CU Men’s Water Polo Prepares for Tournament in Kearns, Utah

KEARNS, Utah (9/27/11)—The University of Colorado men’s water polo team will head to the Kearns Aquatic Center Sept. 30 to partake in a three day, 24-game tournament. Due to the number of games, all games at Kearns will use six-minute quarters rather than the normal seven-minute quarters used in the majority of National Collegiate Club competition.

The tournament will play host to several elite water polo schools including but not limited to the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, the University of Denver and the University of Utah.

Colorado’s “A” team will take on the University of Arizona and Arizona State University on Oct 1. The Buffs will take on Arizona at 4:00 p.m. and then Arizona State at 9:00 p.m. in what is sure to be an exciting and exhausting day. On Oct. 2 the Buffaloes will face the University of Denver at 2:00 p.m. 

Last year the Buffs won the Rocky Mountain Conference, earing themselves a spot in the CWPA national tournament in Cedar City, Utah where they finished 8^th. Additionally, Colorado’s “B” team had its highest finish in team history, finishing 5^th in the Rocky Mountain Conference Tournament.

This year the Buffs hope to build off last year’s success.

“Our 40+ members worked tirelessly to achieve numerous goals set forth as a team at the beginning of our season while maintaining academic integrity,” said team president Ramsey Abdulhamid. “Our team goals for this season are to win the Rocky Mountain Conference, achieve a top 10 national ranking and fuel the passion and development of Water Polo at the University of Colorado.” 

Colorado will head to the EPIC Aquatic Center in Fort Collins, Colo. Oct. 8 to compete in another tournament. The Buffaloes will then then head to Tempe, Ariz. on Oct. 22 to compete for the Rocky Mountain Division Championship.

CU Women’s Soccer vs. CSU Friday at Franklin Field

BOULDER (9/27/11) – The University of Colorado women’s gold soccer team will take on the Colorado State women’s gold team Friday Sept. 30 at 7:00 p.m. The Buffaloes look to continue their fast start to the season with a victory over their in-state rivals. CU and CSU met once earlier this season, the result was a 1-1 draw.

The Buffs’ are off to a 4-1-2 start with notable wins vs. Wyoming, Salt Lake Community College (twice) and Kansas. Colorado’s only loss thus far was to Laramie County Community College, who bested the Buffaloes 1-0. The Buffs’ are currently ranked first in Region V.

Colorado has a very young, energetic team this year.

“The team is younger than it has been in a couple years, which is a very good thing,” said head coach Dorian Barnes. “We have a lot of young eager talent that is learning quickly and contributing at a very high level.”

The Buffaloes team chemistry has been excellent so far.

“Chemistry on our team is very strong, the players get along great on and off the field, which is becoming evident in games,” said Barnes.

Along with chemistry, the technical ability of the players is one of the Buffs’ biggest strengths.

“This is one of the more technically strong teams that we have had,” said Barnes.  “It has taken us some time early on in the season to develop tactically, which is evident with the early season ties but we are getting there.”

Colorado will need their star players to perform if they want to beat Colorado State on Friday.  Junior Becky Santiago, sophomore Kailey Osbaugh, junior Tayler Skogg and senior Paige Polesovsky have all played at an elite level thus far. Santiago broke the team’s all-time goal record last season and is one of the most feared goal scorers in all of women’s club soccer. Osbaugh, a transfer from the University of South Flordia, has proved to be an integral part to the Buffs’ defense. Skogg, who moved from midfield to defense this year, has become the backbone of the defense. Polesovsky is the current leader in goals on the team and is an exceptionally versatile player.

The Buffs’ played CSU in Fort Collins earlier this year, the result was a 1-1 draw. This time, the Buffaloes are confident the result will be different.

“The first time we played CSU in Ft. Collins, a lot of our girls had yet to experience that game in that environment, and it took us awhile to come into our own and play the way we have been training,” said Barnes.  “We played hard, but tactically we struggled to play the way we needed to in order to come out on top.  A lot of those issues have clearly been corrected now, and if we can stay healthy, and have our full team in the lineup, and with the corrections we have made in training and our last few games, hopefully that will be enough to come out on top.”

