Sunday, May 13
Gainesville, FL
10:00 AM
Colorado
14-6, 9-1
9
at
13
Florida
17-3, 9-0
1
2
F
Colorado
5
4
9
Florida
8
5
13
CU junior Sophie Castillo on the attack early in Sunday's second round NCAA match against Florida in Gainesville.
Photo by: Fred Wilson
Buffs Suffer Second Round Loss To Florida In NCAA Women's Lacrosse
May 13, 2018 | Lacrosse
CU Starts Fast But Gators Rally To Advance
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Mother's Day started off great for the University of Colorado women's lacrosse team, but Florida recorded the mother of all comebacks against the Buffaloes here Sunday in rallying for a 13-9 in the second round of the NCAA Championships.
Colorado (14-6), ranked 15th, scored on five of its first six shots in the game to build an early 5-0 lead inside the first six minutes. It was significant because Colorado had never lost when owning a five-goal or more lead in the five-year history of the program, including 11 previous wins this year.
But Florida, ranked sixth nationally and the No. 6 seed overall in the tournament, shook off the initial CU attack and rattled off the next eight goals. The Buffaloes were able to pull back to with one just once after that (9-8).
Florida improved to 17-3 on the season and to 11-2 at home, defeating the Buffs for the second time this year in the confines of its home park, and now advances to play at No. 3-seed James Madison (19-1) in the quarterfinals next weekend.
"I think overall we went out there and played really hard," CU coach Ann Elliott said. "Sure, we could have done some things a little bit better. But I thought we stuck with it. We kept making plays down to the end and giving ourselves chances and opportunities.
"I think the beginning of the game, obviously we had the ball and made some plays," she continued. "But they're a good team and when you're at this level, you're not going to blow by anybody and Florida is very good. I think when they had the ball offensively, they're big players were stepping up, they were dodging hard and making plays and finishing their opportunities and shots. That's what we expected them to do."
Fast Start
CU got off to a fast start as its top two scorers led the way to build a 4-0 lead. Senior Darby Kiernan scored just 58 seconds into the game, with junior Miranda Stinson following just 18 seconds later. Kiernan then scored on a free position shot at the 26:59 mark, and the junior Sophia Castillo set up senior Carly Cox for a fourth score in as many shots 39 seconds after that.
Florida didn't get off its first shots until over five minutes into the game, and when it did, sophomore goalie Julia Lisella stopped two Gator attempts within six seconds of each other.
Cox scored her second of the game to give the Buffs a 5-0 lead with 24:09 on the clock. However, Florida's defense stiffened and CU wouldn't score for the remainder of the first half and not until early in the second.
Gator Comeback
The Gators finally got on the board with a goal from Grace Haus on a free position attempt with 22:31 left in the half. CU's inability to capitalize on free position shots, scoring on just one of its first five tries, allowed the Gators to come all the way back with five unanswered goals to tie the game with 12:29 left in the half. Florida's Pirreca sisters, Shayna and Sydney, scored three of the goals.
Sydney Pirreca then gave UF its first lead with 10:57 on the clock, and then each sister added another goal, giving each a hat trick, for an 8-5 edge at just under the six-minute mark. The teams dueled to a scoreless draw the remainder of the half.
Second Half Slowdown
Freshman Sadie Grozier stopped the bleeding 45 seconds into the second half with her second goal of the postseason to pull CU back to within 8-6. But Shayna Pirreca answered a minute later with her fourth goal of the game to work the Gator lead to three again. But in the meantime, Colorado picked up its defensive intensity, allowing UF just three shots in the first 12½ minutes of the second half.
Almost 10 minutes went by before the next score, as CU junior Samantha Nemirov tallied on a free position shot from the left hash, managing to do so from a tough spot for a left-hander. Cox then joined the hat trick club on the day with CU's first, her third goal pulling CU within one, 9-8, at the 18:08 mark.
Florida controlled the draw control and went up 10-8 on its next possession with a goal from Madi Hall. UF won the draw again but this time, Lisella stopped Shayne Pirreca's shot to keep the lead at two. But two minutes later, with 14:46 on the clock, Haus scored her second goal of the day on a free shot and UF went back up, 11-8.
Down The Stretch
Castillo scored her first goal of the game from a nice assist from Stinson, and at the 9:32 mark, the Buffs were two down again at 11-9. But Stinson would receive CU's first yellow card of the game (8:22) on the next UF possession, rendering the Buffs minus one of their top attackers and the Gators would take advantage of it. Exactly one minute later, Lindsay Ronbeck took a Sydney Pirreca pass and put it past Lisella and Florida was again up by three.
