Pisani and Peluso Tabbed for Big 12 Player of the Year Awards
April 30, 2025 | Lacrosse
The Buffs had four selected to the All-Big 12 Team, two on the All-Newcomer Team and two Player of the Year awards
BOULDER – Colorado lacrosse's graduate attacker Madeline Pisani (Clarendon Hills, Ill./Hinsdale Central HS) was named 2025 Big 12 Attacker of the Year, and junior defender Jess Peluso (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip HS) was selected as the 2025 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, the Conference announced on Wednesday, April 30. Pisani and Peluso were named to the 2025 All-Big 12 Team, along with junior midfielder Lily Assini (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) and junior attacker Maddie Shoup (Lafayette Hill, Pa./William Penn Charter).
Graduate attacker Kendall Havill (Bainbridge Island, Wash./Bainbridge Island HS) and freshman goalkeeper Elena Oh (Chapel Hill, N.C./East Chapel Hill HS) were both selected to the 2025 Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. The Buffs' six selections move their total to 48 all-conference awards all-time, with these being the first Big 12 honors earned in the inaugural season of Big 12 Lacrosse. This also marks the fifth and sixth conference player of the year awards for CU.
Pisani earns her second all-conference award and her first player of the year award. She is the Buffs' leading scorer this season, registering 61 points off 38 goals and 23 assists and a .373 shooting percentage. She has three game-winning goals on the season and leads the team with seven free position goals. She was also named Big 12 Attack Player of the Week twice and Big 12 Preseason Attacker Player of the Year. Pisani led the charge for the Buffs against the Bearcats last weekend, finishing the game with eight points (4g, 4a), a ground ball and a caused turnover (April 26). She also saw a matched career-high in both points (9) and goals (7) against San Diego State, the Buffs' first Big 12 game of the season (Mar. 29). Pisani is now 10th for points in a single season at CU with 61 (38g, 23a) and she is fifth for assists in a single season with 23. She is also tied for eighth in career assists with 37. Pisani is third in the Big 12 for shots per game with 5.73, which is good for 47th in the NCAA. She is also fourth in the Big 12 for points per game (4.00), sixth for assists per game (1.47) and ninth for goals per game (2.53).
Peluso is selected for her second all-conference award and her first player of the year award. She has 28 ground balls, 19 caused turnovers and 92 draw controls on the season. She was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week twice, and has two games with double-digit draw controls. Peluso also has at least one caused turnover in all but four games. She had nine draw controls, three caused turnovers and one ground ball against Cincinnati (April 26). She is currently ninth in CU history for career draw controls with 97, and she is tied for third in career caused turnovers with 71. Peluso is third in the Big 12 for draw controls per game with 6.00, good for 36th in the NCAA. She is also sixth in the Big 12 for both caused turnovers per game (1.07) and ground balls per game (1.80).
Shoup receives her first all-conference selection of her career. She is the second in goal scoring for the Buffs, and currently has 28 goals, 13 assists and a .329 shooting percentage. She has five free position goals, 12 ground balls and nine caused turnovers. Shoup had a huge game against UC Davis two weeks ago, with three goals and four caused turnovers (April 20). Shoup earned seven points for the Black and Gold from two goals and five assists against the Bearcats (April 26). She is tied for third in assists in a single game. The last person to have five assists in a single game was Darby Kiernan vs. Jacksonville on May 11, 2018. The last person to have five or more assists was Ashley Stokes vs. ASU on April 12, 2024. Shoup also had one caused turnover, and she is eighth in the Big 12 for shots per game (5.73).
This is Assini's second all-conference selection of her career. Assini has played and started in all 15 games thus far, ending the regular season with 20 goals, 16 points, 19 ground balls, 12 caused turnovers and 31 draw controls. She is currently shooting .377 on the season, has one game-winning goal and five free position goals on the season as well. Against San Diego State, Assini had five points and her first hat trick (four goals total), as well as four ground balls (Mar. 29). She earned her second hat trick with four goals, and she had two ground balls and a caused turnover against Cincinnati (April 26). Assini is seventh in the Big 12 for assists per game with 1.07, and she is four assists away from becoming 10th in CU career assists, reaching for 34.
