Colorado Outshoots Creighton in First Win of Weekend

OMAHA, NE (12/2/11) – The University of Colorado at Boulder Division III men’s ice hockey team defeated Creighton University 8-4 tonight, resulting in their first win of the weekend, increasing their record to 11-5 on the American Collegiate Hockey Association season.

The Buffs outshot Creighton 33-13 with goalie Gordon Burns in the net.

Earlier in the season Colorado beat Creighton in an outstanding 11-1 victory at the CU Ice Arena and were able to continue that momentum tonight, raking in another big win against the Bluejays.

Colorado will compete against the University of Nebraska tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at Snider Ice Arena in Fremont, Nebraska. The Buffaloes will conclude the weekend against Dordt College on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Vernon Arena in Sioux Center, Iowa.

Follow the Buffaloes division II squad as they host the Western Classic Tournament this weekend at the CU Ice Arena. Tomorrow evening they will take on Arizona State at 8:30 p.m. The Buffs will then face the University of Washington at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and conclude the weekend on Sunday against the University Nevada-Las Vegas.

Buffs Take Down Lumberjacks in Emotional Western Classic Opener

BOULDER (12/2/11)– The University of Colorado Division II men’s ice hockey team kicked off the Western Classic on Thursday night at the CU Ice Arena with an aggressive 6-1 victory over Northern Arizona.

J.P Park, David Key, Chase Komatz and Sam Kinney all scored for the Buffaloes leading them to improve their record to 10-5-0-1 on the season and increasing their win streak to four games. Both Park and Komatz had two goals in the evening.

Goalie, Jay Westscott, had 31 saves in his first collegiate start.

The Lumberjacks were able to find the back of the cage first on a power play 11:43 into the game, but the Buffaloes were quick on the counter attack with a goal by Park less than a minute further into the penalty ridden first period.

Colorado began the first period with a 5-3 advantage over the Lumberjacks but were unable to capitalize on the scoring opportunity.

With 5:23 remaining in the second twenty minutes David Key used a bad bounce to fire a shot past the Northern Arizona goalie to give the Buffs their first lead of the game. From there Colorado took control of the contest scoring three additional goals to close out the second period.

The Buffs continued strong defensive play in the third stanza as they held the Lumberjacks offense goalless. Komatz closed out the aggressive game with the final goal.

“A very aggressive game occurred tonight” said head coach Shawn Sullivan, “We need to get some rest and come out ready to play good hockey tomorrow.”

The Buffs will continue their run at the Western Classic tomorrow when they face regional rival the Arizona State Sun Devil’s at 8:30 p.m. On Saturday, the squad will play Washington at 7:30 p.m. and will conclude the weekend against Nevada-Las Vegas on Sunday at 10:15 a.m. All Buffs games will be held at the CU Ice Arena.

Admission for all Division II home games is $3 for students with a Buff One card and $5 for the general public.
Listen to the Western Classic at: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cubuffshockey
Scoring Summary
First Period
8:13 NAU Goal: Zack Vachris, Assisted by Michael Farnham and Dillon Butenhoff PP
7:28 CU Goal: J.P Park PP
Second Period
5:23 CU Goal: David Key, Assisted by Cody Glickman
4:06 CU Goal: Chase Komatz, Assisted by Nick Carey
3:25 CU Goal: J.P Park, Assisted by Chase Komatz and Alex Dobzanksi
1:01 CU Goal: Sam Kinney, Assisted by Alex Lencioni and Cody Clickman
Third Period
1:18 CU Goal: Chase Komatz, Assisted by Cody Glickman and Zach Lass PP


Shots on Goal:
Northern Arizona – 32
Colorado – 34

Colorado Buffaloes Host Western Classic Tournament

BOULDER (12/1/11)– The University of Colorado Buffaloes Division II men’s ice hockey team prepares to host the annual Western Classic Tournament after returning from Thanksgiving break, with four games in four days.

This past weekend the Colorado Buffaloes traveled to Utah and took the Beehive Showcase by storm, coming out with a 3-0 record on the weekend.

Earlier in the 2011-12 American Collegiate Hockey Association season, Colorado beat Northern Arizona in a close 3-2 matchup. This weekend the Buffs look to gain another victory over the Ice Jacks, while also improving on their 9-5-0-1 record on the season.

Arizona State defeated the Buffaloes with a 4-3 victory over Colorado this past month. The Buffs motivation to take back the big win over Arizona State remains a crucial part of their strategy to dominate in their matchup against the Sundevils.

“After losing to Arizona Sate the last time we played them, our strategies will remain the same – get the puck deep and get pucks to the net,” John Park said. “ASU is a good team, but nothing we can’t handle if we just stick to our game plan and play to our strengths.”

Colorado will start off the four game weekend on Thursday night against the University of Northern Arizona (7-8-0-1) at 8:30 p.m. They will go on to play Arizona State (15-1) on Friday, also at 8:30 p.m., followed by the University of Washington (10-2) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. To end the weekend Colorado will matchup against the University of Nevada Las Vegas (5-6) early Sunday morning at 10:15 a.m. All games will be held at the CU Ice Arena.

Colorado Heads to Nebraska and Iowa for Weekend

OMAHA, NE (12/1/11)– The University of Colorado Division III men’s ice hockey team heads to Nebraska and Iowa to face three out of state opponent this weekend

Colorado will take on Creighton (0-7), Nebraska (8-5) and Dordt College (3-8) on a three-day road trip.

