Colorado University Athletics
Colorado Lacrosse’s Madeline Pisani Named 2025 Preseason Big 12 Attack Player of the Year
January 30, 2025 | Lacrosse
Junior midfielder Lily Assini and junior defender Jess Peluso were selected to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, and the Buffs were picked to finish second in the 2025 Preseason Big 12 Lacrosse Poll
IRVING, Texas – Colorado lacrosse graduate attacker Madeline Pisani (Clarendon Hills, Ill./Hinsdale Central HS) was named 2025 Preseason Big 12 Attack Player of the Year, the Big 12 Conference announced on Thursday, Jan. 30. Junior midfielder Lily Assini (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) and junior defender Jess Peluso (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip HS) were selected to the 18-player 2025 Preseason All-Big 12 Team along with Pisani.
As a team, the Buffs were picked to finish second in the 2025 Big 12 Preseason Lacrosse Poll. Colorado will play its first season in the inaugural Big 12 Conference and will host the first-ever Big 12 Lacrosse Championship in Boulder, Colo. at Prentup Field in May at the conclusion of the 2025 regular season.
The poll and awards were determined by Big 12 lacrosse head coaches who could not vote for their team. This year's preseason team was 18 members and includes student-athletes from all six schools.
Pisani led the Colorado lacrosse team and the Pac-12 in goals (62), points (75) and shots (127) in the 2024 regular season, and she ended the postseason leading the team in all three categories (67, 80, 138). She had two game winning goals in the 2024 season – one at Penn State (Feb. 16) and one at Saint Joseph's (Feb. 18). Pisani obtained Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week and IWLCA Offensive Player of the Week after these two performances (Feb. 20). In the 2024 season, she also recorded a career-high seven goals on 10 shots on goal against Oregon (Apr. 26), and she recorded three or more goals on 14 different occasions. These selections mark Pisani's second and third 2025 preseason awards.
Assini ended the 2024 season with 12 goals on 19 shots on goal (.559 SOG%), 10 assists, 22 points, 23 ground balls, 12 caused turnovers and 36 draw controls. She had one game winning goal against Oregon (Apr. 26), and she had four free position goals. She had two games with three assists, against Northwestern (Feb. 22) and San Diego State (Mar. 30), and at least one draw control in 18 of 19 contests. She also had at least one ground ball in 13 of 19 games and had three ground balls on three different occasions – against Louisville (Feb. 11), at Central Michigan (Feb. 29) and at UC Davis (Apr. 6). At the conclusion of the 2024 regular season, she was named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team.
Peluso led the Pac-12 in caused turnovers with 39 in the regular season and ended the 2024 season with 42 total. She also picked up 31 ground balls and five draw controls. Peluso achieved Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week twice in the 2024 season. The first came after performances at Penn State (Feb. 16) and at Saint Joe's (Feb. 18) where she caused three turnovers in each game (six total) and collected three ground balls on the weekend. The second was awarded after her performance at Cal (Mar. 23) where she caused five turnovers – tying for third in CU history for caused turnovers on a single game -- and picked up four ground balls. She was also selected to the All-Pac-12 Second Team in 2024.
The Buffs open the 2025 season on the road at Stanford on Feb. 13. After bouts with USC (Feb. 16) and Northwestern (Feb. 21), CU will host Army on Feb. 28 at Prentup Field for its home opener. Colorado will play nine nonconference games before starting Big 12 play on the road at San Diego State (Mar. 29), and the Black and Gold will host Florida to open Big 12 play at Prentup (Apr. 12).
Fans can purchase their tickets for home CU lacrosse games at Prentup Field here and view the full schedule here.
In 2024, the Buffs (13-6, 5-2 Pac-12) came in second in the Pac-12 conference after falling to Stanford, 11-8, in the Pac-12 Championship match. Colorado ended the season ranked 20th in the USA Lacrosse poll and 22nd in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll. Graduate attacker Madeline Pisani and junior defender Jess Peluso were both earned USA Lacrosse Magazine All-America Honorable Mentions at the end of the 2024 season, and four Buffs were chosen for the All-Pac-12 Team. The Buffs are coached by 12th-year head coach Ann Elliott Whidden, who was named IWLCA West/Midwest Region Coach of the Year (2017 and '18), was the 2018 Pac-12 Coach of the Year and 2017 MPSF Coach of the Year.
