Colorado
4-1
Central Michigan
0-6
Buffs Bounce Back, Defeat Central Michigan on the Road
February 29, 2024 | Lacrosse
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — Colorado's Madeline Pisani scored four goals Thursday afternoon to power the Buffaloes' lacrosse team to a 13-7 win over Central Michigan.
With the win, The Buffs are now 4-1 on the young season while Central Michigan moves to 0-6. CU impressively out-shot the Chippewas 42-13.
"Credit to CMU they put us on our heels in beginning," head coach Ann Elliott Whidden said post-game. "I wasn't overly pleased with way we came out, we have talked about specific keys all week and didn't execute great in those. We have to do a better job from the start. Overall I thought this group remained committed and made plays we needed. We did great on draws which was an emphasis for us and key for us today. We just have to do better executing. We had good looks and opportunities but didn't finish at level we are capable of and need too."
After falling behind by three goals early in the first quarter, CU went on a 5-1 run in the final 16 minutes of the first half to secure the lead and hold it until the end of regulation. Colorado outscored Central Michigan 7-2 in the second half to pull away for their fourth win.
Emily Dodd opened the scoring for Colorado, but it was the Pac-12's leading goal scorer that shifted the momentum in favor of the Buffaloes.
Pisani scored goals 17, 18, and 19 on the campaign all in the matter of two and a half minutes of play, spanning between the end of the first and beginning of the second quarters. She scored once more in the third quarter.
It is now the fifth game to start the season in which Pisani has recorded three or more goals, leading the team and the conference with 20 goals overall. She has scored at least four times in four of the five games. Pisani is currently one of six players in the nation with 20 or more goals.
FANTASTIC FRESHMEN
The Colorado native — Aidan Carr — had a career-high 10 draw controls, the most by a Colorado player so far this season. Carr doubled up CMU on draw controls as a team, who had just five for the game. Last CU player with 10 or more draw controls in a single game was Zoe McElhaney, with 15 in a win over Arizona State last season.
Another freshman, Dodd, logged a career-high two goals and four draw controls in the win. Carr and Dodd accounted for 14 of Colorado's 19 draw controls on the day.
SOPHOMORE STARS
CU had season-highs in draw controls (19) and caused turnovers (16) during Thursday's game. Five different Buffaloes (Hanlon, Gardner, Reed, Assini, Carson) had multiple caused turnovers including Molly Reed and Mary Carson, each with three, marking career-highs for both second-year players.
Lily Assini impressed once again on both sides of the ball. She found the back of the net for her first score of the season but also lead her team with three ground balls. On top of all that, Assini contributed two draw controls and two caused turnovers in the win over CMU.
GOAL SCORERS
Madeline Pisani - 4
Rachel Kennedy - 3 (Career-High)
Emily Dodd - 2 (Career-High)
Ashley Stokes - 1
Molly Reed - 1
Lily Assini - 1
Sydney Zimmerman - 1
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Chippewas started out with three consecutive goals in the first seven minutes of the game, to take a demanding 3-0 lead. First-year player for the Buffs, Emily Dodd, netted her fourth goal of the season with 5:56 remaining in the first period of play. Each team managed to score in the last 30 seconds of the first, including Pisani's first o n the afternoon.
Exactly how CMU started the game off, the Buffs scored three consecutive times of their own in the second quarter. Pisani recorded her fifth hat trick of the season, scoring the first two of the period, followed up by Rachel Kennedy to take a 5-4 lead. Central Michigan would tie the game up via free position goal a few minutes later.
Molly Reed found the back of the net for the second time this season with 2:29 remaining in the half, assisted by Eve Hritzuk to give Colorado a one point lead headed into the break.
Skye DePrado started things off in the second half with a free position goal for the Chippewas, tying things up at six early on. The next eight minutes of the quarter went quiet, until Pisani scored her fourth of the game claiming the lead again. Just over thirty seconds later, Dodd got her second goal of the game giving the Buffs their largest lead of the day.
The Buffs once again utilized the final minute of the quarter, scoring twice with half a minute to go in the third. Kennedy logged her second score of the game followed by a Lily Assini goal with two seconds left, her first of the year.
Leading 10-7 into the final period of play, the Buffaloes had a comfortable three-point lead but Ashley Stokes chimed in, scoring a free position goal with 11:55 left in the contest.
The Chippewas couldn't get anything going on offense in the closing minutes, leaving the door open just enough for CU to tack on a few more. The Buffaloes poured on two more goals, courtesy of Sydney Zimmerman and Kennedy, effectively putting the game to an end.
FINAL QUOTE
"We have to execute better Saturday," Whidden stated. "That will be key for us as well as just possession overall. This team is capable of a lot but we aren't as consistent as we need to be, we will keep focusing on that and building. This is a great group."
UP NEXT
The Buffaloes will take on the Michigan Wolverines Saturday morning in Ann Arbor, at 10 a.m. on the Big 10 + Network.
SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE
Speechless.
— Colorado Buffaloes Lacrosse (@CUBuffsWLax) February 29, 2024
Madeline Pisani. Tie game. ?? trick! #GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/mEBJKjS6j3
Number one of the game for ???????????? ?????? ??#GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/BwBbDjn7Nu
— Colorado Buffaloes Lacrosse (@CUBuffsWLax) February 29, 2024
?????? ?????????? ??
— Colorado Buffaloes Lacrosse (@CUBuffsWLax) February 29, 2024
Career-high three goals for Rachel Kennedy!#GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/YmRqYgQ9zW