The Buffs beat out CU-Denver and Northern Colorado two weeks ago to improve their record to 10-5 on the season. They hope to build on that momentum this weekend.

“We had a nice weekend before break going 2-0 and then had the week off,” said goalie Gordon Burns. “We need to practice hard and just keep playing our game. If we play to our full potential then the rest should take care of itself this weekend”

The Buffaloes are currently ranked third in the Division III Pacific region.

On Thursday Colorado will face Creighton University at Motto McClean Ice Arena at 10:30 p.m. in Omaha, Nebraska. Next, the University of Nebraska hosts the Buffs on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Snider Ice Arena in Fremont, Nebraska. CU will conclude the weekend against Dordt College on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Vernon Arena in Sioux Center, Iowa.

The D-III team returns home on Dec. 9 when they take on the Metro State Roadrunners at 7:30 p.m. at the CU Ice Arena. All Division III home games are FREE.

The Division II squad will be hosting the Western Classic this weekend at the CU Ice Arena. They will begin the weekend on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. against Northern Arizona. On Friday they take on Arizona State at 8:30 p.m. The Buffs will then face Washington at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and conclude the weekend on Sunday against Nevada-Las Vegas.

All D-II home games are $3 for students with a Buff One card and $5 for the general public.

CU Women’s Club Soccer Falls to Texas at Nationals

Phoenix, Ariz. (11/21/11)– The University of Colorado women’s club soccer team lost 2-1 to the University of Texas in the round of 16 of the NCCS National Championship.

The Buffaloes got off to a hot start in the tournament, beating Virginia and Cornell in convincing fashion to win their pool. The Buffs’ beat Virginia 2-0 thanks to goals from Becky Santiago and Taylor Frankel. Colorado bested Cornell 1-0, the only goal of the game was scored by Paige Polesovsky.

After winning their pool the Buffaloes advanced to the round of 16 to face the Texas Longhorns. The Longhorns struck first, scoring a goal in the 25th minute. CU responded, scoring in the 32nd minute of the first half with a goal from Taylor Frankel assisted by Alexis Keeney. The second half was a defensive battle, and regulation ended with the score 1-1.

In overtime, the Longhorns were able to find the back of the net with 5 minutes remaining. The final whistle sounded with the score 2-1 in favor of Texas.

The game was as close on paper as it was on the field. Texas had 9 shots, 8 of which were on goal. Colorado shot 8 times, 6 of which were on goal.

“It was a very even game that went back and forth, with a lot of speed and psychical play by both teams,” said CU head coach Dorian Barnes. “It was a well-played game, I couldn’t be more proud of this team. They performed at a very high level, you just sometimes don’t get the lucky breaks when you need them.”

While everyone on the team is disappointed with their early departure, the team is still proud of what they accomplished this year.

“My overall feelings on this year’s teams are all positive,” said Barnes. “We really built up a nice season not being scored upon since our game verses Cal Poly on Oct. 9 and then not again until our final game verses Texas. This loss will motivate us to put in the work during the offseason and during next season in order to improve upon our finish this year.”

The University of California Santa Barbara defeated Cal Poly 1-0 to win the NCCS National Championship.

For more information on Colorado women’s club soccer visit their website at www.cusoccer.net

Colorado Men’s Soccer Falls to Cal at Nationals

Phoenix, Ariz. (11/21/11)– The University of Colorado men’s club soccer team lost 2-0 to the University of California at Berkley in the round of 16. The loss to Cal was the Buffaloes first loss all season.

The tournament started off well for the Buffs’ who won their pool by drawing verses Texas 1-1 and then defeating Cal Poly 1-0. Senior Dan Whittle scored the game-winning goal against Cal-Poly.

The defending national champion Colorado Buffaloes advanced to the round of 16 to take on the California Golden Bears. The Bears drew first blood scoring on a set piece in the first half. Playing from behind, CU managed to create three quality chances in the second half but weren’t able to convert on any of them, including a penalty kick that would have changed the game dramatically. When the final whistle blew the score was 2-0 in favor of Cal.

“The loss against Cal Berkley is still tough to think about,” said head coach David Vaughan. “We were flat the entire game—plain and simple.”

The Buffs’ were put in an unusual spot after Cal scored in the first half. Colorado hadn’t lost a game the entire season going into the round of 16 and wasn’t used to playing from behind.

“It was one of the few times we’ve ever played from behind all year,” said Vaughan. “I thought we panicked in terms of maintaining possession and dictating the pace of the game. The energy we brought the night before when we won our group simply didn’t exist against Cal.”

Despite the early departure from nationals, the Colorado men’s club soccer team has a lot to be proud of. They had an undefeated regular season and won their region despite losing 15 players from their national championship winning team.

“When you consider the dramatic turnover we experienced I think our guys played extremely well this year,” said Vaughan on the team’s season. “We’re very young and still accomplished some great things this year including repeating as league champions and adding another Region V title to our résumé. This year’s seniors have done a great job laying the foundation for our younger freshmen and sophomores to take over in 2012. The future is definitely bright for CU men’s soccer.”

Webber State defeated Missouri in penalty kicks to win the 2011 NCCS National Championship.

For more information about CU men’s soccer visit their website at www.cumenssoccer.com

Colorado Women’s Club Soccer Prepares for Nationals

Phoenix, Ariz.(11/11/11) – The University of Colorado women’s club soccer team will head to Arizona Nov. 17-19 in hopes of the winning the 2011 NIRSA NCCS National Soccer Championship.