For more information on CU women’s club soccer follow the team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UofColoradoWomensClubSoccer, on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CUWomenSoccer, or on their website at www.cusoccer.net

---CU Collegiate Club Sports---

CU Triathlete Finishes Second at the Hy-Vee 5150 Championship

BOULDER (9/23/11) – Three members of the CU Triathlon Team participated in the Hy-Vee 5150 U.S. Championship Triathlon in Des Moines, IA. CU triathlete, collegiate national champion, and age-group national champion Rudy Kahsar came in second place, 19 seconds behind winner Adam Webber, with a time of 1:54:55.

 “[It was] a tough loss, but I still had a great race and a great finish to my most successful season yet,” said Kashar. “Now it’s time to settle in with the CU tri team and look forward to collegiate nationals 2012!”

Kahsar’s success has not come without recognition. Recently Sports Illustrated Magazine featured Kahsar in their Faces in the Crowd section for his recent accomplishments.

Stuart Vettese and Will Thompson were the other two CU athletes racing in Des Moines. Vettese finished in 54^th place in a time of 2:16:15, while Thompson finished in 106^th place in a time of 2:26:37. 280 athletes finished the race.

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 ran the team is more than just a team; it is a family.

For more information contact: Jesse Frank CU Triathlon Team Marketing and Fundraising Officer at Jesse.Frank@Colorado.edu or 248-840-4264. To learn more about the CU Triathlon Team check out our website at http://www.cutriathlon.com/.

Story written by CU Triathlon Team Officer Jesse Frank

CU Triathlon Team Goes for 13th National Championship

BOULDER (9/23/11)  – The University of Colorado’s triathlon team has started its defense of its 12^th national championship with a victory at Steamboat Springs.  On Aug. 28, 15 CU triathletes raced in the Steamboat Springs Triathlon with sophomore David Bobka taking 1^st place overall (out of 314) in a time of 1:56:23.  “It was also nice to win my first race with such a big margin so I will hopefully carry that momentum into Oktoberfest in a few weeks,” said Bobka of his race. His nearest competitor finished almost three minutes after.

Of the nine male CU athletes racing, six finished inside the top 20, with Corey Hazekamp (2:05:14) and Drew Auer (2:06:43) also in the top 10. On the girls’ side, of the six female CU athletes three placed in the top 20: Tess Amer (24^th overall, 3^rd Female 2:17:17), Elisa Schauer (2:24:29) and Courtney Clark (2:31:07).

The Steamboat Springs Triathlon is a part of the Without Limits Productions Colorado Triathlon Tour, where collegiate triathlon teams in the Mountain Collegiate Triathlon Conference (MCTC) compete in a series of races to win money for their respective teams. Currently CU is leading the series, which ends Sept. 25 at the Oktoberfest Triathlon.

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 ran the team is more than just a team; it’s a family.

For more information contact: Jesse Frank CU Triathlon Team Marketing and Fundraising Officer at Jesse.Frank@Colorado.edu or 248-840-4264. To learn more about the CU Triathlon Team check out our website at http://www.cutriathlon.com/.

Story written by CU Triathlon Team Officer Jesse Frank

Buffaloes Triathlon Team Gives Back to Community

BOULDER (9/23/11) – On Sept. 3 21 CU athletes helped Your Cause Sports put on the Boulder Sunrise Triathlon. Once again, the Buffs’ energetic athletes were all over the venue helping out: Body-marking, manning run and bike aid stations, and on finish line duty giving out medals.

CU’s triathlon team has already been lucky enough to volunteer at two triathlons. On Aug. 27-28, 16 CU triathletes helped out at Packet Pickup and volunteered during the race itself. At Packet Pickup CU athletes helped to pass out race day materials to athletes. Come race day, the team was stationed all over the course. CU  had athletes directing traffic, organizing the parking lot, body-marking numbers on to athletes, and even wetsuit stripping.