Oh has started and played in 13 of 15 games for the Buffs, tallying 81 saves, 19 ground balls and one caused turnover. She has three games with double-digit saves – 12 against Army (2/28), 11 versus Michigan (3/8) and 11 against Florida (4/12). Oh was awarded Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week four weeks in a row earlier this season, becoming the first player in CU Lacrosse history to receive four weekly awards in four weeks. The only other Colorado player to reach three weekly honors in a row was Darby Kiernan, who was Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week three weeks in a row in 2018 (April 9, April 16, April 23) and five times that season. The only other players to receive weekly awards three or more times in a season are Johnna Fusco for MPSF Rookie of the Week (2014; Feb. 17, March 24, April 28), Paige Soenksen for MPSF Defensive Player of the Week (2015; March 23, April 7, April 23, April 27), and Miranda Stinson for Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week (2019; Feb. 18, March 11, March 18). While Oh only faced eight shots on goal against the Bearcats and recorded three saves (April 26), she sits in strong statistical spots in the Big 12 and NCAA. Oh is second in the Big 12 for goals against average with 9.48, good for 20th in the NCAA. She is also fifth in the Big 12 for saves per game (6.23) and seventh for save percentage (.413).
Havill has started in 10 games and played in 14, collecting 21 goals and two assists this season. She is shooting .467 on the season and has seven ground balls. She recorded her first hat trick at CU, her 28th of her career, at Arizona State with four goals on six shots, and she reached her 200th career point (April 6). She also had a hat trick against Florida with another four goals (April 12). This marks Havill's first all-conference selection at CU and her second all-time, having earned WIAC Offensive Player of the Year and All-WIAC First Team in 2024.
Eighteen student-athletes were selected to the All-Big 12 Team including one goalkeeper, four attack players, three midfielders, four defensive players and six at-large selections. Twelve were named to the All-Newcomer Team, which included true freshmen, redshirt freshmen and transfers in their first year participating in the Big 12. The awards were selected by the Conference's head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their institution. A full list of the honorees can be found after this release.
The Colorado lacrosse team clinched a spot in the Inaugural Big 12 Championship after its win over UC Davis on Sunday, April 20. The Buffs also have the privilege of hosting this championship in its first year at Prentup Field on May 1 and 3. In the 12th year of the program, this is the 12th time the Black and Gold have made it to a conference tournament. The Buffs are 11-10 in conference tournament games and were the 2018 Pac-12 Conference Champions.
Having clinched a spot in the Big 12 Championship, the Buffs become one of four teams admitted to the conference championship. The winner of the inaugural championship gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, much like in the Pac-12. The Championship will consist of two semifinal games – UC Davis vs. Florida on May 1 at 4 p.m. and Arizona State vs. Colorado at 7 p.m. – and one final game to determine the NCAA bid – May 3 at 1 p.m.
All Big 12 Championship games will be broadcast on ESPN+. Streaming links and live stats for all three games are available for fans to follow along at CUBuffs.com. Fans can purchase tickets for the 2025 Big 12 Championship at Prentup Field here and view the full Buffs' schedule here.
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.
2025 All-Big 12 Lacrosse Results
All-Big 12 Team
Teagan Ng, Attack, Arizona State*
Keeley Cleland, Defensive, Arizona State
Jordyn Behar, Attack, Arizona State*
Anna Viglione, Midfielder, Arizona State
Lily Assini, Midfielder, Colorado*
Maddie Shoup, Attack, Colorado*
Madeline Pisani, Attack, Colorado *
Jess Peluso, Defensive, Colorado *
Lauren Ottensmeyer, Attack, Cincinnati
Kaitlyn Davies, Midfielder, Florida*
Frannie Hahn, Attack, Florida*
Gianna Monaco, Attack, Florida*
Theresa Bragg, Defensive, Florida*
Ashley Dyer, Defensive, Florida
Elyse Finnelle, goalkeeper, Florida
Jenny Markey, Midfielder, Florida
Alex Agnew, Attack, UC Davis
Ally Richardson-Pepper, UC Davis
All-Newcomer Team
Kendal Morris, Arizona State*
Kendall Havill, Colorado*
Elena Oh, Colorado*
Paige Selhorn, Cincinnati*
Frannie Hahn, Florida*
Clark Hamilton, Florida*
Jenny Markey, Florida*
Jordan Basso, Florida*
Gabby Greene, Florida*
Bella Tan, San Diego State*
Keira Doyle-Odenbach, San Diego State
Jane Fox, UC Davis*
Attack Player of the Year
Madeline Pisani, Colorado
Midfielder of the Year
Kaitlyn Davies, Florida
Defensive Player of the Year
Jess Peluso, Colorado
Goalkeeper of the Year
Elyse Finnelle, Florida
Draw Specialist of the Year
Anna Viglione, Arizona State*
Freshman of the Year
Frannie Hahn, Florida
Scholar Athlete
Bella Ingrao, Arizona State
Coach of the Year
Amanda O'Leary, Florida*
*Indicates unanimous selection
Italics indicate a Colorado selection
Graduate attacker Kendall Havill (Bainbridge Island, Wash./Bainbridge Island HS) and freshman goalkeeper Elena Oh (Chapel Hill, N.C./East Chapel Hill HS) were both selected to the 2025 Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. The Buffs' six selections move their total to 48 all-conference awards all-time, with these being the first Big 12 honors earned in the inaugural season of Big 12 Lacrosse. This also marks the fifth and sixth conference player of the year awards for CU.