The Buffs’ have had a great fall season, going 12-5-2 and finishing first in Region V. Colorado will look to continue their winning ways in nationals.

Colorado is the WCB pool along with Cornell and Virginia. The top two teams in the pool will advance to the round of 16.

In last year’s tournament the Buffs’ lost a heartbreaker in the quarterfinals to Texas A&M. Colorado scored a goal late in the game with the game tied 0-0 but the referees called it back. The game eventually went into a penalty kicks and Texas A&M came away with the victory.

“That game will definitely be in the minds of the players that were on this team last year,” said head coach Dorian Barnes.

The Buffaloes’ are excited at the opportunity but are wary of the high level of competition that they will be facing.

“The competition is the best you can get,” said Barnes. “They will need to play with heart and passion, play with composure, play with confidence and they will need to play for each other,” said Barnes on what her team needs to do to win the tournament. “I believe we have them to a point physically, mentally, technically, and tactically as they possibly can be.  Now we just have to execute.”

The Buffs’ players are anxious to get to Phoenix and prove themselves.

“They want their tests to be over, they want practices to be over, they just want to get started with game number one vs. Virginia right now and find out what they are really made of,” said Barnes. “That to me shows a confidence that they are ready to go and just want to get to it.  I feel we have a very talented team, but as you know you can't win on talent alone, so how we deal with everything else will decide it for us.  I feel good about our chances.”

Colorado’s first game will be against Virginia on Thursday Nov. 17 at 8 a.m. For more information about the tournament and women’s club soccer follow the links below.

CU women’s club soccer website: www.cusoccer.net
NCCS Soccer Championships website: www.nirsa.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Sports/Soccer/Soccer2011-Schedule.pdf

Colorado Men’s Varsity Soccer Bests CSU 3-2, Nationals Next

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (11/7/11) – The University of Colorado men’s varsity soccer team will bring the Rocky Mountain Cup back to Boulder after defeating the Colorado State Rams 3-2 Sunday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

The Buffaloes’ win improves their record to an impressive 13-0-1 on the season.

The first half started off slow, with both teams playing tentatively. That all changed when Colorado junior Matt Hammett found the back of the net with 19 minutes remaining. The play was set up by a great cross by senior Dan Whittle, who put the ball on Hammett’s foot five yards from the goal. Minutes later, the Buffs’ seemed to have scored another goal, but the referee ruled that the player was offside. After the offside call Colorado State played more aggresive. With nine minutes left CSU had a breakaway that looked like a sure goal. Colorado’s senior goalie Dirk Van Curan was able to come out of the net and make a great diving save to preserve the Buffaloes 1-0 lead.

“The ball was slotted through so I knew I had to come out and make a play,” said Van Curan on his save. “The kid came in with his cleats up, it should have been a yellow, but I was just happy to get a piece of it.”

The Rams’ continued to attack the rest of the first half but were unable to score a goal. The whistle sounded and the Buffs’ went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

Colorado struck early in the second half behind a great offensive effort from Whittle. The senior forward was able to weave his way through the defense and then rip a low shot into the corner past the Colorado State keeper.

“I’m an offensive minded player so when I get the ball I look to attack,” said Whittle. I saw space open up in the middle so I just took off, found and opening, and was able to finish.”

Down 2-0, the Rams’ stepped up their pressure and we’re finally able to score with 22 minutes remaining in the game. After the goal CSU had all the momentum, but the Buffs’ were able to stay composed and continued to play their game. With five minutes left in the game sophomore Landon Roos scored off an assist from Luke Woodruff. The goal would prove to be the game winner. In extra time CSU an inconsequential goal on a free kick. The final whistle blew with the score 3-2 in favor of Colorado.

The Buffaloes will head to Phoenix, Ariz. on Nov. 16 for nationals. Colorado won nationals last year, defeating Missouri 3-1 in the championship game.

“We won last year so there’s going to be some pressure,” said Whittle on nationals. “The competitions going to be high so we are going to have to be on our game. This team is loaded with talent though, and we’ll be ready for nationals.”

For more information on CU men’s soccer visit their website at www.cumenssoccer.com

Colorado Women’s Hockey Bests CSU 3-1 at the Pepsi Center

DENVER (11/8/11) – The University of Colorado women’s ice hockey team defeated the Colorado State Ram’s 3-1 at the Pepsi Center Saturday evening.

The win improves the Buffaloes record to 2-6-1 on the season.

The Ram’s drew first blood, scoring with 12:21 left in the first period. The Buffs’ offense fired shot after shot trying to get an equalizer, but Colorado State’s sophomore goalie Amanda Vandenberg was brick wall, stopping Colorado’s first 11 shots. The first period concluded with the Buffs’ down 1-0.

Despite being behind, the Buffs’ were able to keep their composure in the second period. Just three minutes in, freshmen Emera Danos scored a goal off a beautiful assist from senior Lizzy Stoll. Play went back and forth the rest of the period, with both teams narrowly missing goals. With three minutes left in the second period,  Stoll was able to find the back of the net thanks to an assist by CU sophomore Sara Lopez and  senior Elizabeth Helmer. The buzzer sounded with Colorado leading 2-1.

The third period was dominated by the Buffaloes’ defense. CU’s asphyxiating defense allowed just three shots on goal in the final period. With 7:22 remaining in third, Colorado senior Amanda Wilson scored a highlight-reel backhanded flip goal to put the Buffs’ up 3-1. Wilson’s goal turned out to be a dagger for Colorado State, who wouldn’t score the rest of the game.  

