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We had a stint at #1, and we are currently ranked #2 in the country, behind only Arizona State. And we have to actually go to class (face). So let's take a moment to look at our most recent games. The below is a dispatch from Susiana Schobe, CU Men's lacrosse PR and marketing intern:
Turns out hurricane season isn't quite over, or at least that's what it seemed like at last Thursday's game against the UNLV Rebels (6-8, 2-1 SLC). After the scoreboard control box almost slammed me in the face when it blew off the table, it was hard to say whether or not the boys were even going to be able to keep their sticks in the air, but alas, the
showgame must go on.Scoring first at the start of both halves, UNLV tried their best to stay in the game, but fell short against our Buffs in the long run. Surprisingly, what was anticipated to be an - for lack of better phrasing - easy game, the Rebels were able to hold their own up until the game's end. Coach Marty Taffet thought the team should have been able to perform a little better than they did, especially after having a week and a half long hiatus since their last game against Cal on March 16th. But hey, a win is a win. And a five point lead ain't bad. With about fifteen seconds left in the game, University of Colorado Head Coach John Galvin called a timeout, only to receive some frustrated murmurs from the UNLV sideline. It seems those guys weren't exactly fond of standing outside in the "
twenty-six degree" forty degree weather in order to put off their 12-7 loss a little bit longer.Saturday's game against Davenport (4-3, 2-0 CCLA), a new addition to MCLA Division 1, proved to be a bit better on both the weather and lacrosse side of things. Parent of #41 Zach Doss, Terry believed that the good weather, as well as playing in the daylight would allow for sharper play from the team as a whole, and definitely shed some light - if you will - on goalie, Mitch Fenton's view of the ball. Boy was she right! Though Coach Taffet anticipated that the game would be a close one due to Davenport's recent game stats, the Buffs went on to beat the Panthers 16-4. As is pretty standard these days, senior Riley Seidel led the offense with five goals and two assists. Meanwhile, Fenton held up his end of the bargain with a .733 save percentage. Way to go team!
Thankfully, the team gets to skip the snow this week(end) and head to
sunnyrainy San Francisco where they will take on both #12 Sonoma State and #19 Stanford. Let's all also take a moment to be thankful for the fact that we will not be leaving on a bus at 4:45 a.m. sharp to get there. Until next time -- go Buffs!
I was going to chop up her stuff into snippets and make witty jokes in between, but damn- that's some good stuff. Give it up for Susie! You can read all of the game write ups at www.culax.org. Also make sure you watch that hype video. And now here's some insight from the youngest and handsomest Fraser, Braden, giving you some insight into the typical week of a CU lacrosse player:
What does our week look like?
We work everyday of the week whether with the team or on our own. Monday through Friday besides game days we have a full practice, meaning keeping up stick skills, focusing on struggles from the previous week, or implementing new plays or tweaks to current strategies. As well the day before a game our team will meet for defensive and offensive film to not only learn opponent's sets, but watch some of the things our team needs to learn from as well. Film sessions involve watching NCAA teams. Our mandatory lifting schedule has decreased to one time a week, trying to have peak fitness in May. A lot of our team however still hit the gym regularly.
That's in addition to going to class, of course. Point being- this team works their asses off, with the results that prove it. Personally, based on the games I've been able to see live and online, I think we're playing pretty well, but like coach Taffet said- we can do better. He is the defensive coordinator, and in my view, the biggest problems have been an occasional lack of focus and communication on the defensive end, and a struggle to move the ball into the offensive zone in transition.
But the offense is fantastic when the ball is moving, and absolutely lethal on the fast break. Crisp passing and making the extra pass lead to easy goals. With all that in mind, my choice for MVP thus far is goaltender Mitch Fenton, who has made some saves that he had no business making.
Like Susie said, the team is off to the Bay Area this weekend to play Sonoma State (they have a great winemaking program) and Stanford (they have great everything programs). You can follow along on your twitter machine by following @CUMensLacrosse. As you read this, I'll likely be en route to the Bay Area myself, so also follow @Phyltopia if you like haphazard game twittering and stupid jokes. But really, go with the first thing.
You also have 3 more chances to watch the Red Hot Buffs live and in person (if you live in Colorado, at least). And I have incentives for all 3. Friday April 11th we play Westminster, which is not related to the city in Colorado as far as I can tell, at 7 on Kittredge field. Saturday April 12th, we face our pretend PAC 12 rivals Utah on Folsom Field at 4. So come for the spring football game and stay for the lacrosse game. CU will win both! Your incentive? Well, it's pretty crappy, but you can gaze upon the games with yours truly, Phil, as I will be in attendance. The final regular season game is on Saturday April 19th at Invesco Mile High Stadium or whatever the hell it's called now, against Colorado State. We do not like Colorado State. The incentive here is that it costs $10 to attend, and if given proof, I will PayPal you the price of your tickets. You also have the opportunity to root on Junior Fraser on the eve of his 21st birthday.
