Sunday, March 26
Tempe, Ariz.
1:00 PM
Colorado
(3-5, 2-1Pac-12)
17
at
13
Arizona State
(2-5, 1-1Pac-12)
1
2
3
4
F
Colorado
4
4
5
4
17
Arizona State
0
2
7
4
13
Sam McGee shoots on a free position attempt.
McGee Sets New Season High In Victory Over ASU
March 26, 2023 | Lacrosse
Sam McGee scored six goals against the Sun Devils
Tempe, Ariz. - Colorado lacrosse defeated Arizona State University 17-13 in a scoring bonanza which saw four Buffs earn hat tricks. Sixth year graduate student Sam McGee put away six goals, the most of any CU player in a single game this season.
The Buffs'Â (4-5, 3-1) victory marked the first time they've defeated ASU (2-5, 1-2) since 2021.
"Today was a hard fought game for us. I didn't expect anything today to be easy. This is a well-coached Arizona State team that is well tested with their schedule," head coach Ann Elliott Whidden said following the win. "I am proud of this team for finding a way to win. It was not pretty or easy, but we found a way and made plays when we needed to."
Although the Sun Devils gathered 21 draw controls compared to the Buffs' 7, Colorado's solid defense prevented ASU from ever gaining a lead. Goalkeeper Grace Donnelly had 14 saves while CU forced 11 ASU turnovers.
"Moving forward, we have to find a way to play better in these tough stretches of back-to-back Friday and Sunday weekends," Coach Whidden commented. "We made some simple things hard, and it put us in a tough spot down the stretch. We responded, which is awesome, but I know this team can do better in these other moments and we will. All these conference games are created equal and this was a huge one for our team."
On the offensive front, McGee, Charlie Rudy, Ashley Stokes, and Zoe McElhaney all earned hat tricks during the fixture. McElhaney's three goals were a new personal career high for a single game.Â
Sydney Zimmerman also contributed one goal to the offense, earning her third goal this season.
The Buffs will be on the road again next weekend when they head to Eugene to face Oregon on April 1 at 5 p.m. MT.Â
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Buffs jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the first quarter as Donnelly recorded two saves to keep the Sun Devils scoreless. Rudy put away three goals in the first quarter alone, earning her eighth hat trick in nine games and recording her 30th season goal during the scoring run.Â
The Sun Devils came out with a vengeance in the second quarter, firing off two goals in the first five minutes. Stokes finally put an end to the scoring run with her first goal of the day. CU would then score another three unanswered goals to finish up the second quarter with an 8-2 lead.
In the second half, the Buffs picked up right where they'd left off in the first as McGee scored her third goal in just over a minute of play. ASU responded with two goals of their own, but Colorado struck back as McElhaney and Stokes put away their own pair of goals to make it 11-4. ASU refused to go away quietly though, and they recorded another three goals before Stokes scored on a player-up opportunity for a 12-7 lead. McGee followed-up with her fourth goal, but the Sun Devils earned two more goals in the final minute of the third to trail 13-9 entering the fourth quarter.
The final quarter proved to be just as exciting as all the others as the two teams traded blows. ASU struck first, scoring on a free position opportunity, following up with another goal from Katie Brodsky to put the Sun Devils within two.
Colorado responded with their own pair of goals to extend the lead back to four at 15-11. However, ASU wasn't done yet and scored 30 seconds later. Rudy found her fourth goal with 2:28 left on the clock and McGee recorded her sixth in an empty goal opportunity. ASU earned the final goal of the day with three seconds left in the game, but it wasn't enough for a Sun Devil comeback. The Buffs walked away with a 17-13 victory.
Â
The Buffs'Â (4-5, 3-1) victory marked the first time they've defeated ASU (2-5, 1-2) since 2021.
"Today was a hard fought game for us. I didn't expect anything today to be easy. This is a well-coached Arizona State team that is well tested with their schedule," head coach Ann Elliott Whidden said following the win. "I am proud of this team for finding a way to win. It was not pretty or easy, but we found a way and made plays when we needed to."
Although the Sun Devils gathered 21 draw controls compared to the Buffs' 7, Colorado's solid defense prevented ASU from ever gaining a lead. Goalkeeper Grace Donnelly had 14 saves while CU forced 11 ASU turnovers.
"Moving forward, we have to find a way to play better in these tough stretches of back-to-back Friday and Sunday weekends," Coach Whidden commented. "We made some simple things hard, and it put us in a tough spot down the stretch. We responded, which is awesome, but I know this team can do better in these other moments and we will. All these conference games are created equal and this was a huge one for our team."
On the offensive front, McGee, Charlie Rudy, Ashley Stokes, and Zoe McElhaney all earned hat tricks during the fixture. McElhaney's three goals were a new personal career high for a single game.Â
Sydney Zimmerman also contributed one goal to the offense, earning her third goal this season.
The Buffs will be on the road again next weekend when they head to Eugene to face Oregon on April 1 at 5 p.m. MT.Â
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Buffs jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the first quarter as Donnelly recorded two saves to keep the Sun Devils scoreless. Rudy put away three goals in the first quarter alone, earning her eighth hat trick in nine games and recording her 30th season goal during the scoring run.Â
The Sun Devils came out with a vengeance in the second quarter, firing off two goals in the first five minutes. Stokes finally put an end to the scoring run with her first goal of the day. CU would then score another three unanswered goals to finish up the second quarter with an 8-2 lead.
In the second half, the Buffs picked up right where they'd left off in the first as McGee scored her third goal in just over a minute of play. ASU responded with two goals of their own, but Colorado struck back as McElhaney and Stokes put away their own pair of goals to make it 11-4. ASU refused to go away quietly though, and they recorded another three goals before Stokes scored on a player-up opportunity for a 12-7 lead. McGee followed-up with her fourth goal, but the Sun Devils earned two more goals in the final minute of the third to trail 13-9 entering the fourth quarter.
The final quarter proved to be just as exciting as all the others as the two teams traded blows. ASU struck first, scoring on a free position opportunity, following up with another goal from Katie Brodsky to put the Sun Devils within two.
Colorado responded with their own pair of goals to extend the lead back to four at 15-11. However, ASU wasn't done yet and scored 30 seconds later. Rudy found her fourth goal with 2:28 left on the clock and McGee recorded her sixth in an empty goal opportunity. ASU earned the final goal of the day with three seconds left in the game, but it wasn't enough for a Sun Devil comeback. The Buffs walked away with a 17-13 victory.
Â
Team Stats
COLO
ASU
Shots
27
36
Turnovers
7
11
Caused Turnovers
11
6
Draw Controls
7
21
Free-Position Shots
1
6
Ground Balls
12
9
Game Leaders
G
4
A
1
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
1
CT
1
G
3
A
2
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
1
CT
1
G
3
A
1
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
0
CT
0
Players Mentioned
G
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