“She played awesome today,” said head coach Kristen Van Slyke on Stoll’s performance. “She’s a senior captain so I expect her to play great every game but today she really came to play.”

Stoll had an amazing game, but Colorado’s defense won them the game.

“I think our defense did a great job of causing turnovers in the neutral zone,” said Van Slyke. “I think they’ve learned a lot from our past couple weekends and have been able to come out and do great things on the ice.”

Stoll continued on the theme of defense, “Most of our defenders are actually freshmen, they’ve been working really hard to step up and being stronger and I think they showed that tonight.”

While defense may have won the Buffs’ the game, there’s no arguing that the most exciting play of the game was Wilson’s backhand flip goal.

“I was screaming at my defender who actually received the puck to just shoot it,” said Wilson on her goal. “I saw the rebound of her shot come toward me and I knew I had to get the shot up so I just dug in and threw it top shelf with my backhand.”

Perhaps most impressive from CU’s 3-1 victory was the team’s composure. The team never seemed flustered, despite being down most of the first period.

“We’re really mentally strong,” said Danos. “We have the ability to not get down on ourselves and not shut down when things get hard and we showed that by coming back each period.”

Colorado will head to Bensenville, Ill. Nov. 11 to take on the Michigan State Spartans.

The women’s team is one of 21 schools (and one of two in the western United States) that plays at the Women’s ACHA Division I level. CU’s women’s team also plays games in the WACH (Women’s Association of Colorado Hockey). For more information on CU women’s club hockey visit their website at http://www.coloradowomenshockey.com

Buffs Unable to Complete Comeback Against CSU

DENVER (11/5/11) – The University of Colorado Buffaloes Division II men’s ice hockey team fell 5-4 to the Colorado State Rams Saturday night at the Pepsi Center in the third annual Rocky Mountain Center Ice Showdown.

Jordan Lockner, J.P Park and Brennan Stieneker all scored for CU while Alex Leniconi, Billy Haege, Zach Lass and Lockner all picked up assists.

The Rams were able to take control of the first period by capitalizing on two power play opportunities, ending the first twenty minutes with a two-point lead over the Buffs.

The Rams continued their offensive domination over Colorado in the second period when they scored two additional goals, increasing their lead over the Buffs to 4-2. Colorado’s offense was able to find some life late into the second stanza when Lockner capitalized on a power play and scored the first goal of the evening. With 4:27 remaining in the period, while playing short-handed, Park was able to find the back of the cage for the Buffs.

Colorado State regained momentum with a quick goal in the third stanza to extend their lead, but the Buffaloes were not done yet. Colorado’s offense continued to put pressure on the Rams and were able to tighten CSU’s lead to 5-4 with goals by Stieneker and Park. Park picked up his second goal of the contest. 

The Buffaloes were unable to complete the comeback and fell to the Rams for the second consecutive year, dropping their record to 5-4-0-1 on the season.

“We just needed to stay out of the box, we took too many penalties that they were able to capitalize on,” said center Billy Haege. “We need to take more shots and hustle in front of the net if we want to win games like this.”

“If we had another 10 minutes in that period, that game would have been ours,” said assistant coach Jon Pfeiff. “We told them in the locker room that we need to play the full 60 minutes.”

Next up the Buffs will head to Arizona to face three regional rivals. First, they will compete against the University of Arizona Wildcats at the Tucson Convention Center at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 11. Next, they will play the University of Northern Arizona Lumberjacks on Nov. 12 at 6:00 p.m. at Oceanside Ice Arena in Tempe. Colorado will then end the weekend against Arizona State University on Nov. 13 at Oceanside Ice Arena at 1 p.m.

Watch interview with Bill Haege here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m927arGjCo

Watch interview with Jon Pfeiff here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq_ekYY2vr0

View the live stream of tonight game here: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/18338719

Scoring Summary
First Period
            6:43 CSU Austen Burgh, assisted by Paul Jenkins and Kollin Vandersluis -PP
            4:06 CSU Parker Harrison, assisted by Kollin Vondersluis and Austen Burgh -PP
Second Period
            11:54 CSU Adrian Olson, assisted by Jackson Dorsey and Paul Jenkins     
            8:54 CSU Brandon Hicks, assisted by Jackson Dosey
6:22 CU Jordan Lockner, assisted by Zach Lass and Alex Lencioni -PP
4:27 CU J.P Park, assisted by Billy Haege –SH
Third Period
            18:41 CSU Brendon McCarthy, assisted by Brandon Hicks
16:06 CU Brennen Stieneker, assisted by Alex Leniconi and Zach Lass
14:42 CU J.P Park, assisted by Billy Haege and Jordan Lockner

Penalties:
First Period
            15:02 CSU Paul Jenkins- Tripping
6:57 CU Jordan Lockner- Tripping
4:15 CU Jeff Palmer- Tripping
            3:51 CSU Zac Novak Crossing Checking
Second Period
            18:45 CSU Paul Jenkins- Hooking
14:31 CU J.P Park- Elbowing
10:55 CU Jeff Palmer
            7:31 CSU Paul Jenkins
5:38 CU Nick Carey- High Sticking
            2:39 CSU Adrian Olson- Holding
:51 CU Billy Haege- Holding
Third Period
12:00 CU Jordan Lockner- Unsportsmanlike Conduct
            12:00 CSU Brendon McCarthy- Slashing
            8:00 CSU Bryan Brunton- Cross Checking
            3:53 CSU Bryan Brunton- Interference
:47 CU Jordan Lockner- Boarding
Shots on Goal:
                                    1st                    2nd                  3rd                   OT                   Total
Colorado State                        11                    9                      8                      --                      28
Colorado                     15                    12                    16                    --                      43

Power Plays:
Colorado State: 2-of-7
Colorado: 1-of-7

Buffs Fall to Rams at Rocky Mountain Center Ice Showdown

DENVER (11/5/2011)– The Colorado Buffaloes Division III men’s ice hockey team lost 7-0 against in-state rival Colorado State on Saturday afternoon at the third annual Rocky Mountain Center Ice Showdown at Pepsi Center.

