Colorado
10-7
Oregon
5-12
Buffs Advance In First Round of Pac-12 Tournament
May 03, 2023 | Lacrosse
Colorado took a 16-10 victory over Oregon.
BERKELEY – Colorado lacrosse advanced to the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals after taking down the Oregon Ducks 16-10 here Wednesday night at California Memorial Stadium.
Despite the rainy conditions, strong second and fourth quarters allowed the Buffaloes (10-7, 7-3 Pac-12) to avenge last year's first round exit against the Ducks (5-12,1-9) to move on to play Stanford in the next round.
"It was a hard fought game, and we knew it would be," head coach Ann Elliott Whidden commented after the victory. "I'm proud of how our team responded in the second quarter and especially fourth quarter to solidify the win."
Colorado's defense was a force this evening, causing 10 Oregon turnovers and allowing just 14 shots on goal.
The offense was led by Ashley Stokes who scored three goals and assisted on three more. Sam McGee was also the leading goal-scorer in the game as she put four in the back of the net tonight.
After getting past the first round, Colorado will have a tough opponent in Stanford. The Buffs split games in two matchups with the Cardinal this season, winning one at home and losing one on the road.
"[Stanford] will be a tough game for us, and it will come down to our mental toughness," Whidden said. "We are prepared for that challenge. Possession will be key and we have to find a way to compete on the draws all four quarters.
"We are excited to have another day tomorrow and will make sure we are prepared and rested in the quick turnaround."
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Colorado was the first to score in the game as McGee scored on an assist from Ashley Stokes, making it 1-0 with 11:53 to go in the first quarter. Just over a minute later, Oregon responded with a goal of its own to tie things up. Shortly after, McGee picked up her second goal of the night after a Ducks turnover to give CU the lead at 2-1. Following a free-position attempt, Stokes was the next to score for the Buffs to extend their lead to 3-1. Oregon was able to score two more goals in the quarter to head into the second tied at 3-3.
Within the first five minutes of the second, both teams scored two apiece to make it 5-5. Colorado was then able to go up 8-5 following goals from Stokes, McGee and a free-position goal from Rudy. Shortly after, CU went up four goals after a goal from Morgan Pence. The Buffs held a 9-5 lead at halftime.
Both teams put a goal on the board in the first three minutes of the second half. Later in the quarter, the Ducks came within three at 10-7 with a goal right after a successful clear. With 4:05 remaining in the third, Oregon cut its deficit to just two to force a Colorado timeout. The Ducks made it 10-9 on a free-position attempt with 38 seconds to go, however Pence answered for the Buffs with a free-position goal of her own, making it 11-9 going into the final quarter.
CU came out firing in the fourth quarter, scoring three goals before the 10-minute mark to take a 14-9 lead. After the Ducks made it 14-10, Colorado was able to pull away with a goal from Pence and a free-position goal from Liz Phillips. The Buffs outscored Oregon 5-1 in the quarter and won the game 16-10.
UP NEXT:
Colorado Lacrosse will face off against the Stanford Cardinal in the second round of the Pac-12 Tournament tomorrow, May 4th at 8:00 p.m. MT.