“Volunteering is an important aspect of our team because we have so much to give to the sport of Triathlon and beyond, states Andy Bartosch, team president. “As students we depend on a lot of other people, our parents, coaches, school, sponsors, people in the community etc, what we can give back is what a lot of people looking for volunteers need.”

The CU triathlon team is not just about training and winning races, but being ambassadors to the sport. As each athlete is familiar with the nerves and stresses that accompany race day, the team aims to provide a laid back, fun atmosphere when we volunteer. This also helps to keep the team as one giant family.

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 contact: Jesse Frank CU Triathlon Team Marketing and Fundraising Officer at Jesse.Frank@Colorado.edu or 248-840-4264. To learn more about the CU Triathlon Team check out our website at http://www.cutriathlon.com/.

Story written by CU Triathlon Team Officer Jesse Frank

CU Men’s Rugby vs. CSU Oct. 7 at Infinity Park in Glendale

BOULDER (9/16/11) – The University of Colorado men’s rugby team will be taking on the Colorado State Rams Friday, Oct. 7 at Infinity Park in Glendale. Infinity Park is the first municipal rugby stadium in the U.S. and has a seating capacity of 5000, which makes for an electric atmosphere. The players from CU and CSU will be playing for the Colorado Cup—a trophy that the winning team gets to bring home for the next year. The Colorado Cup, coupled with bragging rights and the CU v. CSU rivalry will make for an intense game.

Colorado’s young players have been performing extremely well thus far.

“We have been seeing a really strong showing form our young players,” said head coach Jim Snyder.

Adam Page, the former captain of the Denver East High School rugby team, and Danny Kennedy, a freshman from Scotland who represented Scotland at the Under 18 level, are two notable additions among the incoming freshmen.

“Both look poised to make an impact during the regular season in the spring,” said Snyder on Page and Kennedy.  

The veteran players are also looking sharp. Luke Lahman, a senior from Niwot, has stepped up as leader and is one of the premier players on CU’s team.

“He’s put in a lot of work since last season and is now bigger and stronger than ever before, that coupled with his speed is going to make him someone we really rely on,” said Snyder on Lahman.

Coach Snyder is excited about his team’s potential and the year to come.

“We’re shaping up to have tremendous competition for all positions for the rest of this fall and on into the spring campaign,” said the coach.

The Buffs’ ruby team plays Division 1 Premier competition, which is the highest level in college rugby in the U.S. CU’s regular season games are played in the spring. For rugby, the fall is equivalent to spring for football teams—a time to work on skill development positional planning and team chemistry. Unlike football, the rugby team is still allowed to play games against other schools during this time. The Buffaloes will face CSU, Wyoming, and other elite schools in the upcoming months.  Fall games are extremely important in getting the Buffs ready for the spring season.

Tickets for the CU v. CSU game are $6 and are available at www.glendalerugby.com. Use the code ‘BUFFS’ upon checkout so the teams can know which school draws more supporters in this big rivalry. For more information on CU rugby visit their website at http://www.hometeamsonline.com/teams/?DB_OEM_ID=600&u=curugby&s=htosports&t=c

CU Field Hockey Prepares for DFHC and DU

BOULDER (9/15/11) – The University of Colorado field hockey team will take on the Denver Field Hockey Club and the University of Denver Sept. 24 and Sept. 25 at Kittredge field.

The season is young for the Buffaloes, and so far it looks promising. Tryouts were a huge success with 26 athletes trying out for the team.

“I’m really excited about this year’s team,” said head coach Frances Friedland. “In my three years of coaching, I would say this is the most talented group of field hockey players I've seen yet at CU.”

The Buffs are led by several key players including Linda Giudice, Kelly Boylan, Kelly Seago and Pam Grothe. Giudice is the anchor of the teams’ defense. Boylan, Seago and Grothe are the star midfielders and attackers on the team.

“They all have a ton of stamina, speed and skill,” said Friedland on the aforementioned players.

Natalie and Ellen Hackstaff (twins) have also played extremely well this year.

“I'm excited to have them on the team and know they'll continue to improve and lead the squad,” said Friedland on the twins. 

CU has high hopes for the season. The team is extremely fast, particularly in the forward and midfield lines. The Buffs’ defense is more experienced and playing with more confidence. The experience and familiarity has led to great team chemistry.