Colorado’s record falls to 6-2 in loss, while CSU improved to 10-7 on the season.

The Rams took the lead quickly with the first goal, scored 53 seconds into the first period. The stanza slowed down, as the Buffs struggled to gain momentum. In the last 3:09, the Rams were able to increase their lead with a goal from Philip Brown to end the period.

The Rams continued to dominate on offense in the second stanza scoring two additional goals, bringing the score to 4-0 at the end of the second period.

The third period began with a fast goal by the Rams, only 2:69 into the stanza. The Buffs tried to gain control of the ice, but were unable to get past Colorado State goaltender Hayden Kelley. With 5:28 left in the stanza, the Rams slid the puck past the Buffs goalie Gordon Burns, scoring their sixth goal of the game. The Rams finished the contest with a goal in the last 1:02 of the game resulting in a victory over the Buffs.

“The team tried to complete to many cross ice passes,” said assistant coach Kevin Insana. “The team was not playing as a team, but individually and did not keep the game simple.”

The Rams were able to capitalize on 1-of-5 power plays with a goal by Philip Brown. Brown finished the game with a hat trick.

The Buffs took a total of 30 shots on goal while the Rams took 32.

The Buffaloes will look to redeem themselves next week as they travel to compete in the Alabama Showcase at Benton Wilcoxon Arena. Colorado will face Hope College Thursday, Nov. 10. They will go on to play the University of Alabama Nov. 11, Florida Gulf Coast University Nov. 12 and end the showcase on Sunday, Nov. 13 against the University of Central Florida.

The Buffs next home game will be Nov. 18 at 7:00 p.m. against UC Denver at the CU Ice Arena. Admission to all division III home games are open to the general public and free for students with a Buff One Card.

Scoring Summary

First Period

19:07 CSU Tom Malone, assisted by Jake Lammert

3:09 CSU Philip Brown, assisted by Dan Hassler and Scott Hassler – PP

Second Period

            12:25 CSU Dan Hassler, assisted by Mike Jimenez

            10:34 CSU Scott Hassler, assisted by Andrew Hasse and Andy Hoehler

Third Period

            17:31 CSU Philip Brown, assisted by Tom Malone

            5:28 CSU Brian Pekara, assisted by Scott Hassler

            1:02 CSU Dan Hassler, assisted by Philip Brown and Brian Pekara

Shots on Goal

CU - 30

CSU - 32

Power Plays

CU: 0-of-6

CSU: 1-of-5

CU Women’s Rugby Fall Season Concludes Nov.6 verses New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (11/1/11) –The University of Colorado women’s rugby team will take on the University of New Mexico this weekend in what will be the final game of their fall season.

The Buffaloes have had a great season so far, boasting a 7-3 record with wins verses elite women’s rugby programs such as Air Force and Colorado State.

“Our team is playing amazingly well this year, we graduated a lot of key players from our starting line and are really coming back strong from that,” said team president Meghan Montgomery.  “We brought on a new assistant coach this year, Hannah Stolba, who played for the Eagles national team and currently plays for Glendale, the women's team in Denver.  She has brought amazing expertise and knowledge of the game and is really meshing well with the players and the existing coaching staff.”

The Buffs’ are going to need to bring their A game if they want to beat a very talented New Mexico team.

“In order to beat UNM this weekend, we really just need to pull together and play together as a unit,” said Montgomery.  “Each individual player is incredibly skilled and has progressed in terms of understanding of the game, we just really need to not let the pressure get to us and forget our game plan.  Rugby is all about the team playing as a 15 person unit, we have key players but without the support of the rest of the team at every breakdown their individual skills won't necessarily get us where we need to be.”

For more information on CU women’s rugby visit their website at http://www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/womensrugby/?DB_OEM_ID=600

Schusler Wins Fourth Straight Downhill Title As CU Cycling Finishes Second at Mountain Bike Nationals

ANGEL FIRE, N.M. (11/1/11)– University of Colorado cyclist Joey Schusler continued his dominance in the downhill by picking up his fourth straight national title and helped the Buffaloes to a second place finish at the USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships on Sunday.

The Buffs picked up 636 points over the three days of competition and finished just eight points behind first place Fort Lewis College. It was the Skyhawks fifth straight mountain bike national championship and the third straight year that Fort Lewis and Colorado finished one-two at nationals.

Lindsey Wilson College finished third with 449 points while Lees-McRae College was fourth with 442 points and Cal Poly fifth with 439 points.

Schusler finished the championships with two first place finishes, in the downhill on Saturday and in the dual slalom on Sunday.

"There was a lot of pressure,” Schusler said on Saturday following his downhill race. “With the ice at the top of the track, it was pretty intense. It was a fight all the way to the finish. I ended up crashing once in my run and then just pushing all the way to the end."