Pisani earns her second all-conference award and her first player of the year award. She is the Buffs' leading scorer this season, registering 61 points off 38 goals and 23 assists and a .373 shooting percentage. She has three game-winning goals on the season and leads the team with seven free position goals. She was also named Big 12 Attack Player of the Week twice and Big 12 Preseason Attacker Player of the Year. Pisani led the charge for the Buffs against the Bearcats last weekend, finishing the game with eight points (4g, 4a), a ground ball and a caused turnover (April 26). She also saw a matched career-high in both points (9) and goals (7) against San Diego State, the Buffs' first Big 12 game of the season (Mar. 29). Pisani is now 10th for points in a single season at CU with 61 (38g, 23a) and she is fifth for assists in a single season with 23. She is also tied for eighth in career assists with 37. Pisani is third in the Big 12 for shots per game with 5.73, which is good for 47th in the NCAA. She is also fourth in the Big 12 for points per game (4.00), sixth for assists per game (1.47) and ninth for goals per game (2.53).
Peluso is selected for her second all-conference award and her first player of the year award. She has 28 ground balls, 19 caused turnovers and 92 draw controls on the season. She was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week twice, and has two games with double-digit draw controls. Peluso also has at least one caused turnover in all but four games. She had nine draw controls, three caused turnovers and one ground ball against Cincinnati (April 26). She is currently ninth in CU history for career draw controls with 97, and she is tied for third in career caused turnovers with 71. Peluso is third in the Big 12 for draw controls per game with 6.00, good for 36th in the NCAA. She is also sixth in the Big 12 for both caused turnovers per game (1.07) and ground balls per game (1.80).
Shoup receives her first all-conference selection of her career. She is the second in goal scoring for the Buffs, and currently has 28 goals, 13 assists and a .329 shooting percentage. She has five free position goals, 12 ground balls and nine caused turnovers. Shoup had a huge game against UC Davis two weeks ago, with three goals and four caused turnovers (April 20). Shoup earned seven points for the Black and Gold from two goals and five assists against the Bearcats (April 26). She is tied for third in assists in a single game. The last person to have five assists in a single game was Darby Kiernan vs. Jacksonville on May 11, 2018. The last person to have five or more assists was Ashley Stokes vs. ASU on April 12, 2024. Shoup also had one caused turnover, and she is eighth in the Big 12 for shots per game (5.73).
This is Assini's second all-conference selection of her career. Assini has played and started in all 15 games thus far, ending the regular season with 20 goals, 16 points, 19 ground balls, 12 caused turnovers and 31 draw controls. She is currently shooting .377 on the season, has one game-winning goal and five free position goals on the season as well. Against San Diego State, Assini had five points and her first hat trick (four goals total), as well as four ground balls (Mar. 29). She earned her second hat trick with four goals, and she had two ground balls and a caused turnover against Cincinnati (April 26). Assini is seventh in the Big 12 for assists per game with 1.07, and she is four assists away from becoming 10th in CU career assists, reaching for 34.
Oh has started and played in 13 of 15 games for the Buffs, tallying 81 saves, 19 ground balls and one caused turnover. She has three games with double-digit saves – 12 against Army (2/28), 11 versus Michigan (3/8) and 11 against Florida (4/12). Oh was awarded Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week four weeks in a row earlier this season, becoming the first player in CU Lacrosse history to receive four weekly awards in four weeks. The only other Colorado player to reach three weekly honors in a row was Darby Kiernan, who was Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week three weeks in a row in 2018 (April 9, April 16, April 23) and five times that season. The only other players to receive weekly awards three or more times in a season are Johnna Fusco for MPSF Rookie of the Week (2014; Feb. 17, March 24, April 28), Paige Soenksen for MPSF Defensive Player of the Week (2015; March 23, April 7, April 23, April 27), and Miranda Stinson for Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week (2019; Feb. 18, March 11, March 18). While Oh only faced eight shots on goal against the Bearcats and recorded three saves (April 26), she sits in strong statistical spots in the Big 12 and NCAA. Oh is second in the Big 12 for goals against average with 9.48, good for 20th in the NCAA. She is also fifth in the Big 12 for saves per game (6.23) and seventh for save percentage (.413).
