BOULDER, Colo. - The No.9 University of Colorado Men’s Lacrosse team is preparing to face off against the No. 4 Colorado State University Rams at 6 p.m. on April 21st at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
The Buffaloes have had a history of a fierce rivalry with the Rams, contributing to their dismal 8-1 record against CSU going into the contest.
Colorado is looking to rewrite the story this upcoming Saturday against the Rams. The Buffs are currently 7-5 this season and are hoping their pivotal wins against Brigham Young University and Arizona State University will give them the confidence they need to beat out the Rams this Saturday.
“I’m really excited to play CSU next weekend, this will be my first time playing them in the regular season and I think it’s going to be a great game and a battle for sure,” said freshman Jace Gan “As long as we play our game I think we'll come on top with the win”
For the seniors this is their last regular season chance to face off against the Rams and they are determined to make it count.
“I'm really excited about our upcoming game against CSU. As a fourth year senior I am one of the few people on the team who has beat CSU during my time here and I would really enjoy beating them in my last regular season game,” said senior Ryan Emerson. “Our conference is always one of the best in the nation so the CU vs. CSU game is always very important as we get close to the post season and it has definitely been a game we have been looking forward to all year long.”
This season has had a lot of ups and downs for the young team. Junior Alex Puldy provides some insight to where the team is at, going into this important game.
“The only thing different from this game and previous games is that we play our rivals to the north. Besides that, it's another game against a top tier team. They always show up to play and play very physical and fast paced lacrosse,” said Puldy. “Our team has grown tremendously throughout the course of the season and playing CSU will truly give us the opportunity to see the culmination of all our hard work we've put in since last fall.
The Rams are 10-2, one of those losses to BYU whom Colorado won against on April 5th. The only other loss CSU has faced was to Cal Poly, whom Colorado has yet to play. The Buffs recent shift into a top ten ranking has given this game more importance than it already held.
“This is the biggest game of the year; we all knew that before the season had even begun. We are really starting to hit our stride and dictate our style of play in games,” said junior Casey Bush. “The team learned how to be the underdog in the BYU game and we should be able to bring that same hardnosed mentality to CSU. If we play our game we will really be a force to reckon with.
This is the last game of the Buffs regular season before the RMLC Playoffs in Grand Junction, Colo. May 4th-5th. Tickets are available for $10 through redhotbuffs.com. There is also a ticket plus bus ride combo available to students also through redhotbuffs.com.
---CULax.org---