“Most are returning players and are used to playing together so that's a real strength for the squad going into this season,” said Friedland.

Friedland is also excited about the prospect of having not one, but two goalies this year.

“We've always struggled to find goalies.  We have two goalies this season and I couldn't be more thrilled,” said the head coach.

Callie Doherty is Colorado’s returning goalie. Last season was Doherty’s first season and Friedland was extremely impressed with the progress she made.

“She really rose to the challenge and has learned so much in such a short time - she works so hard at every practice and in each game - always gives 110%,” said Friedland.

The Buffs also have a new goalie—Ariana Ovadia—who comes from the northeast and has been playing exceptionally thus far. 

The Buffaloes are going to have to play better if they want to beat DU and DFHC this weekend. CU lost its only game thus far to DFHC 5-0 earlier in the season and DU is always a tough opponent.

“We're going to have to focus on playing our game and just focusing on doing the basics well,” said Friedland on how the team can beat their upcoming opponents. “As long as we take care of the ball and play like the team we've worked so hard to become, I'm confident we can beat both of these teams.  We have a great group of girls who love to play field hockey and are all committed to playing together and having fun.”

Colorado will play against DFHC Sept. 24 at 3:00 p.m. The Buffs will take on DU the next day, Sept. 25, at 11:00 a.m. For more information on CU field hockey visit their website at http://www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/fieldhockey/index.html.

CU Women’s Club Hockey vs. CSU in Season Opener

BOULDER (9/15/11) – The University of Colorado women’s club hockey team will take on the Colorado State Rams in the CU Recreational Center Sept. 23 at 8:00 p.m. The Buffs are looking to open the season with a win against their rival, CSU.

“I’m excited to see our team come together this season,” said head coach Kristen Van Slyke. “ Senior captain Elizabeth Stoll has continued to show her teammates the ropes as they have been working hard in practice and off-ice for the past few weeks to get ready for this rivalry game against CSU.”

The preseason was a success for the Buffaloes. The Buffs’ added five talented freshmen to the team: Amye Koziel, Devon Seibt, Emera Danos, Lauren Johnson and Corrine Landy.

“Devon and Lauren are going to be strong additions to our offense,” said Van Slyke. “Amye, Emera, and Corrine will add depth to our defense. In addition, we have our junior goalie, Emily Engel, returning for a third season. She has been a key part of our team and we rely on her to make big saves during ACHA games.”

The Buffaloes’ enthusiasm and speed will be their strongpoints this year according to Van Slyke.

“They are very excited for the upcoming season and are ready to win games. They are extremely fast on both offense and defense, which will be helpful when playing a strong CSU team,” said the head coach.  

Beating CSU will be no easy task for CU. The Rams are a perennial powerhouse in hockey and are always well coached.

“To beat CSU this season, we will have to focus and work hard over the next week to make sure we have chemistry between the new and returning players,” said Van Slyke. “Although CSU added a lot of young talent this year, I am confident that my team will be ready to play them next Friday.”

Colorado’s J.V. team will take on CSU’s J.V. team prior to the varsity game. Tickets to both games are free. Colorado will play Colorado State again in Fort Collins at the Epic Ice Arena Sept. 24 at 6:45 p.m. 

10th Annual University of Colorado Women's Club Soccer Invitational

BOULDER (9/13/11) – The University of Colorado women’s club soccer team will be hosting their 10^th annual soccer invitational starting Thursday, Sept. 15. The tournament will include over 18 collegiate women’s club soccer teams. Big time women’s club soccer programs such as The University of Kansas, The University of Nebraska and Bradley University will all be competing with hopes to win the invitational.  

The games will all be played on campus in one of three locations: Franklin Field, Kittredge Field or the Business Field. Notable early round matches include Colorado Gold vs. Kansas, Arizona vs. Bradley and Colorado State Green vs. Nebraska.

The Buffs came out of the gate red hot to start the season with a 7-0 win at Wyoming. Last week the Buffs tied the Colorado State Rams 1-1 in the Rocky Mountain Showdown. The Buffaloes will hope to continue their high level of play in the tournament.