In the women’s omnium competition, CU’s Deidre York finished second with 400 points while teammate Claire Bensard finished third with 380 points. Boulder native Jill Behlen of the University of Wyoming finished as the individual women’s champion.

The competition began on Friday with the cross country races. York and Bensard were the highest placed CU riders in the long trek in fourth and fifth place.

On Saturday, the short-track cross country and the downhill took center stage. Samuel Morrison finished fourth in the men’s short-track race while Bensard also picked up a fourth place finish in the women’s event.

CU picked up two of the top three spots in the men’s downhill with Schusler in first and Michael Larsen in third. David O’Day of Colorado State finished second in the race.

The championships finished on Sunday with the dual slalom. York finished fourth in the women’s race, adding to the already great day CU had after Schusler won the men’s event.

The Buffs will now head into the winter offseason where they will prepare for the spring road season. Colorado finished fifth at the road nationals last May in Madison, Wis.

USA Cycling Recaps

Day 1: https://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=7164

Day 2: https://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=7165

Day 3: https://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=7166

Colorado Hockey Faces Colorado State at the Pepsi Center November 5

DENVER (10/27/11) – The University of Colorado hockey program will take on in-state rival Colorado State in the third annual Rocky Mountain Center Ice Showdown at the Pepsi Center on Saturday, Nov. 5.

The day will include three CU-CSU games on the ice of the Colorado Avalanche. The men’s Division III junior varsity game will kick off the hockey filled afternoon at 3 p.m., while the women’s game will follow at 5 p.m. and the men’s Division II varsity game will close out the day at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets for the event are only $20 and includes admission to all three CU-CSU hockey games plus a voucher for a ticket to one of five Colorado Avalanche games of your choosing, a $42-$56 value in itself. The redemption games are: Nov. 23 vs. Vancouver, Nov. 30 vs. New Jersey, Dec. 13 vs. San Jose, Feb. 10 vs. Carolina or Mar. 24 vs. Vancouver.

Tickets for the CU-CSU game can be bought online at http://www.csuvscu.com/, at the Pepsi Center Box Office on the day of the event, at the CU hockey table at the University Memorial Center in Boulder from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 31 to Nov. 4 or from any member of the CU men’s or women’s hockey teams.

For every ticket purchased, $5 will also be donated to the Colorado hockey program.

Voucher tickets for the Avalanche games can be redeemed at the CU-CSU game at various locations on the main concourse of the arena.

The series is split between the CU and CSU men’s Division II varsity teams at the Pepsi Center with the Rams picking up the victory in last season’s game after the Buffs won the inaugural contest in 2009.

“We are looking forward to the game with the Rams,” said men’s Division II captain and team president Alex Lencioni. “The Pepsi Center is always a fun place to play and we are hoping for the same large crowd as we had last year and hopefully this time we can come away with the win.”

Last season was the first time that the men’s Division III junior varsity game took place at the home of the Avs. Colorado pulled out a 3-2 victory in the contest after Zach Lass scored 1:12 into overtime.

While much of last season’s JV squad is now on this year’s varsity roster, many players still remain from last year’s win, including junior defenseman Christian Matta.

“Last year we came out with a win in overtime and this year we are expecting to come out with the victory as well,” Matta said. “The games with the Rams are always hard hitting and physical and we expect nothing less this year.”

The women’s teams also participated in the inaugural event in 2009, with the Buffs defeating their rival from Fort Collins in blow out fashion.

The women’s team did not play at the Pepsi Center last season and senior forward Lizzie Stoll said the squad is excited to return to Denver to play the Rams.

“That was my favorite game since I joined the team, so I’m really excited for it,” Stoll said. “Our team can’t wait to play Colorado State again because we haven’t shown what we can do against them and we are ready to beat them.”

The CU women’s team has already played CSU twice this season, tying the Rams 2-2 on Sept. 23 in Boulder and winning 4-1 on Sept. 24 in Fort Collins.

For more information on the event, go to www.cubuffshockey.org or contact Kris Schoech at schoech@colorado.edu.

Member of the media who wish to cover the event should contact Ron Knabenbauer, CU men’s hockey director of media relations and broadcasting, by Thursday, Nov. 3. Ron can be reached at knabenba@colorado.edu or at (720) 987-9512


Game Day Timeline

3 p.m. – Men’s Division III Junior Varsity
5 p.m. – Women’s game
7:30 p.m. – Division II Varsity


Colorado Avalanche Redemption Games

Wednesday Nov. 23rd vs. Vancouver Canucks
Wednesday Nov. 30th vs. New Jersey Devils
Tuesday Dec. 13th vs. San Joes Sharks
Friday Feb. 10th vs. Carolina Hurricanes
Saturday Mar. 24th vs. Vancouver Canucks


About CU Buffs Ice Hockey

The University of Colorado does not sponsor NCAA level ice hockey; instead there are three “club” hockey teams that participate as part of the school’s Collegiate Sport Clubs program, two men’s teams and one women’s team. The primary difference between NCAA varsity and “club” is that schools offer scholarships in varsity sports while athletes pay their own way to play the sport at the club level. This season, nearly a hundred players attended the men’s tryout with only 50 roster spots available between the two teams. All three CU teams participate in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), the governing body for college hockey teams since 1991. The varsity or upper tier men’s team plays in Division II of the ACHA, while the junior varsity or lower tier men’s team plays at the Division III level. The women’s team is one of 21 schools (and one of two in the western United States) that plays at the Women’s ACHA Division I level. CU’s women’s team also plays games in the WACH (Women’s Association of Colorado Hockey). Colorado has won two national championships in ice hockey: 2003 in Men’s Division II and in 2005 in Men’s Division III, a season in which the JV squad went undefeated.

