Women's Lacrosse Heads to Nationals Looking for First Championship

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (4/29/11) – The No. 1 seed University of Colorado women’s lacrosse team will be looking for their first ever national title when they head to the Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Associates National Championships on Wednesday at the Scottsdale Sports Complex.

The Buffaloes will look to finally get over the hump at nationals after CU finished second in 2009 and third in 2010.

“We are very excited to have the opportunity to go to the WCLA National Tournament,” said head coach Dan Finck. “This has been our goal and our focus for the past 10 months. Our players and our coaching staff have worked extremely hard to put ourselves in the best position possible entering this tournament. If we stay focused, I know we will have a lot of success in a very tough tournament field.”

Colorado went 15-1 during the regular season with their only loss coming to the Florida club team on Mar. 26 at the A-Town Throwdown in Georgia. The Buffaloes defeated the Gators earlier in the year at the Santa Barbara Shootout in February.

“Other than the one day of bad lacrosse in Georgia, this year’s team has been extremely focused on their end goal and all of the steps it takes to get there,” Finck said. “A lack of focus in our second game against Florida gave us our only loss of the season. We can play with anyone in the country and they proved that during the regular season. As long as we stay focused, we have a chance to beat anyone.”

Other than beating No. 2 Florida, the Buffs defeated six other national tournament field teams during the season: No. 3 UC Davis, No. 5 Lindenwood, No. 6 Colorado State, No. 7 UC Santa Barbara, No. 10 Texas and No. 11 Pittsburgh.

One of the reasons why the Buffs have been so successful in 2011 is from the underclassmen stepping up and filling the void left by the lack of seniors on this year's squad.

“We are a team made up of strong individuals, who are all very good lacrosse players, but we do not depend on any one girl,” Finck said. “Everyone needs to play well for us to be successful. Our team is largely sophomores, and this group has stepped up and played like upperclassmen all year long.”

Colorado will enter the May 4-7 tournament on a seven game winning streak and will play No. 16 Midland University from Fremont, Neb., in the first round on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. If the Buffs win, they will play the winner of UCLA-Michigan on Thursday at 8:30 p.m.

Also, US Lacrosse announced on Thursday that Colorado Springs, Colo., will host the 2012 and 2013 WCLA National Championships.

Tournament information: http://www.uslacrosse.org/TopNav2Right/Events/2011WCLANationalChampionship/ScheduleBrackets.aspx

Women's Lacrosse website: http://coloradowomenslacrosse.weebly.com/

Equestrian Team Heads to Kentucky for Nationals

LEXINGTON, Ky. (4/29/11) - The University of Colorado equestrian team will look to dominate the competition when the Buffaloes travel to the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Nationals at Lexington’s Kentucky Horse Park on May 5-8.

CU’s equestrian team has enjoyed one of their most successful seasons to date. Despite losing several key riders to graduation, the Western team still managed to have a great season. The Western team finished right behind some of the strongest teams at competitions all year long and accomplished two reserve championships. The English team was a force to be reckoned with this year. The English team quickly proved that they were the team to beat this year after they swept won all three days of competition to start the season. The English team never let up throughout the year and after several championships and reserve championships, they ultimately won their region and advanced to the Zone competition in California. 

Colorado finished second overall in the Zone competition behind Stanford University on Apr. 9-10. CU actually began the final day leading the competition, but the Stanford riders proved to be too strong. The Buffs riders at the Zone competition included Jennifer Burke, Whitney Wickes, Bonnie Pav, Hannah Clark and Arab Ginnet.

If the Buffs want to win nationals, they will need a strong performance from Burke. Burke won the most points in CU’s region, competing in the open division—the most advanced division. She also won the regional Cacchione Cup prize, guaranteeing her a spot at nationals to compete for the title of the national Cacchione Cup rider. Colorado will also need strong performances from Karly Hobbs and Jenica Northrup, who qualified for nationals after placing in the top two at zones.  

“Jen (Burke) is a strong rider and has always pulled through when the team needs her,” said team president and rider Andrea Fieger.  “I am confident she will represent CU competitively as she represents our school in the competition for the Cachionne Cup.”  

The equestrian team will be making their first ever trip to the IHSA Nationals next weekend.

“The team could not be more excited to represent CU at nationals for the first time in school’s history,” Fieger said. “We’ve all worked really hard to make this happen.”

Collegiate Sport Clubs Honors Its Teams and Student-Athletes

BOULDER (4/27/11) – University of Colorado collegiate sport clubs honored their teams and student-athletes at their 10^th Annual Awards Banquet at the University Memorial Center on Wednesday night.

The student athletes that were honored were senior Steve Nester (men’s water polo and swimming and diving), senior Laruen Fowler (swimming and diving), senior Justin Macauley (men’s soccer) and senior Tasia Scott (dance). Also Tom Puzio, the head coach for men’s baseball, was awarded the Coach of the Year honor while men’s soccer was named the Club of the Year.

The four student athlete awards were voted on by the students that make up the collegiate sport clubs council. The Club and Coach of the Year awards were decided by collegiate sport clubs co-directors Patty McConnell and Kris Schoech.

Men’s soccer earned the Club of the Year award after the team won the school’s first national championship in the 2010-11 academic year. The Buffs’ national championship victory is the second in team history and the first since CU won it all in 2005. Colorado defeated the University of Missouri 3-1 in the championship game on Nov. 20, 2010 in Phoenix, Ariz., to cap off a 19-2 season.

The men’s soccer program has grown consistently over the years as last season they added a third team and had nearly 100 percent participation in all of their practices by the 66 players in the program. The Buffs goal coming into the season was to win the national championship and after team defeated Colorado State 3-0 on Sept. 11, 2010 at Dicks Sporting Goods Park, the team really began to believe that they could win the title.

“I thought we made a lot of strides the last two years, but we definitely deserve the award,” said David Vaughan, who will be entering his third season as the CU men’s soccer head coach next fall. “It is a lot of e-mails, a lot of meetings and a lot of hours that were put in to this program. For me, it was never about the money, it was always about the love of the game and giving these kids one more opportunity to hang their hat on before they leave college.”

Laruen Fowler was named the Female Athlete of the Year after her great performance at the swimming and diving championship meet. The senior from Colorado Springs, Colo., had a dominate outing at this year’s East Coast Championships, picking up five individual medals, three of which were gold. Fowler also holds three individual and three relay team records.

During her freshman year in college, Fowler injured her hip and after having surgery the following summer, missed her entire sophomore season while recovering. When she returned to the water, Fowler was better than ever and excelled in the 200 yard backstroke where she broke her own school record at least three times, including at this year’s championships. She will graduate in May with degrees in English and political science and worked in the collegiate sport clubs office this past semester as a student assistant. Fowler will begin graduate school next fall at the University of Northern Colorado.

 “I am very honored and surprised,” Fowler said. “It feels good and I’m glad that all of my training paid off. When I broke that record in the 200 yard backstroke, I didn’t think I was going that fast in the race, but when I looked up at the board, it was a great feeling. It was a great meet.”

Steve Nester earned the Male Athlete of the Year honor after he led two teams to nationals this past year. Nester, who will be graduating in May with a degree in finance, was both a member of the swimming and diving team and the men’s water polo team. With men’s water polo, Nester was named the rookie of the year in 2007 and has been named to the conference’s second team once and to the first team twice. For the last two years, he was the president of the men’s water polo team and helped the Buffs finish eighth in the country at nationals in November.

In the spring, Nester continued his dominance in the water, but this time with the swimming and diving team. During the East Coast Championships on Apr. 1-3, he set two individual records, including winning gold in the 200 yard freestyle in which he defeated Rhode Island’s Joe Sagginario by 22 hundredths of a second. Nester also added a silver and bronze medal to his collection at this year’s championships. Nester holds three team records and has 10 individual top five times in CU swimming history. He also led the swim and dive team to three championships at his time in Boulder. Nester is also the accounting manager for collegiate sport clubs.

“It was four years of hard work. There were a lot of weeks where I spent 20 hours in the pool,” Nester said. “It means a lot to be recognized. I owe a huge debt of gratification to the collegiate sport clubs program as a whole, especially to Patty McConnell and Kris Schoech. Patty has been extremely helpful since I was a sophomore and I couldn’t have done anything without her.”

Maybe no one worked harder for their team last fall then Justin Macauley did for the men’s soccer team. Macauley was awarded the Male Sportsperson of the Year award for his leadership, commitment and dedication to the men’s soccer team. Macauley helped organize the first ever Rocky Mountain College Cup against Colorado State at Dick Sporting Goods Park, the home of the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer, and organized an event this past February with the Rapids and the MLS Cup Trophy at the University Memorial Center in a celebration of championship soccer in the state of Colorado. Along with being the men’s soccer team president, he was also the liaison to athletics and alumni for CU Student Government and will graduate in May with a degree in business administration.

“Sometimes you come across students who are beyond their time and Justin is one of those people,” said collegiate sport clubs co-director Kris Schoech. “He is one of the most mature guys I have met in the last year. Whatever Justin decides to do in life, he is going to be very successful. He did a great job with men’s soccer this year. He organized the first Rocky Mountain College Cup between CU and CSU, and now we are going to do it every year. Men’s soccer and myself were very fortunate to have somebody like Justin Macauley.”

The Female Sportsperson of the Year Award went to Tasia Scott of the dance team. While most collegiate sport clubs have the luxury of a coach, the dance team is not one of them. Scott, the team president, was also the student-coach for the last two years and put her team needs in front of her own. Scott has helped the team participate at the national championships for the past two years and organized and managed several successful fundraisers that almost completely paid for the team’s trip to nationals. Some of the fundraiser she organized was car washes, bake sales and a youth dance clinic.

“Tasia is an outstanding student leader,” said Patty McConnell. “She took the dance team from ground zero after they had issues with their coach, and with her leadership, she helped turned the team around. She stepped up and became the student-coach and team president. Tasia did everything that a team president and coach did and she did with a smile on her face. She was a pleasure to work with and never got upset. She was a hard worker and very committed because she wanted the team to succeed.”

After having a student-coach in baseball for the past 12 years, Tom Puzio has given life back to the program after he was hired as the first non-student coach last fall. Puzio was pro-active in obtaining an indoor training facility for his team and helped refurbish the infield at Boulder’s Platt Middle School so his team would have a place to practice close to campus. His organization and the work he did with his players is some of the reasons why Puzio was named the Coach of the Year.

“This is very unexpected but certainly an honor,” Puzio said. “There have been so many great coaches with all of the different programs here and they are all deserving. Certainly my guys worked hard, I worked hard, but at the end of the day it really comes down to the love for the guys that you have playing for you. It is a lot of hours away. You almost get to the point to where you are spending more time with those guys then your own kids, but if you love it, your family tends to understand that. This is an award that kind of represents that and the makeup of my family and the makeup of our team. I am very honored to be a Buff right now.”

Along with men’s soccer and swimming and diving, triathlon also won a championship this year for CU collegiate sport clubs. Six teams are still in session with cycling, crew, equestrian, men’s and women’s lacrosse and men’s ultimate all looking to bring home a national championship in the next month.

Club of the Year: Men’s Soccer

Coach of the Year: Tom Puzio, Baseball

Male Athlete of the Year: Steve Nester, Men’s Water Polo and Swimming and Diving

Female Athlete of the Year: Lauren Fowler, Swimming and Diving

Male Sportsperson of the Year: Justin Macauley, Men’s Soccer

Female Sportsperson of the Year, Tasia Scott, Dance

Men's Lacrosse Ends Regular Season with 9-8 Win versus New Hampshire

DURHAM, N.H. (4/25/11) – The No. 8 University of Colorado men’s lacrosse team held off a late run and defeated the New Hampshire Wildcats 9-8 in the Buffaloes final regular season game on Monday night at the UNH Outer Fields.

Colorado finishes the regular season with an 11-4 record after going 3-0 in their New England road trip. The loss is New Hampshire’s third in a row and drops their record to 2-8 overall.

