Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
Cornell
Buffs Set for Home-Opener on Sunday
February 13, 2026 | Lacrosse
CU Takes on Cornell for the first time
Game 2 – Cornell, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026
Kittredge Field, Boulder, Colo.
Start: Noon MT
Watch: ESPN+ CUBuffs.com/WatchLax
Live Stats: CUBuffs.com/WlaxStats
BOULDER – The message was sent loud and clear.
Now the Colorado Buffaloes have to prove it wasn't a one-night announcement.
After knocking off the powerhouse No. 2 Northwestern Wildcats — the highest-ranked opponent Colorado has defeated — the Buffs head into their home-opening against the Cornell Big Red with belief, edge and something to protect.
And they're not flinching.
"I think we've always believed in ourselves," head coach Ann Elliott Whidden said after defeating Northwestern. "But it's hard when for five weeks the only people you play are yourself to know where you're really at. We knew coming in here was going to be a huge test… but when this team can focus on themselves, a lot of great things can happen."
They found out exactly where they're at.
This isn't a hopeful group. It's a seasoned one.
Colorado's senior class has played in the moments — and that experience showed against Northwestern. The Buffs didn't just start fast. They absorbed runs. They answered pressure. They finished.
"Any time you can gain a little momentum early is huge," Whidden said. "What I'm most proud of is that we were able to sustain that. We had a couple of tough moments there in the third quarter, but we held it together."
That's maturity. That's growth.
That's a team that's tired of letting opportunities slip.
Seniors Maddie Shoup and Jess Peluso were both awarded for their opening performances. Shoup provided the offense late, scoring three of her team-high five goals in the fourth quarter, while Peluso helped solidify the defensive unit that allowed just nine goals to NU's high-power offense.
Shoup, the Big 12 Attacker of the Week, has now scored in 12 consecutive games, while Peluso also picked up Big 12 Defender of the Week honors.
In tight games, sometimes it's really just experience that matters — and the Buffs leaned on it late.
Goalkeeper Elena Oh, who was named the Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week, delivered key saves in the closing minutes to preserve the win, steadying the group when it mattered most.
"Just solid in the net," Whidden expressed. "Making saves that we definitely needed her to make so that we could stay in this game and remain confident."
At the end of the day, there are so many excuses," Whidden emphasized. "We just have to find a way. And I think in that last minute, they found a way to get it done together."
The matchup on Sunday will be the first meeting between the Big Red and the Buffs. It will also be Cornell's first game of the season. The Big Red went 9-6 overall and 3-4 in the Ivy League last season.
Sunday's game is now set for a Noon start, a change from the previously announced 1 p.m. start time. The game will also be played at Kittredge Field.
Season and single-game tickets are on sale now at CUBuffs.com/WlaxTixFor more information on Colorado Lacrosse, please visit cubuffs.com/wlax. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffswlax on Instagram, X, TikTok, and Facebook.
