Colorado University Athletics
From Vision To Reality: Buffs Ready For First NCAA Lacrosse Game
May 09, 2017 | Lacrosse, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Four years ago, a group of college freshmen took a chance on a women's lacrosse program that consisted of little more than a vision.
No permanent field, no locker rooms, no history. It was a startup in every sense of the word, a program that would be built from scratch by a coach in her inaugural season as the head of a program.
But those soon-to-be Colorado Buffaloes freshmen bought what head coach Ann Elliott was selling. And now, four years later, those players are the backbone of a team that will make its NCAA Tournament debut Friday in Philadelphia when the Buffs square off with Massachusetts in a 5 p.m. (MDT) game on the University of Pennsylvania campus.
"I think it's something we're incredibly proud of," senior goalkeeper Paige Soenksen said Tuesday. "Coming in when there was no Colorado lacrosse program — just a vision — and four years later actually being able to compete in the NCAA Tournament is something we all take great pride in. We have this sense of ownership of the program and what we've been able to do."
It's not as if Soenksen and her classmates — there are 16 seniors on this year's team — didn't have other opportunities. All were accomplished high school players who could have gone to more established programs.
But when they heard Elliott's pitch, they knew CU was the place they wanted to be.
"The opportunity to be part of an inaugural class, the opportunity to be playing as a freshman and instill your own traditions and culture into a program is something that doesn't come around much," said Soenksen, who has started in 73 of the 74 games in program history. "You can't pass that up — it might the riskier decision, but it's also the more fulfilling one. Coach's vision was something I really bought into and I think everyone else did as well. Now we just have to keep working to fulfill it."
That has been Elliott's message this week. There will be plenty of time down the road to reflect on this season, but the Buffs don't have time this week to focus on where they have been. Rather, they are concentrating on the road ahead, which begins with a rematch with UMass, a team Colorado beat 11-7 back in February.
"No doubt, it's an exciting time for us," Elliott said. "Four years ago we set out with a plan and a vision for this program. Every year, every day, every game we've been building towards making the NCAA Tournament. I'm very proud of what we've been able to do over the last four years — but at the same time, it's about what we're going to do. We still have a lot ahead of us and a lot that we want to achieve. In order to do that we can't be thinking about what we've done, we have to be thinking about what we're going to do today and how we're going to prepare ourselves to try to make this year as special as we can."
It has no doubt already been a special season for the Buffs. They will take with them to Philly a 16-3 record, a top-10 national ranking and a second-place regular season and conference tournament finish in the MPSF.
But there's still work to be done. The Buffs — in particular the seniors who started the program — aren't ready to hang up their sticks quite yet.
"Playing as if every game is your last game is a mentality that everyone has in the postseason, but seniors especially," Soenksen said. "We're definitely realizing that every game could very well be the last lacrosse game we ever play in our life. It makes you want to go out there and take charge and put it all on the field and leave your heart out there. I think that's something that's really going to push us in the postseason."
Elliott and her players are dealing with some distractions this week, beginning with final exams. Also occurring at the same time that the Buffs are preparing for the biggest game in program history are such things as freshmen being required to move out of their dorm rooms this week as well as Friday's commencement exercises on campus.
"Once we get on the plane tomorrow and head to Philadelphia and get settled in there, it will be refreshing for us," Elliott said. "We'll get a lot of things finalized, all the academic stuff, all the craziness, our freshmen moving out, finals … once we get away from it we'll be ready to go."
While the Buffs can draw from their early season win over UMass, they also know plenty has changed since February.
"It's a new season for everyone," Elliott said. "What you did in February, what you did in April is really irrelevant. It's what you are going to do in May."
A trip to the NCAAs is nothing new for UMass. The Minutewomen last weekend secured their ninth straight Atlantic 10 title and this weekend marks their 12th trip to the NCAA Tournament and ninth in a row.
Elliott is also no stranger to the big stage. She played on three NCAA championship teams at Northwestern and served as an assistant coach on three more title teams. She's doing her best this week to make sure her players aren't overwhelmed by their first trip to the tournament.
"I think the challenge when you haven't been there before is handling the emotions and the excitement," Elliott said. "I think sometimes when you get in this situation you think you have to do more than you've ever done before, when really you don't have to do more … We just have to do exactly what we've done all year."
That means playing solid defense, controlling draws and taking advantage of every opportunity possible on offense.
"The biggest challenge for us now is realizing it's a new season, it's a new start," Elliott said. "Nothing we've done in the past matters, whether it's good or bad. We start fresh. I think that's the exciting opportunity, along with them understanding this is all they have — there's nothing after this for us. It's win or go home."
GRADUATION ON THE ROAD: If the Buffs win Friday and advance to Sunday's second round against the winner of Friday's Penn-Navy game, Elliott said they will have a "graduation ceremony" for the team's seniors Saturday.
"We want to give them a chance to celebrate what they've done academically and their success," Elliott said.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