Caroline Benitez first goal of the game sealed the win for the Gators and Florida's first NCAA quarterfinal berth since 2014 with 1:23 left in the game.
"I thought we did a great job down the stretch of really slowing them down and creating some turnovers, and Julie making some saves," Elliott said.
Missed Opportunities
CU was only able to score just three times on 11 free position shots, while UF was 4-of-8. In addition, Florida was called for three yellow cards, yet the Buffaloes were unable to score despite having a man advantage.
"At the end of any game you don't win, you can always look back and look at the things and the little missed opportunities," Elliott said. "But at the same time, I thought we fought hard and when we could have given up when we got down and we didn't. We kept getting ourselves back into position to compete until the end."
Stellar Career Comes To A Close
Kiernan obviously didn't conclude her CU career the way she would have liked, but she left an indelible mark on the school's record book. Florida shut her down like no other team had all year, but she still managed two goals and an assist that made her Colorado's first single-season 100-point scorer. She finished the year with 101 points on the strength of 70 goals and 31 assists, and also ended up as CU's all-time goal scorer (210) and points leader (287).
But it was also the final game in a CU uniform for seven other seniors: Cox, Sarah Brown, Sydney Evensen, Sophia Gambitsky, Kelsie Garrison, Tori Link and Annee O'Connor.
"Darby and her class is a special class, and it's a class we'll really miss," Elliott said. "They've been great leaders and played hard throughout it all. They're a class that really cares about this team, this program and their teammates. They're definitely going to be missed, and that's the tough part about today is just knowing that those guys aren't back here next year.
"Darby's obviously had a great career here and achieved many things on the field. But I think her class in general, their impact on this program will never be forgotten, and as a whole, have really set the bar high for every class following in their footsteps."
Elliott's Thoughts On The Season Overall
"I'm really proud of this group. I told them that after the game, but I'm not sure if they really heard it because they're upset. We wanted to keep playing and have more opportunities to be together. But at the same time, this group has been through a lot, from right before the season and then throughout, the ups and downs of losing a teammate and having another really sick and all in a short period of time is difficult. "But I think it was their perseverance throughout and their ability to keep competing and get us to a position to win a Pac-12 regular season championship, and then something we've never done, making it to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
"There's a lot for us to be proud of. I'm especially proud of how strong they were and how they really came together in the toughest of times. I think that's what our program is about. Hopefully as we continued we can get better and keep moving forward and get further into the tournament. But for this group, it's really special."
NOTES: The game time temperature was 86 degrees … Colorado was the only Pac-12 team to advance to the round of 16, as the other league school to qualify, Stanford, fell 12-3 to Virginia on Friday; UVA lost to James Madison, 15-12, Sunday … Lisella stopped seven of Florida's 12 second half shots … Stinson finished second on the team in scoring with 77 points (58 goals), which ties Kiernan's mark last year for the second-most points in a season; the 58 goals are second only to Kiernan's 70 this season … CU outscored its opponents in 20 games this season by 280-198 … Florida is now 7-0 this season when the opponent scored first … UF beat CU 16-9 at home back on Feb. 11, that was a close game for the most part as Florida led 9-8 with just under 17 minutes left in that one … Colorado scored seven goals in the first 10 minutes in its 23-18 win over Jacksonville in Friday's first round and nearly matched that Sunday with five against the Gators … CU finished with its second-most wins in a season (14) and is now 65-30 all-time, with Elliott coaching the team all five years in its young history.
Colorado (goals, assists—points): Cox 3,0—3; Kiernan 2,1—3; Castillo 1,1—2; Stinson 1,1—2; Grozier 1,0—1; Nemirov 1,0—1.
Florida: Sh.Pirecca 4,0—4; Sy.Pirreca 3,2—5; Haus 2,0—2; Benitez 1,1—2; Kavanagh 1,1—2; Hall 1,0—1; Ronbeck 1,0—1.
Shots On Goal: Florida 24, Colorado 20. Ground Balls: Florida 21, Colorado 20. Draw Controls: Colorado 14, Florida 10.
Free Position Shots-Goals: Florida 8-4, Colorado 11-3. Saves: Colorado 11, Florida 11.
Turnovers: Florida 14, Colorado 11. Total Fouls: Florida 32, Colorado 26.