Havill has started in 10 games and played in 14, collecting 21 goals and two assists this season. She is shooting .467 on the season and has seven ground balls. She recorded her first hat trick at CU, her 28th of her career, at Arizona State with four goals on six shots, and she reached her 200th career point (April 6). She also had a hat trick against Florida with another four goals (April 12). This marks Havill's first all-conference selection at CU and her second all-time, having earned WIAC Offensive Player of the Year and All-WIAC First Team in 2024.
Eighteen student-athletes were selected to the All-Big 12 Team including one goalkeeper, four attack players, three midfielders, four defensive players and six at-large selections. Twelve were named to the All-Newcomer Team, which included true freshmen, redshirt freshmen and transfers in their first year participating in the Big 12. The awards were selected by the Conference's head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their institution. A full list of the honorees can be found after this release.
The Colorado lacrosse team clinched a spot in the Inaugural Big 12 Championship after its win over UC Davis on Sunday, April 20. The Buffs also have the privilege of hosting this championship in its first year at Prentup Field on May 1 and 3. In the 12th year of the program, this is the 12th time the Black and Gold have made it to a conference tournament. The Buffs are 11-10 in conference tournament games and were the 2018 Pac-12 Conference Champions.
Having clinched a spot in the Big 12 Championship, the Buffs become one of four teams admitted to the conference championship. The winner of the inaugural championship gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, much like in the Pac-12. The Championship will consist of two semifinal games – UC Davis vs. Florida on May 1 at 4 p.m. and Arizona State vs. Colorado at 7 p.m. – and one final game to determine the NCAA bid – May 3 at 1 p.m.
All Big 12 Championship games will be broadcast on ESPN+. Streaming links and live stats for all three games are available for fans to follow along at CUBuffs.com. Fans can purchase tickets for the 2025 Big 12 Championship at Prentup Field here and view the full Buffs' schedule here.
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.
2025 All-Big 12 Lacrosse Results
All-Big 12 Team
Teagan Ng, Attack, Arizona State*
Keeley Cleland, Defensive, Arizona State
Jordyn Behar, Attack, Arizona State*
Anna Viglione, Midfielder, Arizona State
Lily Assini, Midfielder, Colorado*
Maddie Shoup, Attack, Colorado*
Madeline Pisani, Attack, Colorado *
Jess Peluso, Defensive, Colorado *
Lauren Ottensmeyer, Attack, Cincinnati
Kaitlyn Davies, Midfielder, Florida*
Frannie Hahn, Attack, Florida*
Gianna Monaco, Attack, Florida*
Theresa Bragg, Defensive, Florida*
Ashley Dyer, Defensive, Florida
Elyse Finnelle, goalkeeper, Florida
Jenny Markey, Midfielder, Florida
Alex Agnew, Attack, UC Davis
Ally Richardson-Pepper, UC Davis
All-Newcomer Team
Kendal Morris, Arizona State*
Kendall Havill, Colorado*
Elena Oh, Colorado*
Paige Selhorn, Cincinnati*
Frannie Hahn, Florida*
Clark Hamilton, Florida*
Jenny Markey, Florida*
Jordan Basso, Florida*
Gabby Greene, Florida*
Bella Tan, San Diego State*
Keira Doyle-Odenbach, San Diego State
Jane Fox, UC Davis*
Attack Player of the Year
Madeline Pisani, Colorado
Midfielder of the Year
Kaitlyn Davies, Florida
Defensive Player of the Year
Jess Peluso, Colorado
Goalkeeper of the Year
Elyse Finnelle, Florida
Draw Specialist of the Year
Anna Viglione, Arizona State*
Freshman of the Year
Frannie Hahn, Florida
Scholar Athlete
Bella Ingrao, Arizona State
Coach of the Year
Amanda O'Leary, Florida*
*Indicates unanimous selection
Italics indicate a Colorado selection
Players Mentioned
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