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

CU Women’s Soccer Prepares for Tournament in Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (10/4/11) —The University of Colorado women’s club soccer team will play in a tournament hosted by the University of California Santa Barbara this weekend. The tournament will take place Oct.7-9 and all games will be played on campus at UCSB. This year’s tournament includes a plethora of premier club soccer teams including San Diego State, UCLA, the University of California at Berkley, Colorado State, Arizona and Texas A&M. Perhaps the best team in the tournament is the host, UCSB won the 2010 national championship and is a perennial powerhouse.

The Buffs’ have been playing well lately, with notable victories verses Northern Colorado and the Colorado School of Mines. Colorado’s recent wins have boosted their record to an impressive 7-1-3, with their only coming at the hands of Laramie County Community College.

Last year the Buffaloes won the UCSB tournament. The team is confident in their ability to win the tournament again this year, but is still very aware that it won’t be an easy task.

“Region VI has some of the strongest competition in the country,” said head coach Dorian Barnes. “It has the defending national champion, plus many other strong teams throughout the region attending. We love attending this tournament every year because it is the closest we will get to the competition we will face at nationals. It will be a great preparation for the entire group.”

The halves in the tournament are slightly shorter than what the Buffs’ usually play. The field being used in the tournament is also a short turf field which is very different from CU’s home field in Boulder which is a long grass field.

“We are going to train this week on a smaller field, in hopes to get ready for the tournament,” said Barnes. “If we want to win, making that adjustment (playing on a smaller field) will be key, but if we want to win we need to continue down the path of getting better game after game.”

Colorado hopes to win the tournament, but they have bigger goals for the season.

“Our Gold team is the defending champions of this tournament, so our hope (as it is every year) is that we can go in there and win it,” said Barnes. “But winning this tournament doesn't necessarily mean you will win a national title either as was proof last year when we went out in the quarterfinals.  But our players know that, and we want to win this tournament just to keep momentum, and confidence going into the final month of the season before we head to Phoenix.”

Tournament games will be played all day in the heart of UCSB’s campus. For more information on the tournament and on CU women’s club soccer visit their website at www.cusoccer.net.