The Colorado Buffaloes women’s lacrosse team began preparations for the 2026 season with their first official practice at the Ford Practice Facility on Thursday. Head coach Ann Elliott Whidden, who has led the program since its inception, returns for her 13th season with a career record of 130-75.
“It is great to be back with this team,” Whidden said. “This group is highly focused and motivated to get to work and we have had a great start to our spring practices. The intensity and competitiveness they bring everyday has been great to see.”
During the fall, Colorado played seven warm-up games, including two against Northwestern, their first opponent of the regular season. The team also faced Canada’s U20 National Team, Marquette, Denver, Stanford, and participated in an annual scrimmage against former CU players.
Last season, Colorado finished with an overall record of 8-8 and went 4-1 in Big 12 conference play. They secured the No. 2 seed in the inaugural Big 12 Tournament. Defender Jess Peluso was recognized as a Nike Lacrosse Media All-America honorable mention and named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
Sophomore goaltender Elena Oh earned four Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week awards and was selected for the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team last year. She led the conference with a goals-against average of 9.81—ranking 18th nationally—and posted a .399 save percentage.
All-Conference honorees Maddie Shoup and Lily Assini return for another season after finishing second and third in points for Colorado last year. Shoup recorded career highs with 30 goals and 13 assists, while Assini tallied 16 goals and a personal best of 23 assists.
Colorado scored a total of 178 goals in the previous season and brings back more than half its scoring output from that campaign.
“We are so excited for the spring and the challenges we have on our schedule,” Whidden said. “We are looking forward to taking the next few weeks to lock in on ourselves and just focus on getting better everyday so we are prepared for those opportunities. This is a great group and I’m just really looking forwarding to seeing what we can do this season!”
Nine freshmen join the roster this year, aiming to contribute across all positions. Additions include Rowan Edson, Georgia Rios, Sophia Yeskulsky (attack); Charlotte Yeskulsky, Alison Stevens, Julia Etu, Parker Lemm (midfield); Hailie Abrams, Ryann McLeod (defense); and Jillian Kane (goalkeeper), who transferred from Colby College.
The Buffaloes open their season on February 9 at Northwestern before hosting Cornell in Boulder on February 15.
More information about Colorado lacrosse can be found at cubuffs.com/wlax or by following @cubuffswlax on social media platforms Instagram, X, TikTok, and Facebook.
