Colorado
11-5, 5-2
Oregon
8-6, 2-5
Buffs Dominate Senior Night Behind Pisani's Seven Goals
April 26, 2024 | Lacrosse
BOULDER — The no. 23 Colorado Buffaloes (11-5, 5-2 Pac-12) topped the Oregon Ducks (8-6, 2-5 Pac-12) behind Madeline Pisani's historic seven goal performance, which led to a 20-8 win on Senior Day. It was the last home and regular season game before the Buffs before heading to Southern California for the Pac-12 Tournament next week.
Colorado was set to play this game at Prentup Field, but due to weather conditions the game was forced to be played inside at the Indoor Practice Facility.
The Buffs were in a close 5-3 contest going into the second quarter, and were able to pull away after three consecutive scores from Pisani, putting them up five and never looking back.
"Always exciting on senior day," head coach Ann Elliott Whidden said. "This is an awesome senior class, and the fifth years we have so really excited to honor them obviously you know, not a hard adjustment but an adjustment going from thinking you're playing outside to inside and I thought the team handled that great you know, that can go one way or the other and they did a great job coming out with intensity and focus. This is a good Oregon team. They put pressure on us all over the field and I thought our team handled it really well. And then use it to our advantage, so just proud of the overall effort and proud we could honor the seniors with a win."
It was the senior — Pisani — who stole the show on Friday evening, posting a career-high seven goals in the game. It's just the second time this season that a CU player has scored seven or more goals in a game. Ashley Stokes did it two weeks ago at home against Kent State.
She ends the regular season with 56 goals, which leads the conference, and is the only Buff to score in every contest this season. Pisani scored four or more goals eight different times this season, by far the most on the team and in the Pac-12.
Another senior, Stokes, once again put on a stellar performance for the Buffs, scoring four goals in her final game in Boulder. It's the third time in the last five games she's had three or more scores. Stokes ends the regular season with 34 goals, breaking her previous career-high of 32 she set during the 2023 season.
The third CU senior to record a hat trick on the night was Eve Hritzuk. She had three scores and ends the regular season with 33 goals, the third most on the team.
Pisani, Stokes, and Eve Hritzuk were the three CU players (all seniors) to record multiple goals in the win and combine for 14 of the teams' 20 goals.
Camryn Stoner showed out on the defensive end of the field, tallying a career-high four caused turnovers. Stoner ends her last campaign as a Buff with 15 caused turnovers.
The sophomore Jess Peluso also posted four caused turnovers, bringing her season total up to 39. Peluso broke the single-season school record for caused turnovers last game against USC.
"I think for us just being a little more aggressive today but also controlled," coach Whidden stated on the team's offense. "I think we passed up some okay opportunities for better opportunities and that's something we were focused on from last week, just playing a little bit more disciplined on the offensive end. We won a lot of the draw controls which I think helped and gave us the ball which gives us an opportunity obviously score."
HOW IT HAPPENED
The senior Ashley Stokes found the net first in this contest, putting the Buffs up 1-0 over the Ducks. Oregon responded a few minutes later to tie the game on one. Pisani scored her first of the game with 8:07 remaining in the first period. Maddie Shoup scored 30 seconds later for the Buffs, putting them up 3-1 early on.
Oregon bounced back with a goal a minute after Maddie Shoup scored, but Sydney Zimmerman punched back with another score for CU, making it a 4-2 lead. OU's Morgan McCarthy knocked one into the net after taking it the distance of the field. Emily Dodd closed out scoring in the first quarter, with an impressive goal on a free position attempt, putting Colorado up 5-3 after one.
Pisani tallied the first goal of the second quarter, giving the Buffs their biggest lead of the game, she scored her third of the game just under two minutes later on a free position attempt. With a hot stick, Pisani tried her luck one more time near the net, and it worked out for her fourth score of the contest before the second half.
With a 8-3 lead, the Ducks broke their scoreless drought with a goal from Riley Taylor. Lily Assini joined the scoring fun, with her 10th goal of the season to put the Buffs up back by five. Stokes notched her second goal of the game, to make it a 10-4 score with five minuted remaining in the half. Oregon scored with 2:29 left in the second quarter to bring them a little closer. Pisani tallied her fifth goal of the game just before the clock expired in the first half. CU enters the break up 13-5.
Of course, Pisani scored first for the Buffs in the second half, putting them up 14-5. Hritzuk tallied her second goal of the game, the third Buff on the night with multiple scores, giving a Colorado a double-digit lead and a running clock. Pisani posted her seventh goal of the night, continuing her historic game.
Rachel Kennedy, Averi Gardner, Stokes, and Hritzuk all found the net one more time in the fourth quarter, Oregon had two scores in the final quarter but it wouldn't be enough, as the Buffs would reign victorious, 20-8.
GOAL SCORERS
Madeline Pisani - 7
Ashley Stokes - 4
Eve Hritzuk - 3
Maddie Shoup - 1
Sydney Zimmerman - 1
Emily Dodd - 1
Lily Assini - 1
Rachel Kennedy - 1
Averi Gardner - 1
UP NEXT
With the conclusion of the regular season, the Buffs will begin postseason play this next week in Los Angeles, California. The Pac-12 Tournament will begin Wednesday, May 1 and end on Saturday, May 4. CU will be the no. 3 seed in the bracket.
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