Lacrosse Trio Sweeps MPSF Honors

BOULDER GÇô Three members of the University of Colorado womenGÇÖs lacrosse team swept the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Week honors after standout performances during the week of March 16-22.

Freshman Darby Kiernan was awarded Offensive Player of the Week, sophomore Paige Soenksen won Defensive Player of the Week and freshman Blair Sisk earned Rookie of the Week honors. Each played pivotal roles in helping the Buffs win back-to-back games. CU defeated the New Hampshire Wildcats 10-9 at home on March 17 and then rallied to beat Michigan, 14-13 in double-overtime on the road, March 22, after scoring six goals in just over seven minutes to force the overtime periods. With both victories, the Buffaloes improved to 4-2 on the season.

Kiernan was an offensive force for the Buffaloes, where she tallied a combined eight goals in two games and scored a pair of hat tricks. Against New Hampshire, Kiernan recorded a team-leading three goals and one assist in the BuffsGÇÖ victory. It was the midfielderGÇÖs third hat trick of the year. She put four of her six shots on goal, and also had two draw controls along with one ground ball. The Ridgewood, N.J. native followed it up with another stellar performance in Ann Arbor with a career and team-high five goals, including the game-winner in double-overtime as CU fought back to take down the Wolverines in The Big House and earn its first road win of the season. After trailing by five goals with 7:21 to play, Kiernan provided the spark to the BuffsGÇÖ offense, scoring the first of CUGÇÖs six goals to tie the game and push the contest into extra sessions. She capped off her best performance this season, notching the game-winning goal just over a minute into the sudden-victory period. Kiernan also had four ground balls and won five draw controls.

Soenksen continues to be a leader at the goalkeeper position and it showed as she earned both wins, making a total of 19 saves. She had 11 saves and two ground balls against the Wildcats and came through with two clutch saves in overtime versus the Wolverines, holding MichiganGÇÖs attack to only one goal in the first overtime period. She was rock-solid between the posts, only allowing two goals in the gameGÇÖs final 10 minutes (including 2OTs), which was key in CUGÇÖs huge comeback win.

Sisk, a Greenwood Village, Colo. native made her mark in both games as well, recording six points on five goals and one assist last week. In CUGÇÖs victory over New Hampshire, she had two goals and one assist, while winning four draw controls. Then when the Buffs hit the road to face Michigan, the midfielder found the back of the net three times to tally her second career hat trick. Her most pivotal goal came in the gameGÇÖs final 20 seconds of regulation when she scored the equalizer to force overtime. Sisk also netted CUGÇÖs first goal in the first overtime. She was 2-3 on 8-meter shots and now has recorded four multi-goal performances in six games this season.

It is Kiernan and SiskGÇÖs first conference Player of the Week honors and SoenksenGÇÖs third of her career.

The Buffs are back in action on Wednesday, March 25 in Newton, Mass. to face No. 2 Boston College at 2 p.m. MT.

Colorado University Athletics