CU vs. CSU Men’s Soccer Game Rescheduled for Nov. 6

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (10/27/11) – The University of Colorado men’s soccer team will be taking on the Colorado State Rams Sunday, Nov. 6 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City.

Tickets for the game will be $10 and can be purchased at the website listed at the bottom of this release. As a special incentive, a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the CU and CSU club soccer programs.

The game was originally scheduled to be played Oct. 8 but was cancelled due to rain.

The junior varsity game will begin at 1 p.m. and the varsity game will begin at 3:30 p.m. For more information on Colorado men’s club soccer visit their website at www.cumenssoccer.com.For more information about the Rocky Mountain College Cup call Kelsey Pinney at 303.727.3594 or email her at kpinney@dsgpark.com.

To purchase tickets visit: http://www.pepsicenter.com/groups/rapids/rockymtcollegecup

Colorado Men’s Rugby Wins Pac-12 7’s Tournament

PALO ALTO, Calif. (10/25/11) – The University of Colorado men’s rugby team won the Pacific Coast Rugby 7’s Tournament this past weekend. The tournament field was comprised of all teams from the Pac-12 conference with the exception of the University of California at Berkley and the University of Southern California. The Buffaloes were in a pool with Utah, Oregon, Oregon State and Arizona State. The other pool was UCLA, Arizona, Washington, Washington State and Stanford.

The Buffs’ began the first day of the tournament with a tough 24-15 loss vs. perennial powerhouse Utah. CU rebounded later that day beating Oregon State 24-12, Arizona State 29-5 and Oregon 43-5. The Buffs’ finished second in their pool behind Utah who went undefeated.

The Buffaloes’ ended up playing a talented UCLA team in the semifinals and came out with a 17-7 victory thanks to a last minute try by CU’s Jordan Kennedy. In the other semifinal, Utah rolled over Washington 45-0.

Colorado met Utah in the championship for what would turn out to be a thrilling game. Utah, a historically dominant rugby school, got on the board first and went up 5-0. The Buffs’ answered, scoring a try and converting to take a 7-5 lead with three minutes to go. Both teams scored with under two minutes remaining and converted to make the score 14-12. CU held out in the remaining seconds and claimed the inaugural Pacific Coast Rugby 7’s tournament championship.

Colorado senior and team captain Luke Lahman was named MVP of the tournament. Lahman led the tournament in try scores and played at an elite level throughout the competition. 

The win qualifies Colorado for the USA Rugby Collegiate 7’s national championship on Dec. 16-17. The Buffs’ will head to College Station, Texas to take on 24 of the best 7’s teams from around the country. The tournament, hosted by Texas A&M, will crown the first ever USA Rugby 7’s college national champion.

“This is strong statement about the position CU rugby holds nationally,” said head coach Jim Snyder. “To be among the 24 best teams in the country in an Olympic sport vying for a national championship is incredibly rewarding for our players and represents the University well on a national stage.” 

For more information on CU men’s rugby visit their website at www.hometeamsonline.com/teams/?DB_OEM_ID=600&u=curugby&s=htosports&t=c

CU Cycling Gears Up For Nationals

Angle Fire, N.M. (10/18/11) – The University of Colorado cycling team will look to dominate the Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships this year.

The team will travel to New Mexico Oct. 28-30 to compete against top club cycling programs from across the nation. The Buffaloes will be competing in men and women’s cross country, short track, downhill and dual slalom.

Colorado will be sending 15 riders in total to nationals. There will be four endurance men, four gravity men, six endurance women, and three gravity women, two of which are also racing endurance events. Notable riders include Joey Schusler, Sam Morrison and Deidre York. Schusler is one of the premier riders in the nation is looking to repeat as national champion in the men’s downhill. Morrison is one of the most talented riders for the Buffaloes and is expected to race well with a strong team backing him up. York has been racing well all year and is a serious contender in the women’s gravity events.

The Buffs’ have been training well and the team is confident that they are ready for nationals.

“We have been going to every race weekend and have been racing well,” said team president Danny Hiller. “We train and race as a team, we work well together. We have top notch athletes and phenomenal talent. I believe that we have a chance to repeat as national champions.” 

For more information on CU cycling visit their website at www.cucycling.com. For more information about nationals visit www.usacycling.org/events/2011/collegiatemtb

CU Equestrian Team Prepares to Host Show

Fort Lupton, Colo.(10/14/11)—The University of Colorado English equestrian team will play host on Oct 22-23 at the their coaches’ barn in Fort Lupton, Colo. Prestigious schools such as the Air Force Academy, the University of Nebraska and the University of Wyoming will be competing in the show. Weather permitting, the event will begin at 8:30 a.m., with the jumping classes first and the flat classes in the afternoon.

The Buffaloes equestrian team is off to a great start this season, winning the first show that they competed in. The Buffs’ scored 41 out of a possible 49 points to secure the win. Sophomore Kaley Silipo won both her open Over Fences and Open Flat classes and received the award for High Point Rider, while CU Senior Jenica Northrup received Reserve High Point Rider with a first place in Intermediate Over Fences and a second place in Open Flat.

