Peluso, Pisani Selected for Big 12 Lacrosse Weekly Honors
April 01, 2025 | Lacrosse
Junior defender Jess Peluso earns her fourth conference honor, and graduate attacker Madeline Pisani is awarded her second
BOULDER – Colorado lacrosse junior defender Jess Peluso (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip HS) was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, and graduate attacker Madeline Pisani (Clarendon Hills, Ill./Hinsdale Central HS) was picked for Attack Player of the Week, the Conference announced Tuesday, April 1.
These are the seventh and eighth weekly honors for the Buffs this season, and this is the fifth week in a row that the Black and Gold have landed a player of the week.
Peluso receives her fourth career recognition -- second in the Big 12 -- for conference Defensive Player of the Week. She reached a career-high 12 draw controls and picked up a ground ball against San Diego State (Mar. 29). Peluso is currently second the Big 12 in draw controls per game (6.40) and is seventh for ground balls per game (1.80). Her 6.40 draw controls per game puts her at 31st in the NCAA. Her 12 draw controls matched for sixth all-time for draw controls in a single game. She has started all 10 games this season for CU and currently totals 64 draw controls, 18 ground balls and nine caused turnovers on the season. With five regular season games remaining in the 2025 season, Peluso's 64 draw controls put her in eighth for draw controls in a single Colorado Lacrosse season.
Pisani earns her second conference weekly award and her first-ever in the Big 12 – Attacker Player of the Week. This is the Buffs first offensive player of the week honor this season. Against the Aztecs last week, Pisani matched her career-highs in both points and goals with nine and seven, respectively (Mar. 29), and she had two assists. She is currently 10th in the Big 12 for points per game (3.60) and goals per game (2.60), and she is ninth for assists per game (1.00). She is also second in the Conference for shots per game (7.00) which is good for 30th in the NCAA. Her seven goals ties her for third in CU history for goals in a single game, and her nine points ties her for fourth for points in one game. Pisani is now seventh all-time for career goals with 101.
The Buffs opened conference play last week with a win over San Diego State, 16-12. Colorado is now 7-5 in conference openers and improved to 27-7 (.794) against current teams in the Big 12 – having played almost all conference opponents in the Pac-12 or MPSF in the past. CU is 65-26 (.714) all-time in conference matchups.
Colorado continues conference competition on the road with Arizona State on Sunday, April 6. The Buffs' game against the Sun Devils will be at Sun Devil Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., at 1 p.m. MT. All upcoming Big 12 games will be carried live on ESPN+.
Fans can purchase season tickets and single-game tickets for future home CU lacrosse games at Prentup Field here and view the full Buffs' schedule here.
Before the start of the 2025 season, the Buffs (5-5, 1-0 Big 12) were picked to finish second in the Preseason Big 12 Coaches' Poll. CU was ranked 21st in the first week of the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Poll and 20th in the Inside Lacrosse Women's (ILWomen) Division I Media Poll. Graduate attacker Madeline Pisani was picked for Preseason Big 12 Attack Player of the Year, and junior defender Jess Peluso and junior midfielder Lily Assini joined her on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. Pisani also Earned USA Lacrosse Preseason All-America Honorable Mention. The Buffs are coached by 12th-year head coach Ann Elliott Whidden, who was named IWLCA West/Midwest Region Coach of the Year (2017 and '18), was the 2018 Pac-12 Coach of the Year and 2017 MPSF Coach of the Year.
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.
These are the seventh and eighth weekly honors for the Buffs this season, and this is the fifth week in a row that the Black and Gold have landed a player of the week.
Peluso receives her fourth career recognition -- second in the Big 12 -- for conference Defensive Player of the Week. She reached a career-high 12 draw controls and picked up a ground ball against San Diego State (Mar. 29). Peluso is currently second the Big 12 in draw controls per game (6.40) and is seventh for ground balls per game (1.80). Her 6.40 draw controls per game puts her at 31st in the NCAA. Her 12 draw controls matched for sixth all-time for draw controls in a single game. She has started all 10 games this season for CU and currently totals 64 draw controls, 18 ground balls and nine caused turnovers on the season. With five regular season games remaining in the 2025 season, Peluso's 64 draw controls put her in eighth for draw controls in a single Colorado Lacrosse season.
Pisani earns her second conference weekly award and her first-ever in the Big 12 – Attacker Player of the Week. This is the Buffs first offensive player of the week honor this season. Against the Aztecs last week, Pisani matched her career-highs in both points and goals with nine and seven, respectively (Mar. 29), and she had two assists. She is currently 10th in the Big 12 for points per game (3.60) and goals per game (2.60), and she is ninth for assists per game (1.00). She is also second in the Conference for shots per game (7.00) which is good for 30th in the NCAA. Her seven goals ties her for third in CU history for goals in a single game, and her nine points ties her for fourth for points in one game. Pisani is now seventh all-time for career goals with 101.
The Buffs opened conference play last week with a win over San Diego State, 16-12. Colorado is now 7-5 in conference openers and improved to 27-7 (.794) against current teams in the Big 12 – having played almost all conference opponents in the Pac-12 or MPSF in the past. CU is 65-26 (.714) all-time in conference matchups.
Colorado continues conference competition on the road with Arizona State on Sunday, April 6. The Buffs' game against the Sun Devils will be at Sun Devil Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., at 1 p.m. MT. All upcoming Big 12 games will be carried live on ESPN+.
Fans can purchase season tickets and single-game tickets for future home CU lacrosse games at Prentup Field here and view the full Buffs' schedule here.
Before the start of the 2025 season, the Buffs (5-5, 1-0 Big 12) were picked to finish second in the Preseason Big 12 Coaches' Poll. CU was ranked 21st in the first week of the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Poll and 20th in the Inside Lacrosse Women's (ILWomen) Division I Media Poll. Graduate attacker Madeline Pisani was picked for Preseason Big 12 Attack Player of the Year, and junior defender Jess Peluso and junior midfielder Lily Assini joined her on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. Pisani also Earned USA Lacrosse Preseason All-America Honorable Mention. The Buffs are coached by 12th-year head coach Ann Elliott Whidden, who was named IWLCA West/Midwest Region Coach of the Year (2017 and '18), was the 2018 Pac-12 Coach of the Year and 2017 MPSF Coach of the Year.
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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