Attendance: 378.
Records: Colorado 14-6; Florida 17-3.
Colorado (14-6), ranked 15th, scored on five of its first six shots in the game to build an early 5-0 lead inside the first six minutes. It was significant because Colorado had never lost when owning a five-goal or more lead in the five-year history of the program, including 11 previous wins this year.
But Florida, ranked sixth nationally and the No. 6 seed overall in the tournament, shook off the initial CU attack and rattled off the next eight goals. The Buffaloes were able to pull back to with one just once after that (9-8).
Florida improved to 17-3 on the season and to 11-2 at home, defeating the Buffs for the second time this year in the confines of its home park, and now advances to play at No. 3-seed James Madison (19-1) in the quarterfinals next weekend.
"I think overall we went out there and played really hard," CU coach Ann Elliott said. "Sure, we could have done some things a little bit better. But I thought we stuck with it. We kept making plays down to the end and giving ourselves chances and opportunities.
"I think the beginning of the game, obviously we had the ball and made some plays," she continued. "But they're a good team and when you're at this level, you're not going to blow by anybody and Florida is very good. I think when they had the ball offensively, they're big players were stepping up, they were dodging hard and making plays and finishing their opportunities and shots. That's what we expected them to do."
Fast Start
CU got off to a fast start as its top two scorers led the way to build a 4-0 lead. Senior Darby Kiernan scored just 58 seconds into the game, with junior Miranda Stinson following just 18 seconds later. Kiernan then scored on a free position shot at the 26:59 mark, and the junior Sophia Castillo set up senior Carly Cox for a fourth score in as many shots 39 seconds after that.
Florida didn't get off its first shots until over five minutes into the game, and when it did, sophomore goalie Julia Lisella stopped two Gator attempts within six seconds of each other.
Cox scored her second of the game to give the Buffs a 5-0 lead with 24:09 on the clock. However, Florida's defense stiffened and CU wouldn't score for the remainder of the first half and not until early in the second.
Gator Comeback
The Gators finally got on the board with a goal from Grace Haus on a free position attempt with 22:31 left in the half. CU's inability to capitalize on free position shots, scoring on just one of its first five tries, allowed the Gators to come all the way back with five unanswered goals to tie the game with 12:29 left in the half. Florida's Pirreca sisters, Shayna and Sydney, scored three of the goals.
Sydney Pirreca then gave UF its first lead with 10:57 on the clock, and then each sister added another goal, giving each a hat trick, for an 8-5 edge at just under the six-minute mark. The teams dueled to a scoreless draw the remainder of the half.
Second Half Slowdown
Freshman Sadie Grozier stopped the bleeding 45 seconds into the second half with her second goal of the postseason to pull CU back to within 8-6. But Shayna Pirreca answered a minute later with her fourth goal of the game to work the Gator lead to three again. But in the meantime, Colorado picked up its defensive intensity, allowing UF just three shots in the first 12½ minutes of the second half.
Almost 10 minutes went by before the next score, as CU junior Samantha Nemirov tallied on a free position shot from the left hash, managing to do so from a tough spot for a left-hander. Cox then joined the hat trick club on the day with CU's first, her third goal pulling CU within one, 9-8, at the 18:08 mark.
Florida controlled the draw control and went up 10-8 on its next possession with a goal from Madi Hall. UF won the draw again but this time, Lisella stopped Shayne Pirreca's shot to keep the lead at two. But two minutes later, with 14:46 on the clock, Haus scored her second goal of the day on a free shot and UF went back up, 11-8.
Down The Stretch
Castillo scored her first goal of the game from a nice assist from Stinson, and at the 9:32 mark, the Buffs were two down again at 11-9. But Stinson would receive CU's first yellow card of the game (8:22) on the next UF possession, rendering the Buffs minus one of their top attackers and the Gators would take advantage of it. Exactly one minute later, Lindsay Ronbeck took a Sydney Pirreca pass and put it past Lisella and Florida was again up by three.
Caroline Benitez first goal of the game sealed the win for the Gators and Florida's first NCAA quarterfinal berth since 2014 with 1:23 left in the game.
"I thought we did a great job down the stretch of really slowing them down and creating some turnovers, and Julie making some saves," Elliott said.
Missed Opportunities
CU was only able to score just three times on 11 free position shots, while UF was 4-of-8. In addition, Florida was called for three yellow cards, yet the Buffaloes were unable to score despite having a man advantage.