For more information on the Colorado women's lacrosse team, a complete schedule and results, please visit CUBuffs.com. Fans of the Buffs can follow the team on Instagram and on Twitter @CUBuffsWLax.
As a team, the Buffs were picked to finish second in the 2025 Big 12 Preseason Lacrosse Poll. Colorado will play its first season in the inaugural Big 12 Conference and will host the first-ever Big 12 Lacrosse Championship in Boulder, Colo. at Prentup Field in May at the conclusion of the 2025 regular season.
The poll and awards were determined by Big 12 lacrosse head coaches who could not vote for their team. This year's preseason team was 18 members and includes student-athletes from all six schools.
Pisani led the Colorado lacrosse team and the Pac-12 in goals (62), points (75) and shots (127) in the 2024 regular season, and she ended the postseason leading the team in all three categories (67, 80, 138). She had two game winning goals in the 2024 season – one at Penn State (Feb. 16) and one at Saint Joseph's (Feb. 18). Pisani obtained Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week and IWLCA Offensive Player of the Week after these two performances (Feb. 20). In the 2024 season, she also recorded a career-high seven goals on 10 shots on goal against Oregon (Apr. 26), and she recorded three or more goals on 14 different occasions. These selections mark Pisani's second and third 2025 preseason awards.
Assini ended the 2024 season with 12 goals on 19 shots on goal (.559 SOG%), 10 assists, 22 points, 23 ground balls, 12 caused turnovers and 36 draw controls. She had one game winning goal against Oregon (Apr. 26), and she had four free position goals. She had two games with three assists, against Northwestern (Feb. 22) and San Diego State (Mar. 30), and at least one draw control in 18 of 19 contests. She also had at least one ground ball in 13 of 19 games and had three ground balls on three different occasions – against Louisville (Feb. 11), at Central Michigan (Feb. 29) and at UC Davis (Apr. 6). At the conclusion of the 2024 regular season, she was named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team.
Peluso led the Pac-12 in caused turnovers with 39 in the regular season and ended the 2024 season with 42 total. She also picked up 31 ground balls and five draw controls. Peluso achieved Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week twice in the 2024 season. The first came after performances at Penn State (Feb. 16) and at Saint Joe's (Feb. 18) where she caused three turnovers in each game (six total) and collected three ground balls on the weekend. The second was awarded after her performance at Cal (Mar. 23) where she caused five turnovers – tying for third in CU history for caused turnovers on a single game -- and picked up four ground balls. She was also selected to the All-Pac-12 Second Team in 2024.
The Buffs open the 2025 season on the road at Stanford on Feb. 13. After bouts with USC (Feb. 16) and Northwestern (Feb. 21), CU will host Army on Feb. 28 at Prentup Field for its home opener. Colorado will play nine nonconference games before starting Big 12 play on the road at San Diego State (Mar. 29), and the Black and Gold will host Florida to open Big 12 play at Prentup (Apr. 12).
Fans can purchase their tickets for home CU lacrosse games at Prentup Field here and view the full schedule here.
In 2024, the Buffs (13-6, 5-2 Pac-12) came in second in the Pac-12 conference after falling to Stanford, 11-8, in the Pac-12 Championship match. Colorado ended the season ranked 20th in the USA Lacrosse poll and 22nd in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll. Graduate attacker Madeline Pisani and junior defender Jess Peluso were both earned USA Lacrosse Magazine All-America Honorable Mentions at the end of the 2024 season, and four Buffs were chosen for the All-Pac-12 Team. The Buffs are coached by 12th-year head coach Ann Elliott Whidden, who was named IWLCA West/Midwest Region Coach of the Year (2017 and '18), was the 2018 Pac-12 Coach of the Year and 2017 MPSF Coach of the Year.
For more information on the Colorado women's lacrosse team, a complete schedule and results, please visit CUBuffs.com. Fans of the Buffs can follow the team on Instagram and on Twitter @CUBuffsWLax.
Players Mentioned
Monday, May 04
Monday, May 04
Sunday, April 26
Saturday, April 18