Colorado
5-3
Stanford
5-2
Buffs Fall to Stanford in Conference Opener
March 15, 2024 | Lacrosse
BOULDER — The No. 19 Colorado Buffaloes fell to conference rival Stanford Friday afternoon by the score of 18-12.
Colorado moves to 5-3 (0-1 Pac-12) on the year, while the Cardinal improve to 5-2 (1-0 Pac-12).
Seven consecutive goals by Stanford to open the second half ultimately led to a Colorado loss, as it would be too much to overcome.
"I don't think we played our best," coach Whidden said after the game. "I think this is a team that cares, and they played hard. I don't think you could watch that game and not think that we tried to compete and play hard, but we didn't execute well. We had a horrible third quarter. That's the difference in the game. Draws contributed to that for that small portion. But really, we just weren't doing the things we're capable of doing. And if you don't execute on defense, and you don't execute on offense, and you're not winning the draw that happens at the same time."
Eve Hritzuk and Madeline Pisani were the two Buffaloes with multiple goals in the contest. Hritzuk tallied three goals, while Pisani had two. Eve has scored three times in three of the last four games, and now has 17 goals on the season.
Stanford was led by Aliya Polisky and Jordyn Case. Polisky recorded seven goals while Case had five herself, the two combined for 12 of their teams' 17 goals on the day.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Cardinal opened up the scoring, followed up by Madeline Pisani's 28th goal of the season to tie things at one for CU early on in this one.
Back-to-back scores in eighth minute pushed Stanford out to a 3-1 lead. Eve Hritzuk slapped in the second goal for the Buffs, on a free position attempt to bring them within one score. Sydney Zimmerman tied the game at three for CU less than a minute later, dominating possession, Colorado earned their first lead of the day on Hritzuk's second goal shortly after.
Running the length of the field, Maddie Shoup slapped one past Stanford's goalie to put her team up 5-3 with 1:59 in the first quarter. It would be the last score in the first period of play.
Stanford answered back with 13:36 in the second quarter, cutting the CU lead to one. They tied the game at five less than 30 seconds later, via Aliya Polisky score. Polisky followed up with another goal two minutes later to recapture the lead for Stanford, 6-5.
After back-and-forth defensive play most of the second quarter, the Buffs found the back of the net once more with four minutes remaining in the first half. Pisani scored her second goal of the game to tie the game at six.
Jordyn Case opened up the second half with consecutive goals for Stanford, putting them out to a 8-6 lead early in the third quarter. Polisky scored for the third time in the game, to extend the opposing lead to three, the largest of the game for either squad.
Stanford would score the first seven goals of the second half to go out to a 13-6 lead. Three consecutive scores from CU to start the fourth (Reed, Dodd, Stokes) brought the Buffs within five, 16-11.
GOAL SCORERS
Hritzuk - 2
Pisani - 2
Zimmerman - 3
Shoup - 1
Reed - 1
Dodd - 1
Stokes - 1
FINAL QUOTE
UP NEXT
The Buffs will hit the road next week, where they will take on Cal in Berkeley next Saturday, March 23 at 1 p.m. MST.
SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE
Goal #29 for #29 ?????
— Colorado Buffaloes Lacrosse (@CUBuffsWLax) March 15, 2024
Madeline ties this game up at 6 with her second score of the game!#GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/toRQCtHZYg
Syd putting em' in a blender!
— Colorado Buffaloes Lacrosse (@CUBuffsWLax) March 15, 2024
Spin and score???#GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/Gq7SfHyAxb
Running the length of the field, SHOUP N' SCORE ??
— Colorado Buffaloes Lacrosse (@CUBuffsWLax) March 15, 2024
Buffs up two!#GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/qX2NQQVEZK