A.J. Blackburn led the Buffs in scoring with two goals and one assist while teammates Tyler Dougherty and Hap Knowles finished with two point evenings. Dougherty had two goals while Knowles had one goal and one assist. Ben Johns, Jack Cranston, Matt White and Michael Beimford also scored for CU.

Brad Macnee had another dominate day in net for Colorado as the junior goaltender finished with 10 saves on 18 shots.

Early on, New Hampshire used their home field to their advantage as they scored twice in the first 2:05 of the game. However 24 seconds after Mark Cochrane gave the Wildcats the 2-0 lead, White scored in what began a 6-0 run for the Buffaloes in the quarter. UNH scored three times and held CU scoreless in the second quarter to make it a 6-5 game at the half.

In the third quarter, the Buffs extended their lead to 9-7 after they scored three times in the stanza. The fourth quarter featured tight play as neither team was able to gain an advantage until Daniel Milano scored for the Wildcats with seven seconds left in the game. New Hampshire didn’t have enough time to complete the comeback and Colorado held on for the victory.

Joe Gardner led UNH in the game with three goals and one assist while goaltender Jacob Katz finished with 15 saves on 24 shots.

Colorado will now have nearly two weeks to prepare for their rematch with No. 2 Colorado State in the first round of the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference Playoffs. The No. 3 seed Buffs will play the No. 2 seed Rams at 4 p.m. on Friday May 6 at Mesa State College’s Walker Field in Grand Junction, Colo. The winner of the CU-CSU game will play BYU or Utah in the RMLC Championship game on May 7.

Colorado State is the defending conference champions and defeated Colorado earlier in the year in a 9-8 contest on Apr. 16 at INVESCO Field at Mile High in Denver. CU’s loss to their in-state rival is the Buffs’ only defeat in their last five games.

Cycling Finishes Third in Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling Conference Road Season

DURANGO, Colo. (3/25/11) - The University of Colorado cycling team finished third in the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling Conference Division-I season after the conference’s road finals last weekend.

The Buffaloes finished second in the conference's division-I team time trial and criterium races and third in the road race behind first place Fort Lewis and second place Colorado State. Fort Lewis College won all three conference events and ran away with the overall conference title while CSU finished second in the RMCCC.

Colorado had a solid showing at Saturday morning's team time trial as they had teams finish fourth and seventh in the Men's-A race, third in the Men's-C race and second in the Women's-A race.

In the criterium race on Saturday afternoon, Christa Ghent and Claire Bensard were the highest CU finishers in the Women's-A race, ending up seventh and eighth respectively. In the Men's-A criterium, CU placed two riders in the top five, Josh Yeaton in fourth and Jesse Goodrich in fifth. Colorado's Danny Hiller won the Men's-B race while teammate Peter Anderson finished fifth.

Entering the final race of the weekend on Sunday morning, the road race, Yeaton was leading Colorado State's Zack Allison in the conference's Men's-A individual competition by only one point. However luck was not on the CU rider’s side as Yeaton experienced two flat tires in the road race and was unable to finish, allowing Allison to finish the event uncontested and take the individual conference championship.

"It was a disappointing end to the conference season for Josh, but he showed great sportsmanship after the event by congratulating his teammates on their strong rides in the road race," said CU coach Colby Pearce of Yeaton. "Josh will be out for revenge at the road race at nationals. Last year, he place seventh and his legs are even better this season. The uphill finish suits him perfectly."

Bill Golembieski was the highest placed CU rider in the Men's-A road race as he finished fifth. In the Men's-B road race, Anderson finished second while teammates Hiller and Sean Haney finished eighth and ninth. Macklin Scheldrup and Corey Maxon finished seventh and eighth in the Men's-C race while CU had two riders who finished in the top five in the Women's-A event, Lucianne Conklin in second and Ghent in fourth. Also in the Women's-A race, Bensard finished ninth while Abigail Mickey finished 11th.

Colorado will have four or five spots for both the men's and women's teams when the Buffs head to the Collegiate National Championships in Madison, Wis., on May 6-8.

Overall conference team results: http://www.collegiatecycling.org/rmccc/uploads/Main/Team04242011.pdf

Overall conference individual results: http://collegiatecycling.org/rmccc/uploads/Calendar/Individual04242011.pdf

Team Time Trial results: http://collegiatecycling.org/rmccc/uploads/Calendar/FLCTTT.pdf

Criterium results: https://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?year=2011&id=765&info_id=36320

Road Race results: https://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?year=2011&id=765&info_id=36318

CU Cycling website: http://www.cucycling.com/

Big Fourth Quarter Leads No. 8 Men's Lacrosse Past UConn

STORRS, Conn. (4/23/11) – The No. 8 University of Colorado men’s lacrosse team scored five fourth quarter goals to help defeat the Connecticut Huskies 11-5 on Saturday at Sherman Field.

The victory is Colorado’s second in a row and improves their overall record to 10-4 overall while the loss is Connecticut’s second straight, dropping their record to 3-4.

A.J. Blackburn led the Buffaloes in scoring with four goals while Matt White finished with two tallies on the day. Nick Wramage, C.J. Dinardi, Darren Hulick, Steven Keyes and Colin Rosenblum also found the back of the cage for CU.

The Buffs jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first quarter and scored two more in the second to take the 5-2 lead at halftime. UConn came out firing in the third quarter as they scored twice in the stanza to make it a 6-4 game with 15 minutes to play. However the CU defense stuffed the Huskies attack in the final period and scored five goals of their own en route to the Buffs’ third win in four games.

Colorado will close out their regular season on Monday at 7 p.m. against the New Hampshire Wildcats in Durham, N.H., before heading the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference Playoffs on May 5-7. The Buffaloes will be the No. 3 seed at the tournament and will play the No. 2 seed Colorado State in the first round of the RMLC Playoffs in Grand Junction, Colo.

No. 8 Men's Lacrosse Tops Boston College in Double Overtime Thriller

BOSTON (4/22/11) – Sophomore attackman Jack Cranston scored in double overtime and the No. 8 Colorado Buffaloes men’s lacrosse team defeated the No. 7 Boston College Eagles 10-9 on Friday night at the Harvard University’s Cumnock Field.

CU’s victory is their second in three games and improves their overall record to 9-4 while the loss the ends a seven game win streak for BC and drops their record at 9-3 this season.

Cranston finished the contest with two goals and one assist while teammate A.J. Blackburn had one goal and one assist. CU sophomore goaltender Brad Macnee made nine saves on 17 shots.

The Buffaloes jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first quarter and netted two more in the second to take a 5-2 advantage at halftime. CU began the second half with another goal, but BC scored the next three to get within one of the Buffs. Colorado added a late goal in the third, but Boston College scored late as well to keep the deficit at one.

In the fourth quarter, the Eagles found the back of the net three times and took their first lead since early in the first. With BC up 9-7 with nearly six minutes to play, CU began their comeback which included sophomore midfielder Matt White scoring the game tying goal with 30 seconds left in the fourth.

After a scoreless first overtime, the Buffs gained the first possession in the second extra stanza and took full advantage of it as Cranston scored the game winner 40 seconds into the quarter.

This was Colorado and Boston College’s first matchup since CU’s season opening game in 2009 in which the Buffs won 9-8 in overtime in Boulder.

Colorado has two more games remaining in their New England road trip and their regular season, tomorrow in Storrs, Conn., against the UConn Huskies at 8 p.m. and on Monday at 7 p.m. against the New Hampshire Wildcats in Durham, N.H. Boston College will play their final regular season game next Friday against Connecticut at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Student Athletes to be Honored at Awards Banquet

BOULDER (4/22/11) - The University of Colorado collegiate sport clubs will honor their teams, student athletes and coaches at their annual banquet on Wednesday Apr. 27 from 6-8 p.m. in room 235 at the University Memorial Center on campus.

"It is a night for us to honor and recognize the coaches and officers of our teams for their hard work, dedication and time commitment," said collegiate sport clubs director Patty McConnell. "It is the behind the scenes stuff; the officers, the planning the budget and everything else that helps our teams be successful. We want our teams to be successful on and off the field of play."

The awards that will be given out include Club of the Year, Coach of the Year, Male and Female Athlete of the Year and Male and Female Sportsperson of the Year.

At last year's event, the women's volleyball team earned the Club of the Year award while women's rugby head coach Jim Stebbins was honored as the Coach of the Year.

The Athlete of the Year Awards is given to the student athletes that competed the best in their individual sport. Adam Coy of triathlon and Lauren Daly of women's volleyball picked up the male and female honors last year.

The Sportsperson of the Year award is given to the male and female athletes who showed leadership, commitment and dedication to their team. Ashley Abrams of women's hockey and Tyler DeWitt of men's crew earned the honor in 2010.

Women's Lacrosse No. 1 Seed for National Tournament

BOULDER (4/20/11) – The University of Colorado women’s lacrosse team will be the number one seed in the 2011 Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Associates (WCLA) National Championships.

Colorado will play No. 16 Midland University from Fremont, Neb., in the first round of the National Championships, which will be held on May 4-7 at the Scottsdale Sports Complex in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The Buffaloes earned the top seed after going 15-1 this season. CU’s only loss this year came in a 9-6 game with Florida’s club team on Mar. 26. Colorado bounced back after the loss to the Gators and finished the season with seven straight victories.

This is the seventh straight year that Colorado has earned a berth to the national tournament. The Buffs have made three straight final four appearances including finishing as the runner up in 2009. CU has never won the national championship. 

The Buffaloes will try to do what in-state rival Colorado State did last year, which is win a championship. The Rams won nationals last season as an 11 seed and will be seeded sixth when the championships begin in two weeks.

Selections for the field were extremely competitive. The selection committee used a variety of criteria to base their decisions including: overall record, record versus ranked teams, won-loss versus common opponents, record versus WCLA teams, quality wins/quality losses, upsets, head-to-head results, conference playoff performance, final conference standings, record for last five games, and more.

Division I First Round Games (Wednesday, May 4)
No. 1 Colorado vs. No. 16 Midland
No. 2 Florida Club vs. No. 15 Minnesota
No. 3 UC Davis Club vs. No. 14 Washington
No. 4 Santa Clara vs. No. 13 Boston College Club
No. 5 Lindenwood vs. No. 12 Cal Poly
No. 6 Colorado State vs. No. 11 Pittsburgh
No. 7 UC Santa Barbara vs. No. 10 Texas
No. 8 Michigan vs. No. 9 UCLA

Information taken from WCLA News Release

Men's Rugby Player Named Conference Player of the Week

BOULDER (4/20/11) – University of Colorado men’s rugby scrumhalf Sean Kilfoyle has been named the College Premier Division Western Conference Player of the Week.

Kilfoyle had four tries and five conversions for 30 points in CU’s 60-17 win versus Wyoming on Saturday. Kilfoyle’s honor is the first for a Colorado player this season.

The freshman from Denver, Colo., is also nominated for the national College Premier Division Round Seven Player of the Week honor with Chase Burge from Navy (Rugby East), Allen Alongi from LSU (Mid-South) and Kris Osterloh from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo (Pacific).

To vote for the league’s player of the week, go to http://www.facebook.com/usarugby?sk=app_4949752878. The results will be announced on Tuesday Apr. 26.

Kilfoyle and the Buffaloes (3-6, 2-4 CPD) will close out their season on Saturday at 4 p.m. against the Arizona Wildcats at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colo. Admission to the match is only $6 is good for three rugby games on the day.

Colorado men’s rugby website: www.curugby.com

Men's Rugby Finishes Regular Season Saturday against Arizona

GLENDALE, Colo. (4/17/11) – The University of Colorado men’s rugby team will look to defeat perennial powerhouse Arizona in the Buffaloes’ final regular season match on Saturday Apr. 23 at Infinity Park. The game is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.

Coming into this past weekend’s matchup with the Wyoming Cowboys, the Buffs were 2-6 overall and 1-4 in the College Premier Division. CU managed to defeat Colorado State 29-3 earlier in the year, but the Buffs have lost their last three matches since beating the Rams. The Arizona Wildcats are also in the midst of a three game losing streak, however despite their recent woes, the Wildcats still have a 7-4 overall record.

Colorado will need all of their young guns to be firing on all cylinders if they want to beat Arizona. Sophomore wing Brendan Cox will need to have a big game as Cox is currently the team’s leading scorer and has limitless potential. Freshmen Ben Shafer, Zach Savage and Mike Sangaline will also need to play well for CU to pull off the upset.  

The game will be played at Glendale’s Infinity Park, one of the premier rugby venues in the country. Infinity Park is the home of the Glendale Raptors, the Denver Metro Area’s nationally ranked rugby team. Infinity Park also regularly hosts USA Rugby National Championship matches and will host the College Premier Division Semifinals on May 14.

Tickets to the Buffs final regular season game is $6 and can be bought online at http://www.glendalerugby.com/tickets-and-travel. During checkout, use the code BUFF to support CU men’s rugby. The ticket is good for three rugby matches on the day: the Raptors’ women’s game at 2 p.m., the college game at 4 p.m. and the Raptors’ men’s game at 6 p.m. There will be a tape delay broadcast of CU’s match with Arizona on Root Sports.

Men's Lacrosse Loses a Heartbreaker versus Colorado State

DENVER (4/16/11) – The No. 8 University of Colorado’s men’s lacrosse team lost in a 9-8 thriller against the No. 2 Colorado State Rams at INVESCO Field at Mile High on Saturday night.

The Buffaloes loss drops their record to 8-3 overall and 2-2 in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference. The win improves the Rams record to 10-1 overall and 1-0 in the RMLC. 

At first the game appeared like it was going to be a blowout. CSU jumped out to an 8-3 halftime lead behind multiple goals from sophomore Austin Fisher and senior Cooper Kehoe. After a slow third quarter, CU’s sophomore sensation Jack Cranston managed to find the back of the net bringing CU to within four goals entering the fourth. The Buffs exploded in the fourth, scoring four unanswered goals. Along with Cranston, seniors Steven Keyes, A.J. Blackburn and Colin Rosenblum all scored in the Buffs four goal surge. Rosenblum scored the game tying goal with 7:40 left in the fourth quarter.

After Rosenblum’s game tying goal, the crowd went crazy and what earlier was a quiet CU fan section soon became electric. The Rams regained their composure when sophomore Alex Devlin hit a critical go ahead shot with 6:20 left in the game. The shot turned out to be the game winner for CSU, who fended off multiple attacks by the Buffaloes in the remaining minutes.

“It was a tale of two halves,” said CU head coach Mike Ryder. “We came out fired up in the game, but we weren’t executing on the offensive end. Offensively we were ok, but our defense was hurting us so bad that our momentum wasn’t carrying over to the offensive end.”

Cranston led the Buffs with four goals while Blackburn scored twice. Rosenblum and Keyes also scored critical goals in the Buffaloes 5-0 run in the second half. Perhaps most important in Colorado’s comeback effort was sophomore goalie Brad Macnee, who only gave up one goal in the entire second half and made several spectacular saves.  

“It starts in practice,” Blackburn said on what the team needs to do to start winning close games. “We are going to do some tough conditioning in practice, a lot of stick work and cleaning up the little stuff that will make the one goal differences go our way.”

The Buffs will look to rebound from their tough loss by getting a few wins in New England next weekend. CU will look to end Boston College seven game winning streak when they travel to Chestnut Hill on Apr. 22. Colorado will then close out their regular season at Connecticut the next day and at New Hampshire on Apr. 25.

CU will head to the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference Playoffs on May 5-7 at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colo. The MCLA National Championships will be held May 17-21 at Dicks Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo.

Cycling Looks to Dominate Conference Road Finals

DURANGO, Colo. (4/13/11) – The University of Colorado cycling team will be looking for a strong showing when they head to the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Conference Road Finals on Apr. 23-24. Fort Lewis College will be hosting the event.

The first conference race will be the Animas Surgical Hospital/La Posta team time trial, which is scheduled to take place at 8 a.m. on Saturday Apr. 23. The 21 kilometer (13.02 miles) course will start across the bridge from the Home Depot on Colorado Road 213. The course has multiple hills, and near the finish it loses 400 feet in elevation. The course finishes at Highway 550 South.

The second set of events on Saturday will start at 11 a.m. in downtown Durango. The six-turn course is half a mile long, covering eight city blocks. The start and finish of the road race will be at the corner of Ninth Street and Fourth Avenue. Viewers can park in the surrounding area or ride their bikes to watch the race.

The final set of events is scheduled to start on Sunday Apr. 24 at 8 a.m. at the Old Fort Lewis campus. The Old Fort Lewis campus is located twelve miles west of Durango. The course is a twenty-five mile long Roubaix-style course that is half-dirt and half-paved, which should make for an exciting, highly skilled race.

In the fall, consistent placing and great depth led the CU cycling team to a second place finish at the Mountain Bike National Championships in Lake Tahoe. The Buffs will look to continue that success at the conference road finals.

The Buffaloes women’s road team has been scrambling a bit this spring after losing some of its top riders. More specifically, the women’s A group is shorthanded after losing star rider Flora Duffy. Duffy will be competing in a triathlon world cup during the conference finals and national championships. Leading the women’s A’s are Phobe Erdman and Heather Fischer. Erdman and Fischer have been racing well this season, but are often outnumbered during competitions. The Buffs will likely look to Lucy Conklin and Christa Ghent, two women’s B racers, to step up to A racing for the conference events. Both Conklin and Ghent have placed in the top three multiple times this season.

CU’s men’s team is extremely strong this year with returning captain Josh Yeaton riding confidently. Jesse Goodrich has also been riding well, scoring a top three finish in his first conference race. Tyler Nabours and Chris Hurst are expected to dominate the hilly races, and Mac Cassin is bursting with potential. The Buffs men’s A team is loaded this year, and should be one of CU’s most exciting cycling categories to watch.

Prior to the Durango races, the Buffs will close out their regular season schedule this weekend, Apr. 16-17, at the Air Force Academy. After the RMC Conference Road Finals, the Buffs will head to Madison, Wis., on May 6-8 to compete at the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships.  

Snowboard Heads to CBS Network's Alt Games at Copper

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (4/13/11) – Members of the University of Colorado snowboard team will compete in the 2011 CBS Alt Games College Championships on Saturday Apr. 16 at Copper Mountain Resort.

Some of the CU riders who will be participating at the event include Kevin Wright, Joey Dryer, Derrek Shorrock and Luke Schultz.

The snowboarding competition will begin at 8 a.m. with a preliminary qualifier followed by the finals. There will be 20 competitors in the men’s qualifier and 10 in the finals while there will be 12 competitors in the women’s qualifier and six in the finals. The winners will receive a $7,000 purse prize.

CBS Sports Network’s Alt Games, now in its sixth year, is a one-of-a-kind event showcasing college action championships in sports including skiing, snowboarding, wakeboarding, flowboarding, skateboarding and beach volleyball. Slopestyle skiing will also compete at Saturday’s Alt Games with snowboarding.

CBS Sports will cover Saturday’s competition and will air the Alt Games on television on Sunday May 1 at 3:30 p.m. MT on the CBS Sports Network.

Along with the Alt Games, Copper Mountain will host an urban rail jam and the start of the Sunsation Music Festival with Gin Blossoms headlining on Saturday. The festival will also be on Sunday and Apr. 23-24.

Fly Fishing Host Boulder Creek Clean up

BOULDER (4/13/11) – The University of Colorado fly fishing club is inviting the CU and Boulder community to help out in their cleanup day of Boulder Creek on Saturday Apr. 23. All volunteers are welcome to help out in the cleanup.

Club members and volunteers alike will meet at approximately 9 a.m. in parking lot 169 on the north side of Folsom Field, next to the creek and the football practice fields.

The trash pickup will begin at 9 a.m. and will go until 1 p.m. Bags and gloves will be provided, however it is recommended that volunteers bring any gear that may help aid in pick up. Waders, for example, may be helpful during the pickup process.

After the cleanup, the community service group will head up for a fun day of fishing either in the canyon or in warm water areas around Boulder. This will be a great chance for inexperienced fishers to learn some tips and improve their skills.

Later in the day, a barbecue will be held back in town as a thank you to everyone for helping out. It is recommended that people bring their own water to the cleanup and to the barbecue.

Triathlon Earns 12th National Championship

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (4/9/11) - For the second time in as many years and for the 12th time overall, the University of Colorado is the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Champions.

The Buffaloes had three of the top six men's finishers including Karl "Rudy" Kahsar who won the men's race and a top five finisher in the women's competition. CU finished first in the men's race and third in the women's race.

                       

Colorado totaled just 83 points on Saturday, with the men's team picking up 23 points and women's team 60 points. The U.S. Military Academy finished second overall with 120 points while the University of California Berkeley finished third with 233 points.

After CU in the men's standings was Army and Cal followed by UCLA and Michigan State. The U.S. Naval Academy won the women's race as they finished with 46 points, three points ahead of second place Army. Behind third place Colorado in the women's event was Cal Poly in fourth and Cal in fifth.

During nationals, all competitors completed a 1,500-meter swim, a 40-kilometer bike ride and a 10-kilometer run.

Kahsar, a graduate student at Colorado, finished the men's race in one hour, 57 minutes and four seconds for his first Collegiate National title. Kahsar made his biggest move on the bike portion of the race as he finished the 40k leg in a time of 58:33, good for the day's No. 2 split.

Prior to Kahsar coming to CU, he posted four top-20 finishes at the Collegiate Nationals as an undergraduate at the University of Virginia.

"I’ve been training for this race for four years… Every year I’m thinking about Collegiate Nationals, and I put so much into it this year,” Kahsar said. “This is the most emotional race I’ve ever done. It’s the hardest I’ve ever gone. I’ve never gone this hard in a race.”

Behind Kahsar was teammates Chris Braden and Ryan Bice who finished fifth and sixth respectively. Braden finished with a time of 1:59:20 while Bice was just three seconds behind him.

In the women's race, former national champion Jessica Broderick just missed the podium for CU as she finished fourth with a time of 2:15:53. Teammate Tess Amer finished eighth in a time of 2:20:24.

The Buffaloes back-to-back championships is their first since 2004-05. CU won five straight championships from 1996 to 2000 and four straight from 2002 to 2005. Colorado's first championship came 1994.

The Collegiate National Championships will be televised later this month on the CBS Sports Network. The men's and women's races will be shown on Apr. 29 in separate one-hour broadcasts with the women's race airing at 8 p.m. MT, followed by the men at 9 p.m. MT.

2011 USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championship Results

Overall Team Standings 

1. Colorado, 83
2. U.S. Military Academy, 120
3. Cal, 233
4. Michigan State, 383
5. Texas A&M, 395 

Men's Team Standings

1. Colorado, 23
2. U.S. Military Academy, 71
3. Cal, 99
4. UCLA, 108
5. Michigan State, 139 

Women's Team Standings

1. U.S. Naval Academy, 46
2. U.S. Military Academy, 49
3. Colorado, 60
4. Cal Poly, 130
5. Cal, 134 

Men's Overall

1. Karl Kahsar 1:57:04 - Colorado
2. Dustin McLarty 1:58:17
3. Brady Obryan 1:59:02
4. Brad Perry 1:59:15
5. Chris Braden 1:59:20 - Colorado
6. Ryan Bice 1:59:23 - Colorado
7. James McCurdy 1:59:25
8. Jordan Bethke 2:00:25
9. Ben Hall 2:00:36
10. Colin Riley 2:00:41

Women's Overall

1. Kaitlin Shiver 2:10:04
2. Julie Rechel 2:13:47
3. Marcie Nordt 2:14:28
4. Jessica Broderick 2:15:53 - Colorado
5. Erika Erickson 2:16:32
6. Hallie Blunck 2:17:28
7. Kathrine Warren 2:17:35
8. Tess Amer 2:20:24 - Colorado
9. Tracy Fridye 2:20:40
10. Samantha Fugate 2:20:47

Men's Undergraduate

1. Brady O'Bryan (UCLA), 1:59:02
2. Brad Perry (Wake Forest), 1:59:15
3. Chris Braden (Colorado), 1:59:20 

Women's Undergraduate

1. Kaitlin Shiver (Florida), 2:10:04
2. Julie Rechel (Richmond), 2:13:47

3. Marcie Nordt (U.S. Military Academy), 2:14:28

Men's Graduate

1. Karl "Rudy" Kahsar (Colorado), 1:57:04
2. Dustin McLarty (UC Irvine), 1:58:17
3. James McCurdy (Auburn), 1:59:25

Women's Graduate

1. Erika Erickson (Cal), 2:16:32
2. Hallie Blunck (UAB), 2:17:28
3. Samantha Fugate (Michigan State), 2:20:47 

Men's Overall Sprint Champion: Andrew Mueller (Champaign, Ill.), 1:06:02
Men's Collegiate Sprint Champion: Benjamin Drezek (Denton, Texas), 1:07:50
Men's Alumni Sprint Champion: Andrew Mueller (Champaign, Ill.), 1:06:02
Men's Open Sprint Champion: Gary Petmecky (Stone Mountain, Ga.), 1:13:20
Women's Overall Sprint Champion: Katherine Krzak (Mokena, Ill.), 1:17:28
Women's Collegiate Sprint Champion: Katherine Krzak (Mokena, Ill.), 1:17:28
Women's Alumni Sprint Champion: Ashley Yeager (Durham, N.C.), 1:19:01
Women's Open Sprint Champion: Katie Gilbert (Tuscaloosa, Ala.), 1:31:20
Team Spirit Award: Arizona State
Armed Services Champion: U.S. Military Academy

No. 5 Men's Lacrosse Defeats Texas Tech 18-1

BOULDER (4/10/11) - In their final home game at Kittredge Field this season, the No. 9 University of Colorado men's lacrosse team defeated the Texas Tech Red Raiders 18-1 on Sunday afternoon.

The Buffaloes end a two game losing streak with the win and improve their record to 8-3 on the season while Texas Tech loses their second contest in a row and ends their season with a 2-10 mark.

Eleven different Colorado players scored in the game as many of the Buffs third and fourth liners played most of the contest.

"It was a really good opportunity to get our backup guys in for the first time since probably the Kansas game," said Colorado head coach Mike Ryder. "We still wanted to run our systems, not play down to the other team's level and just execute and get a good win in our last home game at Kittredge Field."

Senior A.J. Blackburn led CU with three goals, all of which he scored in a 59 second time span late in the first quarter. Seniors Ben Johns, Ben Weisz and Witt Harlan, junior Thomas Appel and sophomore Alex Puldy each finished the game with two goals while James Kreidle, Matt White, Colin Rosenblum and Nick Wramage also scored for Colorado.

Starting goaltender Brad Macnee watched the game from the sidelines as he had the day off, allowing senior goalie Cody Novack to get his first start in net this season. Novak played the first half while freshman Mitch Fenton played the second.

Colorado will now prepare for one of their biggest games of the season against No. 2 Colorado State next Saturday in the 8th Annual Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Showdown at INVESCO Field at Mile High in Denver.

"It is going to be a big one. CSU always comes to play for us and we have to make sure that we are prepared, more than we ever have been before," Ryder said. "They are a good team, but we are confident on what we do on the field and come out and play the way that we want to play, which is Colorado Lacrosse.

"If we can turn it into a home atmosphere for us, I think the guys will come to play in a big stadium like that. It is not hard to get up and play at a place like INVESCO. The main thing is playing smart, not getting caught up in the moment and taking it out on CSU."

Saturday's CU-CSU game will begin at 6 p.m., following the University of Denver's game with Ohio State at 3 p.m., also at the stadium.

Tickets to both games are only $10 and can be bought online at www.ticketmaster.com or at www.culax.org. Tickets will be available on the day of the game for $12 at the INVESCO Field box office.

The HERD, the student arm of the Colorado Alumni Association, is offering a special deal to CU students for the game. For only $15, students will receive free transportation to and from the stadium, a tailgate prior to the game and tickets to see the biggest college lacrosse game in the state. Only 120 spots are available so sign up today at http://www.cuherd.org/2011/04/04/cu-lacrosse-game/.

For more information on the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Showdown, go to www.lacrosseshowdown.com.

To listen to the archived audio broadcast from Sunday's Colorado-Texas Tech game, go to http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cu-buffs-lacrosse.

Chapman Holds Off No. 5 Men's Lacrosse

BOULDER (4/9/11)– The No. 5 Chapman University Panthers held off the No. 9 University of Colorado men’s lacrosse team in a 13-12 victory that quite literally went down to the final seconds at Kittredge Field on Saturday afternoon. Both teams surged on offense in the second half in comparison to the first half, and it ultimately came down to a key faceoff and ground ball battle that decided the end result.

CU’s offense was highlighted by points leader A.J. Blackburn, who finished with four goals and sophomore Jack Cranston, who finished with three.

Michael Marchand’s three goal performance paved the way for the Panthers while Will Morrison (two goals and one assist) and Andrew Clayton (two goals) followed close behind.

The Buffaloes looked like a much different team compared to their last outing against Arizona State on Apr. 27, minimizing their mistakes early on en route to an early lead in the first half. The defense for the black and gold in retrospect halted most of Chapman’s high powered offense in the first two quarters, shutting off opportunities near the crease and holding them to just three goals in the first 30 minutes. CU led 5-3 at halftime.

The same offensive production wouldn’t be true for Colorado in the third quarter, where Chapman went on a 7-0 scoring run and utilized the wrap-around crease option nearly flawlessly. Down 10-5 in the fourth quarter, the Buffs were able to stay in the game with a couple of early goals, but Chapman found the back of the net as well, which proved pivotal in the final minutes.

Midway through the fourth, Colorado went on a 4-0 scoring run, but it would be Chapman’s Andrew Nordstrom’s insurance goal at the 2:05 mark that proved to be the difference maker.

