Buffs Gear For MPSF Lacrosse Tourney Opener Vs. Ducks

BOULDER — Just three years into its existence, the Colorado women's lacrosse team has had plenty of positive storylines. The list includes three winning seasons, three MPSF conference tournament berths and a pair of tourney semifinal appearances.

But this year, the Buffs are aiming to write a different finish with a longer storyline — one that stretches past the conference tourney semifinals and perhaps includes the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

No. 3 seed Colorado will have the opportunity beginning Thursday when the Buffs face No. 6 Oregon in a 5 p.m. MPSF tournament matchup at Stanford's Cagan Stadium. A win over the Ducks — a team Colorado defeated 14-9 last Sunday — would send CU into Friday's semifinals against No. 2 seed Stanford.

The other first-round game pits No. 4 UC Davis vs. No. 5 Denver, with the winner facing regular season champ USC in Friday's other semifinal. The championship game is slated for Sunday.

“We're obviously a little more experienced than we have been in the past,” CU coach Ann Elliott said. “But we still have to go out there and compete and try to extend our season and try to improve on what we've done so far this year by taking it to the next level. The conference tournament is a great opportunity for us.”

In one regard, the Buffs have already experienced their best season in program history. Sunday's win over Oregon gave CU its program-record 12th win of the year. Colorado is also receiving votes in both national polls, and entered the week with a No. 30 NCAA RPI ranking.

But there's still the matter of getting past the tournament semifinals hurdle — something 12-4 Colorado can't accomplish without first defeating 9-7 Oregon in Thursday's first-round game.

“We definitely can't look past Oregon,” junior attacker Katie Macleay said after Tuesday's practice. “That's our main focus right now. We all know these games are crucial because if you win, you get to play again. Lose, you go home.”

A loss Thursday would almost certainly end the Buffs' season. A win over the Ducks would slightly enhance their NCAA Tournament hopes, while a win over Stanford in Friday's semifinal would be a major boost.

Of course, a tournament title would end any drama, as 13 of the NCAA's 26 tournament berths are guaranteed to conference champions.

But Elliott is doing her best to make sure her players aren't focusing on anything other than their tournament opener.

“Right now our goal is to improve on last Sunday and compete more consistently than we did in Eugene,” Elliott said. “In tournament play, you don't think past the next game. You start thinking past that and you don't make it past Thursday. We know our season is on the line and we know what's at risk. Oregon is in the same position we are, and we know we have to put everything on the line against them.”

While CU's five-goal final margin of victory in Sunday's win over Oregon was relatively comfortable, there were still some uncomfortable moments for Elliott and her crew. The Buffs jumped out to a 9-2 first-half lead and seemed to be solidly in control before the Ducks roared back to narrow the margin to 10-8 with just under 23 minutes still left to play.

Colorado, though, finally rebuilt a four-goal cushion, thanks to a pair of goals from Darby Kiernan, and Sarah Lautman's insurance goal with just more than two minutes to play rounded out the scoring.

“Oregon's a tough team because they play extremely hard all over the field and they're an emotional team,” Elliott said. “When things go well, they really turn it on every more, and I don't think we prepared well defensively. That's on us, in terms of preparation. We have to do a better job of that on Thursday.”

Macleay, who leads the Buffs in assists with 14 this season to go with her 14 goals, said having just played the Ducks will be an advantage.

“I think we're in a great spot playing Oregon again,” Macleay said. “We know how to attack them and we know what to expect. We play our best when we're on our game and everyone knows how crucial these games are. I think everyone's excited for this year.”

One thing that shouldn't bother the Buffs is tournament jitters. Ten of the Buffs' 12 probable starters have played in at least one MPSF tourney game, with six having played in two.

Meanwhile, Elliott believes her team is peaking at the right time. The Buffs enter the tournament with a four-game win streak, part of a program-best 7-2 conference record. They have also displayed balanced scoring, with five Buffs owning at least 23 goals. Kiernan leads CU with 35 this season, followed by Johnna Fusco with 31, Cali Castagnola and Lautman each with 25 and Carly Cox with 23.

“We're doing a lot of things well,” Elliott said. “In terms of where you want to be, you always want to be better across the board. But I think the girls are ready and they're excited. They know everything they need to know; they just have to go out there and do it — and do it together. With the leadership and experience we have on this team, I think we're ready.”

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu