PUEBLO, Colo. (March 15, 2015)- Finishing out a three-game week, the Colorado State University-Pueblo women's lacrosse team fell 17-3 in a nonconference contest against Colorado Mesa University Sunday at the Art and Lorraine Gonzales Lacrosse Complex.
With the loss the ThunderWolves drop to 0-5 (0-1 RMAC), while the Mavericks jump back to .500 with a 3-3 (0-1 RMAC) overall record.
Two Pack players reached the net, as Alix Zierden (Fr., M, Elk River, Minn.) had a team-high two tallies and freshman Allye Webb (M, Colorado Springs, Colo.) got in on the action with one. Webb has scored at least one goal in every game this season and moves into first place on the team with seven markers on the year. Tori Gray (Fr., M, Parker, Colo.) scooped up a game-high five ground balls for the ThunderWolves.
In goal, CSU-Pueblo's Nicole Burkhauser (Fr., Auburn, Wash.) notched five saves in the loss, while the Maverick's Jullian Pfeifer and Kady Herzog each played a half and combined to make eight stops.
The Mavericks had nine players reach the back of the net. Ashley Eickhoff had a game-high five goals (6 points), while Olivia Porcaro and Hannah Payton (3 points) had two apiece. Kayla Lyall was leader in overall-points, as she accumulated seven points, one was a goal and the other six were all assists.
Colorado Mesa has the advantage in shots (30-12), draw controls (19-3), but the ThunderWolves had the upper-hand in ground balls (20-19), and won the turnover margin by plus one, forcing 23 giveaways versus their 22.
The Mavericks scored fast and furious in the game's first 4:17, going on a 5-0 run. It started with Eickhoff winning and taking the match's opening draw control coast-to-coast and scoring in the first 12 seconds. Eickhoff netted three of her five goals during the run.
CSU-Pueblo broke the ice 10:17 into the contest off a Zierden goal to cut the deficit to 5-1. The Mavericks answered with another wave of points, scoring three straight to extend the lead 8-1 with 15:02 before intermission. Webb broke the run with a man-up free-position goal. The Mavericks came back with a goal 31 seconds later to extend the lead to 9-2 with 6:31 remaining in the period.
Zierden added CSU-Pueblo's final point of the contest with 3:10 to go before half to make it 9-3, but Colorado Mesa responded with two goals from Rachel Lyall and one from Porcaro to take a 11-3 lead into break.
The Mavericks carried their momentum into the second-half and shutout the Pack, 6-0, to take home the 17-3 victory.
CSU-Pueblo will remain home this upcoming week, as it'll host Rockhurst University (MO) Wednesday, then finish out the five-game home-stand Friday against Regis University.
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Colorado State University – Pueblo competes in 22 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