For more information on the tournament and CU women’s club soccer visit www.cusoccer.net or follow the Buffs on Twitter at twitter.com/#!/CUWomenSoccer or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UofColoradoWomensClubSoccer?sk=wall

Colorado Swimming and Diving, Triathlon and Men’s Soccer National Champions

BOULDER (9/3/11)-  The University of Colorado’s triathlon, swimming and diving and men’s club soccer team all won championships in the 2010-2011 year. The triathlon team scored a record setting amount of points by beating out the U.S. Military Academy and the Cal Berkley tri squads. The men’s soccer team bested Missouri 3-1 in dominating fashion and  the swimming and diving team scored a combined 1,270.50 points, beating out the University of Florida, who had 744.50 and defending champions Missouri, who finished third with 650 points.

          
Colorado’s men’s soccer team dominated their tournament. Stifling defense and elite goalkeeping play led the Buffs to a national championship. At no point did the Buffs win by less than two goals. Only one team, Penn State, scored more than one goal on them. In the championship game, the Buffs maintained control throughout against Missouri, beating them 3-1 in convincing fashion.

          
The University of Colorado triathlon team won their 12th national title, beating the U.S. Military Academy by 48 points.  Rudy Kahsar led the Buffs to victory by winning the men’s overall title. Despite two-minute position foul penalties assessed against three athletes on CU, the Buffs still managed to set a record-low score of 23 points. The previous point record for a men’s team was 38, set by Wyoming.

            
The Buffs swimming and diving team were also champions, besting the University of Florida and the University of Missouri. CU’s Steve Nester out touched Rhode Island's Joe Sagginario by 22 hundredths of a second in the 200 freestyle, winning gold with an ECC meet record of 1:43.23. Lauren Fowler also had a strong performance, finishing second in the 100 individual medley and third in the 50 yard backstroke.

            
The 2010-2011 season was yet another success for Colorado Collegiate Sport Clubs. For more information on club sports visit www.cubuffs.com and click “Collegiate Sport Clubs” under the sports section.

Men’s Soccer Looks to Win its Second Consecutive National Championship

BOULDER (9/1/11)- The University of Colorado men’s soccer team hopes to repeat as national champions again in 2011. The Buffs beat Missouri 3-1 in last year’s championship game.  

Over 135 players tried out for this year's squad and only 60 were selected.

“We’re happy with our selection of players,” said CU men’s soccer president Gunnar Ashton. “We feel that we have a high level of skill for our Gold team and that our overall program has great depth.”  

The tryouts produced tons of talent—more specifically—tons of speed.

“We added some talented young players to the pool this year,” said CU head coach David Vaughan.“Overall our team speed has increased significantly since last year.”

Ashton continued on the subject of speed. 

“One of the main threats our Gold team will possess this year is speed. Our head coach Dave Vaughan has already emphasized that we have the ability to go at teams simply because we are faster.”

  
Young speedsters Jordan Anner, Sam Ashmore and Landon Roos are all expected to make significant contributions to the team in 2011.

The Buffs lost a lot of talent last year, and returning starters will need to step up as leaders if CU hopes to repeat. Returning impact players Joey Matibag, Aaron Woodruff and Dan Whittle will be integral to CU’s success this year. Matibag, Woodruff and Whittle played a huge role in the team’s championship run in 2010. 

“They’re all experienced technical players who read the game well and are capable of playing in different roles during any match," said Vaughan of the trio.  

The men’s soccer team is confident yet modest about repeating as national champions.

“Winning a national championship is always our goal, and something we hope to achieve again in 2011," said Vaughan. "There are very good teams in our region, and at the national level, so nothing is guaranteed. If we train hard and set the right environment, anything is possible.” 

The Buffs' play several big games this year against elite competition. CU will play Nebraska on their own turf of Franklin Field Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. The Buffs' also play Colorado State Oct. 8 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in what is sure to be a thriller. For more on upcoming games and how to get involved with CU soccer, visit their website at www.cumenssocer.com.