Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
6-4,1-2MPSF
Stanford
7-2,3-0MPSF
No. 13 Stanford Rallies To Top CU in Lacrosse, 16-14
April 05, 2015 | Lacrosse
BOULDER — A tough defense over the last 40 minutes and two goalie changes enabled No. 13 Stanford to rally here Sunday for a 16-14 win over the University of Colorado in a women's Mountain Pacific Sports Federation lacrosse game at Kittredge Field.
Colorado (6-4, 1-2 MPSF), scored its most goals ever both against a ranked team and in a loss, in addition to playing its best game yet in its young two-year, 29-game history against a ranked opponent. But close isn't what CU coach Ann Elliott is looking for.
“From last year to this year, we're a different team,” Elliott said. “We have a little more depth, we can better compete with teams that are fast and athletic, much better than we could last year. We just need to continue to build on that and learn to play a little bit better down the stretch.”
“I honestly think we played 60 minutes, Elliott added. “We had a couple of lapses at the end with turnovers. We're proud of the effort we put in, but now we have to get better.”
Sophomore Johnna Fusco led the way offensively for the Buffaloes, scoring three goals and assisting on a fourth; sophomore Marie Moore also scored three times, with freshman Darby Kiernan scored three points on two goals and an assist.
Alex Pawlawski paced the Stanford attack with five goals, with Alexandra Crerend, Hannah Farr and Kelly Myers also hitting the back of the net three times each.
The Cardinal (7-2, 3-0), ranked as high as No. 11 nationally in the Inside Lacrosse poll, got off the first shot just 37 seconds into the game, but CU goalie Paige Soenksen stuffed the shot and started CU's first offensive down the field. Just about a minute later, the Buffs opened the scoring on a goal from Moore, her eighth of the season and the seventh-fastest in team history, assisted by Katie Macleay. That was a sign of things to come.
The first two-thirds of the first half was a virtual scorefest, as including Moore's opening goal, it signaled a run of 15 combined goals in just over 18 minutes. The first half ended with Colorado ahead, 9-8, as there were only three ties and two lead changes in the period, which saw the Buffaloes own the lead for 22:16 and Stanford for just 23 seconds. In Stanford's six wins prior to Sunday, it had allowed just 9.2 goals in those victories.
After Kiernan scored her 23rd goal of the year to give the Buffs their biggest lead of 8-5 at the 13:27 mark, the Cardinal made a goaltender change with Katie Wiseman subbing for Allie DaCar. Wiseman allowed just one goal the remainder of the half, though Stanford's defense tightened a bit as the Cardinal outshot CU in the half, 18-14, but by 8-5 after the goalie switch.
Two goals apiece by Schoen and Poplawski keyed a 6-1 scoring run by Stanford over a 21-minute span to give the Cardinal its first two-score lead at 11-9 with 23:19 left in the second period. Faced with its biggest deficit of the game, the Buffs rallied to tie the game at 11 in less than two minutes on goals by Blair Sisk and Fusco, the latter her second of the game, her-team best 30th of the season and 75th of her career.
Poplawski scored her fourth goal of the game only to be answered by Fusco's third, producing a tie at 12 with 18:01 remaining. Undaunted by Stanford's mini-comeback, the Buffs regained the lead at the 16:23 mark on a shorthanded goal from Kiernan, her second of the contest. The Cardinal tied it at 13-all just under two minutes later on Hannah Farr's third goal of the game, and at the same time inserted DaCar back in at goal.
The scoring pace slowed again as the half progressed, but two goals from Crerend pushed the Cardinal ahead, 15-13, with 12:54 left. Moore's second goal of the game cut the lead back to one, 15-14, but Poplawski's final goal on the day again gave Stanford a two-goal edge, 16-14 with 9:52 left.
Stanford essentially played keep away much of the way down the stretch, and employed a “Dean Smith/North Carolina-like four corners offense” without taking a shot during the final two-and-a-half minutes after CU's last scoring threat of the game. The Buffs never regained possession.
When asked if this game served as a measuring stick, Moore agreed.
“I think a lot of the teams we've lost to – BC, Northwestern, Denver, Stanford – I think they're all what we want to be and we're getting closer and closer, we just have to do the little things to get there,” she said.”
“I think we're all going to remember this a little bit, just to show how much we've grown,” Fusco said. “We have a really tough schedule ahead of us, so I think we just have to build off of today.”
Colorado returns to action with an important road trip this weekend, as Colorado has games against the MPSF co-leaders, at Southern California on Friday (4 p.m.MDT) and at San Diego State on Sunday (1 p.m.); the Trojans and Aztecs are both 4-0 in league play. Neither was ranked in last week's coaches poll but USC did receive votes in the Inside Lacrosse ranking.
NOTES: The game was nationally televised by the Pac-12 Networks, the second of the year from Boulder … Overall, the game was tied six times with five lead changes … All four of CU's losses have come at the hands of ranked teams – Denver, Northwestern and Boston College previously -- as the Buffaloes are now 0-8 against ranked opponents in the team's young history … Prior to today, CU was outscored 101-42 against ranked foes, 60-19 a year ago but including Sunday, by just 57-37 in 2015 … In the two losses to the Cardinal last season, the Buffs were outscored, 28-11 … Colorado is now 0-2 on Easter Sunday, having lost to Cal in Boulder, 7-6, in 2014 … Stanford went 2-0 on its road trip to Colorado, as it defeated Denver 14-7 on Friday … Stanford's leading scorer, Lucy Dikeou, is the granddaughter of John Dikeou, who was just inducted this past Thursday into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame for his efforts to help bring major league baseball to Denver … In other MPSF action Sunday, Denver defeated UC Davis, 9-5, and Oregon defeated Cal, 18-8.
Stanford.............. 8 8 — 16COLORADO...... 9 5 — 14 Stanford (goals, assists—points): Poplawski 5,0—1; Farr 3,2—5; Crerend 3,1—4; Myers 3,0—3; Schoen 2,1—3; Tesei 0,3—3; Dikeou 0,1—1. Colorado: Fusco 3,1—4; Moore 3,0—3; Kiernan 2,1—3; Macleay 1,2—3; Sisk 2,0—2; Cox 1,1—2; Castagnola 1,0—1; Lautman 1,0—1; Salvadore 0,1—1. Shots On Goal: Stanford 33, Colorado 17. Ground Balls: Stanford 16, Colorado 13. Draw Controls: Colorado 18, Stanford 14. Free Position Shots-Goals: Stanford 10-5, Colorado 8-5. Attendance—337.Records: Colorado 6-4, 1-2 MPSF; Stanford 7-2, 3-0.