"At the end of any game you don't win, you can always look back and look at the things and the little missed opportunities," Elliott said. "But at the same time, I thought we fought hard and when we could have given up when we got down and we didn't. We kept getting ourselves back into position to compete until the end."
Stellar Career Comes To A Close
Kiernan obviously didn't conclude her CU career the way she would have liked, but she left an indelible mark on the school's record book. Florida shut her down like no other team had all year, but she still managed two goals and an assist that made her Colorado's first single-season 100-point scorer. She finished the year with 101 points on the strength of 70 goals and 31 assists, and also ended up as CU's all-time goal scorer (210) and points leader (287).
But it was also the final game in a CU uniform for seven other seniors: Cox, Sarah Brown, Sydney Evensen, Sophia Gambitsky, Kelsie Garrison, Tori Link and Annee O'Connor.
"Darby and her class is a special class, and it's a class we'll really miss," Elliott said. "They've been great leaders and played hard throughout it all. They're a class that really cares about this team, this program and their teammates. They're definitely going to be missed, and that's the tough part about today is just knowing that those guys aren't back here next year.
"Darby's obviously had a great career here and achieved many things on the field. But I think her class in general, their impact on this program will never be forgotten, and as a whole, have really set the bar high for every class following in their footsteps."
Elliott's Thoughts On The Season Overall
"I'm really proud of this group. I told them that after the game, but I'm not sure if they really heard it because they're upset. We wanted to keep playing and have more opportunities to be together. But at the same time, this group has been through a lot, from right before the season and then throughout, the ups and downs of losing a teammate and having another really sick and all in a short period of time is difficult. "But I think it was their perseverance throughout and their ability to keep competing and get us to a position to win a Pac-12 regular season championship, and then something we've never done, making it to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
"There's a lot for us to be proud of. I'm especially proud of how strong they were and how they really came together in the toughest of times. I think that's what our program is about. Hopefully as we continued we can get better and keep moving forward and get further into the tournament. But for this group, it's really special."
NOTES: The game time temperature was 86 degrees … Colorado was the only Pac-12 team to advance to the round of 16, as the other league school to qualify, Stanford, fell 12-3 to Virginia on Friday; UVA lost to James Madison, 15-12, Sunday … Lisella stopped seven of Florida's 12 second half shots … Stinson finished second on the team in scoring with 77 points (58 goals), which ties Kiernan's mark last year for the second-most points in a season; the 58 goals are second only to Kiernan's 70 this season … CU outscored its opponents in 20 games this season by 280-198 … Florida is now 7-0 this season when the opponent scored first … UF beat CU 16-9 at home back on Feb. 11, that was a close game for the most part as Florida led 9-8 with just under 17 minutes left in that one … Colorado scored seven goals in the first 10 minutes in its 23-18 win over Jacksonville in Friday's first round and nearly matched that Sunday with five against the Gators … CU finished with its second-most wins in a season (14) and is now 65-30 all-time, with Elliott coaching the team all five years in its young history.
COLORADO............... 5 4 — 9
Florida........................ 8 5 — 13
Colorado (goals, assists—points): Cox 3,0—3; Kiernan 2,1—3; Castillo 1,1—2; Stinson 1,1—2; Grozier 1,0—1; Nemirov 1,0—1.
Florida: Sh.Pirecca 4,0—4; Sy.Pirreca 3,2—5; Haus 2,0—2; Benitez 1,1—2; Kavanagh 1,1—2; Hall 1,0—1; Ronbeck 1,0—1.
Shots On Goal: Florida 24, Colorado 20. Ground Balls: Florida 21, Colorado 20. Draw Controls: Colorado 14, Florida 10.
Free Position Shots-Goals: Florida 8-4, Colorado 11-3. Saves: Colorado 11, Florida 11.
Turnovers: Florida 14, Colorado 11. Total Fouls: Florida 32, Colorado 26.
Attendance: 378.
Records: Colorado 14-6; Florida 17-3.
Team Stats
COLO
UF
Shots
28
29
Turnovers
11
14
Caused Turnovers
9
6
Draw Controls
14
10
Free-Position Shots
11
8
Ground Balls
20
21
Game Leaders
Players
G
2
A
1
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
1
CT
1
G
1
A
1
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
0
CT
0
G
1
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
1
CT
0
Players Mentioned
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/ Lacrosse
D
/ Lacrosse
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/ Lacrosse
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A
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