Buffs' 19-0 victory was the most dominant game in their one season and three games of existence. They tied the program record for goals and set it for largest margin of victory. Goalies Paige Soenksen and Sophia Gambitsky combined for Colorado's first shutout.
Four Buffs scored hat tricks — midfielder Johnna Fusco scored four goals; her linemate Darby Kiernan netted three, as did attackers Cali Castagnola and Taylor Oliver.
“Our coaches teach us when it's your turn you dodge as hard as you can and if you get stopped you move the ball,” Fusco said. “When it's my turn to dodge I just do my part and happened to get to the outside to do what I'm supposed to do on offense.”
Colorado won the opening draw and Kiernan scored in 46 seconds. Attacker Katie Macleay made it 2-0 less than a minute later. The Buffs scored four goals in the first five minutes, and that was when the game began to feel inevitable.
Colorado controlled all but two draws in the first half. Its offense was an inexorable force, a dizzying mix of ball movement and aggression, and it was always in control. Presbyterian didn't have possession in the Buffs' zone until nearly 10 minutes had passed. The Blue Hose turned it over every time they crossed the restraining line.
They didn't shoot in the first half. Not once.
“I think we're really getting ready for all of our games this season,” Fusco said. “We're going to come out and challenge each opponent with everything we have. We're never going to let up, no matter what kind of team you are.”
Fusco didn't let up. She had her hat trick in 14 minutes. Kiernan didn't let up. She scored her third goal eight minutes after Fusco did. Castagnola didn't let up. She netted her third with five minutes left in the first half, and the Buffs had a hat trick of hat tricks.
“Our focus is always on doing the little things,” Colorado coach Ann Elliott said. “Winning the little battles, whether it's a ground ball, draw control, finishing plays offensively and defensively, whether it's the first half, second half, no matter what the score, that's always our focus. It wasn't too long ago that we were up at halftime and we blew it so continuing to be able to play 60 minutes is always a focus for this team.”
Most 12-0 halftime leads aren't in danger, though. Presbyterian did let a shot off, finally, a minute and a half after the break. It sailed harmlessly wide and Fusco raced the other way to score her fourth goal. That was when Elliott began playing the Buffs' reserves. She subbed Gambitsky for Soenksen in goal and played freshmen for much of the half. The Blue Hose tested Gambitsky three times and came close to scoring on her once — she saved a shot off of the shaft of her stick and scooped it out of the air as it flew back toward her net.
Presbyterian coach Bob Dachille made his own goalie change after Colorado went up 15-0; he pulled starter Lee-Ann Salim for Sophia Cuzzupe. Whatever his motive — to give Cuzzupe game experience or to give the Blue Hose a semblance of a spark — it was irrelevant. Oliver took the first draw after Cuzzupe entered the game and scored on her, too.
The Buffs didn't maintain their frenetic pace in the second half. They didn't need to. Oliver was excellent creating for herself, though; two of her goals were unassisted and the other came off of a free position shot. Elliott never let up, either. She yelled for Colorado to play aggressive defense even as the clock ticked inside of a minute to play.
“We had kids who were in there who weren't in there in the beginning of the game and we expect them to step on the field and compete,” Elliott said. “Compete with the same energy and intensity regardless of the score. It really is, for us, playing 60 minutes. I don't pay too much attention to the scoreboard, honestly I pay attention to how our kids are playing and their work ethic and effort out there. That's something that, no matter the score, you have to come with that attitude.”
The Buffs will need as much of that attitude as they can muster when they next take the field, Saturday at 11 a.m. in Evanston, Ill, where the No. 7 Northwestern Huskies await. It's a homecoming for Elliott and her assistant coaches, Colleen Magarity and Hannah Nielsen. They played there; Nielsen became a legend there.
“They have a lot of weapons, they're strong offensively, they're fast in the middle field,” Elliott said. “We just have to keep working on getting better and really doing the little things, making sure we do everything with a purpose whether it's passing, shooting, or running through ground balls.”
