Since the University of Colorado began varsity women’s lacrosse in 2014, lacrosse cogniscenti have been waiting for a breakthrough for this side, which is based in one of the core growth areas of the game.
The Buffaloes made three straight NCAA Tournaments from 2017 to 2019, but saw its cross-state rival Denver make the 2023 national semifinals.
Oddly enough, yesterday the Buffaloes beat the very team that eliminated Denver three years ago in the Final Four — the Northwestern Wildcats.
Northwestern, the second-best team in the country last year, was expected to contend again for national honors because of the presence of attacker Madison Taylor and a number of wonderful players that came through the transfer portal.
But it was Colorado who scored the final two goals of the game to take the game. Madison Shoup was the heroine of the day, scoring the final goal in a 9-8 win. Shoup has become a consistent midfielder for the Buffaloes. She had at least one goal in all but two games a year ago, and came through yesterday in the biggest way, with a five-goal effort.
So, how did the Buffs win this game, especially when losing the battle 17-4 at the draw circle?
I think a big part of it was Colorado’s defensive back seven. Molly Reed, Lily Assini, Jess Peluso, and Lola Flynn were especially stout in front of goalie Elena Oh.
This result may be only one game out of many, but this should scare the living daylights out of the Big 12 as well as teams up and down the schedule. The April 15th Rocky Mountain Derby against Denver University now stands out in prominence as a showcase matchup that could define the Division I bracket.
Keep an eye out for the Buffs.