No. 25 Colorado Lacrosse Falls to No. 3 Northwestern

EVANSTON, Ill. – The 25th-ranked Colorado lacrosse team (0-3, 0-0 Big 12) fell to No. 3 Northwestern (4-1, 0-0 Big Ten), 20-5, at Ryan FieldHouse on Friday, Feb. 21.

The Buffs fought hard against the Wildcats but weren't able to gain an advantage. Though freshman goalkeeper Elena Oh staved off five shots on goal from third-ranked Northwestern in the first quarter, the Buffs didn't register a score until the second quarter and were stuck at a hefty deficit all game.

"Not much to say. We are 0-3 and not doing much well outside of competing on the draws. What we are doing is not working -- outside of 15 minutes at Stanford, we cannot build momentum between the offense and defense," head coach Ann Elliott Whidden said. "One thing I know is we will not give up or stop believing in what we are capable of. I have to do a better job to help put this team in a position to win and our players in a position to be successful. We are going to work over the next week to figure out what changes need to be made and get ready for a slate of home games."

KEY PLAYERS:

Jr. Midfielder Lily Assini led scoring for CU with two goals. She also caused one turnover, picked up a ground ball and had four draw controls.
Fr. Goalkeeper Elena Oh saw her first collegiate start for the Buffs and collected six saves, five in the first quarter. She also picked up two ground balls.
So. Midfielder Emily Dodd had two points for Colorado, an assist and a goal.
So. Attacker Jaimey Hill notched a goal for the Black and Gold and managed a draw control.
Jr. Midfielder Maddie Shoup had a goal in the fourth quarter, and she picked up two ground balls.
Jr. Defender Jess Peluso had five draw controls and three ground balls.
So. Midfielder Averi Gardner had three draw controls, two ground balls and caused a turnover.
Jr. Midfielder Molly Reed caused two turnovers and picked up a ground ball.
For Northwestern, Madison Taylor led scoring for both teams with six goals.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

CU struggled to create offensive opportunities in the first quarter, only taking three shots, all of which were on goal. A turnover caused by Reed led to a failure to clear for Northwestern and a free position attempt for graduate attacker Kendall Havill. Freshman goalkeeper Elena Oh saw her first collegiate start for the Buffs and five saves in the first quarter alone. Colorado gave up six unanswered goals but had three of seven draw controls and successfully cleared all three.

Dodd opened scoring for the Buffs with an early second-quarter goal, fed by Hill. Plagued by fouls and turnovers, Colorado was able to grab five ground balls and four draw controls but only got off one shot on goal in the second. The Buffs finished the half down 12-1.
Early turnovers and fouls in the third quarter led to three unanswered goals from the Wildcats. With a little over four minutes left in the quarter, Hill scored, bringing CU to 15-2. The third quarter ended with the Buffs down 16-2.
Assini started the final quarter with a straw-in-the-wind goal, scoring in the first 11 seconds of the period, keeping the Black and Gold in the game with a score of 16-3 (NU). After a goal by Northwestern (17-3), Shoup responded by scoring her third goal of the season (17-4, NU). Halfway through the quarter, Assini scored a magnificent second goal of the game with an assist from Dodd (18-5, NU). Ultimately, the Buffaloes fell to the Wildcats, 20-5.

UP NEXT:

CU opens competition at home next week with Army West Point in Boulder, Colo. This will be the Buffs' first game at Prentup Field this year, Colorado Lacrosse's new home for the 2025 season. Opening draw against the Black Knights is set for 6 p.m. MT on Feb. 28. Fans can watch the game on ESPN+ and can follow along via Twitter @CUBuffsWLAX. Tickets for this game can be purchased here.

MATCH NOTES:

Colorado moves to 1-5 all-time against Northwestern.
The Buffs' road record against the Wildcats moves to 0-4.
CU moves to 122-70 (.635) all-time.

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 Twitter @CUBuffsWLax.

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Team Stats

Lily Assini

Emily Dodd

Maddie Shoup

Jaimey Hill

Players Mentioned

Lily Assini

Emily Dodd

Averi Gardner

Kendall Havill

Jaimey Hill

Elena Oh

Jess Peluso

Molly Reed

Maddie Shoup

Players Mentioned

Lily Assini

Emily Dodd

Averi Gardner

Kendall Havill

Jaimey Hill

Elena Oh

Jess Peluso

Molly Reed

Maddie Shoup