The Colorado Buffaloes women’s lacrosse team advanced in the NCAA Tournament after defeating the Jacksonville Dolphins 10-9 in a closely contested first round match on May 8 at Prentup Field in Boulder.
The game was marked by several lead changes, especially during a dramatic fourth quarter. The Buffaloes overcame a two-goal deficit early in the final period, with Maddie Shoup and Teagan Ryan quickly responding to tie and then take the lead. Freshman Rowan Edson scored what proved to be the game-winning goal with just over six minutes remaining, and Colorado’s defense held strong for the remainder of the contest.
“We knew this was going to be very similar to the last time we went down and played them,” said head coach Ann Elliott Whidden. “They’re a tough team and gave us a challenge on the defensive end and great on the draws and just scrappy overall but I’m excited and proud of my team for the fight and to just finish it out when our backs were against the wall.”
Shoup led Colorado with three goals and an assist, while Ryan, Edson, and Jaimey Hill each contributed two goals apiece. The Buffaloes narrowly outshot Jacksonville (22-19) and forced more turnovers (12-6). Goalkeeper Elena Oh made four saves as Colorado continued its streak of holding opponents under ten goals per game this season.
Reflecting on her team’s performance, Shoup said: “I think we weren’t ready to stop playing and just kind of showed our fight in the fourth quarter. Going into the fourth quarter we had a lot of energy and a lot of momentum even though we were down.” The win marks Colorado’s third appearance in an NCAA Tournament second round game; they have now won eight straight games this season.
Looking ahead, Colorado will face either Florida or Denver in Sunday’s second round at Prentup Field. Whidden said: “For us it’s just the joy of this moment. It’s been a while since we’ve been here. We’re just excited to get to play again. It doesn’t matter who we get to play. I think we’ve learned a lot from this game on how we have to step onto the field and what a great opportunity for this team to get to play another game.”
