Colorado
3-0
Saint Joseph's
0-2
Colorado Defeats Saint Joseph's, Sweep Road Trip
February 18, 2024 | Lacrosse
Pisani Leads the Way Again
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The Colorado women's lacrosse team (3-0) narrowly defeated Saint Joseph's (0-2) by a score of 7-6 Sunday afternoon. Madeline Pisani notched her second consecutive game-winning score, alongside three additional goals, to secure a Buffs win.
The Buffs start the season with a three-game winning streak, last accomplishing the feat at the beginning of the 2022 season when they won their first five games.
CU's seven goals ties the lowest winning goal total while the matchup's 13 combined goals ties the lowest combined total in program history. The previous record was set during the 2015 season, when Colorado took down San Diego State in a similar 7-6 fashion.
"I am proud of this team," head coach Ann Elliott Whidden said. "Today we had to grind out this win. Some times you just have to find a way to get it done. This was a long trip for us - flying across the country, three-hour drive to Penn State then another three-hour drive to St. Joe's. It is a grind of a trip and I am proud for them finding a way today."
For the second straight game, Madeline Pisani was the Buffaloes top scorer, tallying four of her teams' seven goals. She now has 13 goals on the young season and has scored at least four or more times in each of the first three contests.
The Buffs held Saint Joseph's to two goals in the first half, the least amount of goals by an opponent in a half since the 2023 season when the California Bears scored twice in the first half and just once in the second.
CU managed to double up the Hawks on shot attempts (29-14) but SJU had 10 more saves (16-6), keeping it a low-scoring affair throughout. Each team scored three times off free position attempts with St. Joe's getting one more look (6-5) than the Buffs.
"We stepped on the field knowing we were going to have to earn it," Ann stated post game. "We just had a hard time finding back in net, credit to St. Joe's and their goalie - she played great. We got a few pipes on good opportunities. Through it all this team stuck together and stayed positive. They focused on what they could control and found a way."
Emily Dodd, Eve Hritzuk, and Ashley Stokes made up the remainder of the goal scorers for Colorado. Freshman Aidan Carr had a team-high four draw controls while Jess Peluso recorded a team-high three ground balls on the defensive side for CU.
Stokes was filling the stat sheet all day, tallying one goal and assist, two draw controls and two ground balls.
"Our draws were huge again in second half," coach Whidden stated. "When we needed possession we got it. Credit to that group again, everyone played a huge role and Ashley and Aidan came up with a couple big draw controls down stretch."
Danielle Heintz recorded six saves Sunday afternoon, her third consecutive game of six or more, while allowing six goals. She allowed 16 goals with 14 saves and a .485 save percentage over the weekend in the Buffs wins over Penn State and Saint Joseph's, with multiple game-saving plays in each contest.
Coach Whidden said, "Our defense was strong throughout and our middle depth was huge today. Danielle played another great game for us. Some days we will have to win on D and some days we will have to win on O. If we can continue to show up for each other we will find success."
KEEPING IT CLOSE
Colorado is on a three-game win streak to start the year, with each victory being won by just a single goal.
The Buffs won their season-opener in Boulder against Louisville with Eve Hritzuk striking the game-winner and now Madeline Pisani with back-to-back game-winning goals in CU's first road games of the year against Penn State and Saint Joseph's.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Sunday's matchup was the first time these two teams have faced off, with Colorado now leading the series 1-0.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Colorado let it loose early on, racking up nine total shots with seven on goal in the first period of play. CU's leading scorer, Madeline Pisani, came out quick, finding the back of the net, for the tenth time this season, to give the Buffs a 1-0 lead with 11:20 left in the first.
Eve Hritzuk slapped in her eighth goal of the year with 7:10 on the clock, giving Colorado a 2-0 advantage early on. SJU would knot things back up at two over the next five minutes thanks to free position goals from Bonnie Yu and Emma O'Neill. First-year player Emily Dodd would go on to give Colorado a 3-2 lead at the end of one after notching her second goal of the season with 1:28 left.
The Buffs made it very challenging for the Hawks offense to get anything going as they constantly dominated time of possession. CU scored their fourth goal in a man-up situation leading to Pisani's second goal of the contest, assisted by Ashley Stokes. Eight minutes later, at 4:51, Colorado capitalized on another Saint Joseph's penalty as Stokes extended her teams lead to three (5-2) on a free position shot. SJU was held scoreless in the quarter despite getting three shots on goal, all saved by goalkeeper Danielle Heintz.
After a scoreless second quarter for the home team, the Hawks came out of the break with a goal at 12:06 from Kate Fuhrman to cut the CU lead to two. St. Joe's brought it to a one-score game several minutes later after a free position attempt.
Pisani struck again with a free position attempt of her own, her third goal of the game, extending her teams' lead to two. SJU's Fuhrman scored once more with 1:36 left in the third to enter the final quarter trailing just one score.
Following the trend of the game, the final period of play went scoreless for 11 minutes until SJU's Maddie Yoder scored her second goal on the day, tying things up at six with 4:18 left in regulation.
With 3:09 on the clock, Saint Joseph was gifted a free position attempt to CU's red-hot Madeline Pisani who went on to knock in her fourth goal of the game and yet another game-winner, her second in a row.
Colorado would then successfully drain the final three minutes of the clock and move to 3-0, sweeping their weekend series.
UP NEXT
Colorado wraps up their two-game road trip and will now play their next game back in Boulder against No. 1 Northwestern. That game will take place Thursday, Feb. 22 at 11:00 a.m.
SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE
She does it ?????????? ??
— Colorado Buffaloes Lacrosse (@CUBuffsWLax) February 18, 2024
We have the lead in the final minutes of this one.
?? ESPN+#GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/phIwKh0tQr
Danielle Heintz!!!
— Colorado Buffaloes Lacrosse (@CUBuffsWLax) February 18, 2024
Miraculous save to keep the lead at one.
?? ESPN+#GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/SXve6PyHlW
Leaving the city of brotherly love with a W.#GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/esbh3WSZdf
— Colorado Buffaloes Lacrosse (@CUBuffsWLax) February 18, 2024
