Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Set For Pac-12 Showdown Friday At Stanford
April 10, 2018 | Lacrosse, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — A year ago, the Colorado women's lacrosse team burst from the gates to win its first 11 games and reach as high as No. 4 in the national polls. The Buffs went on to finish second in the MPSF regular season standings as well as the conference tournament, and earn the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament bid.
But the 2017 Buffs also seemed to hit a plateau of sorts after their 11-0 start. Down the season stretch, CU was just 5-4.
This year, Ann Elliott's Buffs are following a slightly different path — but one she believes might yield a better finish in the long run.
Heading into Friday night's key matchup at Stanford (8 p.m., Pac-12 live streaming), the Buffs are 9-4 overall, 6-1 in the Pac-12, and ranked No. 16 in the nation in the coaches poll. A win over the Cardinal on Friday would give the Buffs sole possession of first place in the conference standings and provide some big momentum heading into their last two regular season games — at Cal on Sunday and at home vs. Oregon on April 20.
"This year, we're continuing to find our way and they're continuing to challenge themselves," Elliott said Tuesday. "I don't think we've hit our best yet. I think we've had some good games, we've done some things well, but we're still not as consistent as we need to be and we have to keep being aggressive. The potential for this team — I don't think we've seen us at our best yet. If we keep believing in ourselves and working hard, we'll get there."
The Buffs have certainly had some quality moments. After dropping road games at ranked teams early in the season (Florida and Northwestern), they have rebounded to produce three wins over ranked teams (Virginia Tech, Stanford and USC), with a chance to get another Friday against 12th-ranked Stanford.
"This season obviously has been different," Elliott said. "Different challenges, on and off the field. We're still growing. A tougher start for us, one where overall we have to continue to battle everything. That's how it's been from the beginning. When you have challenges off the field, you have challenges on the field too."
It has no doubt been a challenging year for the Buffs, one that began with the death of teammate Julia Sarcona in a car crash just before the season began. On the field, the Buffs have adjusted to a new starting goalie, a host of other new starters, a schedule that saw them open the season with road games against two ranked teams in their first three games, and their first-ever Pac-12 season.
But they have made those adjustments and positioned themselves for another NCAA Tournament bid, either via the Pac-12 tournament — to be played in Boulder April 26-29 — or via an at-large berth.
"You have to keep fighting and getting better," Elliott said. "You have to control what you can control. It's kind of where we're at in our season — keep fighting, keep battling, keep trying to get better and control what we can control."
So far this year, the Buffs have received the expected contributions from their returning veterans. Senior Darby Kiernan lead the team in points (60), goals (42) and assists (18), junior Miranda Stinson is right behind with 51 points on 39 goals and 12 assists, and senior Carly Cox has 23 goals and 11 assists. Defensively, seniors Sarah Brown and Kelsie Garrison have picked up where they left off last year as mainstays on their end.
But Elliott has also received solid production from some other players who entered the year with scant experience.
Redshirt sophomore Julia Lisella has been solid in goal, registering an 8-2 record and a 54.2 save percentage. Freshmen midfielders Sadie Grozier, Madi Wifall and Devon Bayer have also been consistent in their roles, while juniors Samantha Nemirov, Olivia Aschman and Sophia Castillo have stepped up and been solid contributors as well.
"Sadie has has done a great job of not being scared out there and listening to what we're asking her to do and just doing it," Elliott said. "It's the same for Madi and Devon. They're able to focus on the little things and step up in their roles. … Players like Samantha and Sophia are players who had the potential but haven't gotten the opportunities until now. They've all done a great job this year of making plays, and Olivia is the unsung hero of our defense."
Friday's test at Stanford — to be played under the lights at Stanford's football stadium — will be a big one for Colorado. The Buffs beat Stanford in Boulder, 18-16, in early March, but the Cardinal have won eight straight since and the two squads are tied atop the Pac-12 standings with 6-1 records.
"We're all excited about the opportunity," Elliott said. "I don't think there's a team that's playing better than Stanford right now. They're playing so well offensively and defensively, they're dangerous in transition — we know it's going to be a battle for us. We can zone in on one game and go from there."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