The season is young, but nevertheless there is an excitement about the team.

“We've been very impressed so far with the team, we have only had one show for each discipline, but we have proven that we are ready for the season,” said team president Anna Bohlin. “The team is full of a lot of new members, over twenty new girls, with a wide range of abilities. That is the best part of having new members, because in order to become a competitive team we must have riders in each ability level from Walk- Trot to Open.”

Team chemistry is one of Colorado’s biggest strengths this year, an attribute that is critical to the success of any equestrian team.

“Already this year I have seen some major improvements organizationally and logistically,” said Bohlin. “We have a very strong board of officers who each care greatly for the well-being of our team. The team overall seems to work very well together this year as well. It takes a lot to host a horse show, with over 140 entries last weekend we had about 40 horses to make it work and everyone did a stellar job at making sure all that needed to be done, got done. I am really looking forward to this year with the CU equestrian team because I know we will go far.”

For more information on the Colorado equestrian team visit their website at http://www.colorado.edu/StudentGroups/Equestrian

CU Triathlon to Host the Buffer Buffalo 5k Fundraiser Race

BOULDER (10/13/11)—The University of Colorado triathlon team will be hosting a 5k fundraiser race on Thursday Oct 27. The race will begin at 5 p.m. at CU’s south campus. The cost to partake in the race is $20. Seventy-five percent of the proceeds will go to the Colorado triathlon team and will help support them in their quest to return to Tuscaloosa, Alabama in hopes of repeating as national champions.

The race will take place on the beautiful dirt trails of Colorado’s south campus. Members of the defending national triathlon team will be in attendance. All participation in the race will be greatly appreciated by the triathlon team, who hopes that they will have a chance to win their thirteenth national championship.

To register for the race please visit www.active.com or register on race day beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 27.

The University of Colorado Triathlon team is a student run club sports team for both men and women. Created in 1993, the team has won 12 collegiate national championships through USA Triathlon (USAT), most recently in 2010 and 2011. With over 100 due paying members, weekly potluck dinners, summer ultimate Frisbee games, team hikes, and volunteer adventures the team is more than just a team; it is a family.

For more information about the CU triathlon team visit their website at www.cutriathlon.com.

Story written by CU triathlon team officer Jesse Frank.

CU Baseball Heads to Nebraska for a Weekend Series

MCCOOK, Neb. (10/6/11) – The University of Colorado’s club baseball team will journey to Nebraska this weekend to take on McCook Community College. The Buffs’ will play four games over the weekend, two on Saturday Oct. 8 and two on Sunday Oct. 9. The games will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday and at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday.

The Buffaloes are off to a slow start thus far, losing three out of their first four games. Last week the Buffs’ took on the University of Northern Colorado and lost both games. The week before that Colorado split a two games series verses Metro State.

Tryouts went well for the team, the Buffs’ added both young and experienced talent which has given the team great depth. The talent and depth of this year’s team has led to high expectations for the Buffaloes.

“This team has as much talent as any other school in the country, it's just a matter of turning the potential into results,” said team president Ben Fuchs. “We all know how good we can be, we just need to put everything together on the field when it counts.”

Other than a 22-3 win over Metro State, Colorado has struggled offensively early on. The Buffs’ hitting was expected to be the strength of the team coming into the season, but thus far the Colorado bats have been quiet. However it’s early on in the season and the team isn’t worried about the offense just yet.

“Hitting usually takes a little longer to round into shape, so I’m sure we’ll get it going,” said Fuchs.

If the Buffaloes want to come away with the series this weekend they’ll need big performances from seniors Tucker Hinchliffe, Brian Wanner and Conor Vidulich. Hinchcliffe is a third year veteran and also the team’s catcher. Last year he was one of the leading hitters on the team. This year he’s off to hot start, going 4-9 with three doubles and two RBI’s in the team’s first four games.

“In addition to being one of our leading hitters, he is also an excellent defensive catcher with a tremendous arm that really shuts down our opponents on the bases,” said Fuchs on Hinchcliffe. “He is one of the captains of the team, and his unrelenting work ethic and leadership really help to keep the team moving in the right direction.”

Wanner plays right field and is a stabilizing force in the Buffs’ lineup. Last season he led the team in doubles and runs scored and ranked in the top ten in the nation in both categories as well.

Vidulich is the ace of Colorado’s pitching staff. Last year he led the team in ERA and was second in innings pitched. Vidulich is the unquestioned leader of the pitching staff and has taken on a large role in coaching the pitchers on the team.

“He (Vidulich) is an excellent pitcher with a deceptive throwing motion and explosive stuff that really keeps hitters defensive,” said Fuchs. “He has a reputation for throwing strikes and attacking hitters, an approach that we want all of our pitchers to follow and adopt.”

If Colorado wants to have success this weekend they will need their pitchers to continue throwing strikes and their hitters to play like they did in their 22-3 victory verses Metro State.

“If we’re going to succeed, our pitchers are going to need to continue to throw strikes and keep their hitters off balance,” said Fuchs.  “We are also going to need to get our offense going and score some more runs.  We scored 22 runs in our first game this fall but we haven't done much in the three that have followed.  We need to get back to being more patient and finding pitches that we want to hit.  Last week against UNC we chased some bad pitches and were off balance all day long.   If we're going to succeed we'll need to be much more selective and disciplined in our approach at the plate.”

For more information on CU baseball visit their website at http://www.colorado.edu/StudentGroups/baseball/index.html