CU scored twice with under two minutes to play to make it a one goal game and won the ensuing faceoff with 38 seconds to go. A quick timeout by Colorado head coach Mike Ryder set up a potentially game tying offensive play, but the Panthers long poles were waiting to take away the middle of the box and force a loose ball turnover to seal the win for Chapman.

The win puts Chapman at 9-2 on the year while Colorado falls to 7-3 overall. The Panthers will travel to Fort Collins on Monday afternoon to face the No. 2 Colorado State Rams to wrap up their Rocky Mountain road trip. The Buffs meanwhile will take the field again tomorrow when they host Texas Tech at 1 p.m. at Kittredge Field.

Listen to the archived audio broadcast from Saturday’s Colorado-Chapman game at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cu-buffs-lacrosse.

Story written by CU Lacrosse Public Relations Director Nick Salen.

Baseball Hosts Colorado State on April 17 at Boulder's Scott Carpenter Park

BOULDER (4/7/11) - The University of Colorado baseball team will look to upset the three time defending National Champion and in-state rival, Colorado State, on Sunday Apr. 17 at Scott Carpenter Park. The Buffaloes will play the Rams in a doubleheader; the first game begins at 2 p.m. while the second contest is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

The Buffs are currently 10-11 overall and 1-3 in conference play.  CU’s 1-3 conference record has them ranked third in the Mid-American Conference West Division.  The Colorado State Rams are 19-17 overall this year with a 3-1 conference record. The Rams are currently atop the MAC West standings.

Last season, the Buffs went 2-6 against the Rams. Senior catcher and team captain Tony Piha is looking to turn things around for the Buffs this year with his bat. Piha is currently third in the nation in hits and also has three home runs, 18 RBI’s and a batting average of .426. CU will also need junior outfielder Tucker Hinchliffe to stay hot. Hinchliffe went 7-8 in two games last weekend vs. Northern Colorado, raising his average to .379 and tying him for the team lead in RBI’s with 18.

Perhaps the most important player for the Buffs is senior outfielder Ryan Graf, who transferred to CU this year from UC Santa Barbara. Graf is leading or is tied for the team lead in a plethora of offensive categories, including triples, home runs, RBI’s, walks, stolen bases and on-base percentage. 

“Adding Ryan has been a huge boost to our lineup,” said team president and captain Ben Fuchs. “He stepped in and immediately filled the vacancy at DH, consistently providing production and serving as a major catalyst in the lineup.  He brings a skilled, veteran presence that is invaluable to a young team like ours, and having him in the middle of the order with Tony Piha has given us a dependable 1-2 punch that I'd put up against anyone in the country.”

Admission to the Apr. 17 game is free for the general public. However, it is recommended that all fans arrive to the game early as last year’s contest at Scott Carpenter Park was standing room only.

This is the Buff’s first game at Scott Carpenter Park since CU played CSU last spring. Colorado normally plays their home games in Johnstown, Colo., so the close proximity to campus is sure to draw a large crowd with an electric atmosphere.

Colorado will also play Colorado State this weekend in Fort Collins and will face the Rams again on Apr. 16 in Johnstown, Colo.

The Buffs will travel to Greeley, Colo., to finish off their regular season against the Northern Colorado Bears on Apr. 24.

Triathlon Seeks 12th National Championship

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (4/5/11) - The University of Colorado triathlon team will look to defend their title as national champion when they head to the 2011 Collegiate National Championships on Saturday.

The Buffaloes have won 11 national championships since 1994 and will be looking to repeat as champions for the first time since 2004-05.

"We just try and take a humble approach and look too much at the results from last year," said CU senior and team president Corey Hazekamp. "We are focusing on the task at hand this year, and we want to go out and do our best this weekend."

The first wave for the men will begin at 7:30 a.m. EDT while the first wave for the women will begin at 10 a.m. EDT. The waves will be in four minute increments. The first wave of the sprint triathlon will begin at 12:30 p.m. EDT with two waves following in three minute increments.

Colorado is coming off a dominate performance at the Mountain Collegiate Triathlon Conference Championships on Mar. 19 in Lake Havasu, Ariz., in which both the men's and women's teams finished first and had six men and five women finish in the top 10. However what was impressive about CU's finish is that they did it without their best athlete, junior Jessica Broderick, who missed the Havasu race with an injury.

Broderick will race in Alabama and will look to reclaim the title of national champion that she earned in 2009 as a freshman. Last year, Broderick finished second at nationals.

Surprisingly the U.S. Military Academy, who is not in CU's conference, attended the Havasu race and will be Buff's biggest competition on Saturday. Colorado competed well against Army in Arizona, which gives the Buffs hope of another good performance against the cadets at nationals.

While winning a national championship in his final race as a Buffalo would be special, Hazekamp said the biggest thing that he and the rest of the seniors will remember about this season will be teaching the underclassman of the team.

"We have all been on the team for four years and have been working hard," Hazekamp said of CU's senior class. "I think the biggest thing for us is that we will leave knowing that we helped the young underclassman as we contributed to a national championship."

Colorado triathlon athletes will be available for the media before and after Saturday's race. Contact Collegiate Sport Clubs Information Director Ron Knabenbauer to set up an interview.

Results and a live blog of the race will be available online at http://www.usatriathlon.org/events/359.

Schedule on Race Day

7:30 a.m. Collegiate National Championship Start Men Wave 1

7:34 a.m. Men Wave 2

7:38 a.m. Men Wave 3

7:42 a.m. Men Wave 4

7:46 a.m. Men Wave 5

7:50 a.m. Men Wave 6

10:00 a.m. Collegiate National Championship Start Women Wave 1

10:04 a.m. Women Wave 2

10:08 a.m. Women Wave 3

10:12 a.m. Women Wave 4

12:30 p.m. Sprint Triathlon Wave 1

12:33 p.m. Sprint Tri Wave 2

12:36 p.m. Sprint Tri Wave 3

2:45 p.m. Course Closes

6-8 p.m. Awards Ceremony

All times Eastern