PUEBLO, Colo. (April 11, 2015 – by Michael Libptak) - The Colorado State University-Pueblo women's lacrosse team fell 20-6 to Colorado Mesa University in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference contest Saturday.
With the loss, the ThunderWolves drop to 4-9 (2-3 RMAC) and fall to fifth in the conference standings, while Colorado Mesa improves to 7-5 (2-3 RMAC) and over takes the Pack for fourth in the standings. With three games remaining for both squads, CSU-Pueblo has two in-conference matches remaining, while CMU has one remaining. The top four teams earn a conference tournament berth.
Three members of the Pack contributed to their six-goal output, freshman Allye Webb (M, Colorado Springs, Colo.,) Alix Zierden (Fr., M, Elk River, Minn.,) and Tori Gray (Fr., M, Parker, Colo.) all had two each. Webb improved her season-total and team-high in goals to 25, while Zierden surpassed 20 goals for the season in the contest.
Gray raised her team-leading totals in caused turnovers and ground balls to 25 and 41, respectively, after forcing two turnovers and collecting a game-high four ground balls against the Mavericks.
Colorado Mesa's Jenny Lange and Ashley Eickoff tied each other for a game-high in goals, tallying five apiece. Six Mavs in total reached the back of the net.
CMU had the advantage in shots, as they out-fired the Pack 31-23 (25-15 shots on goal.) In draw controls, the Mavericks outdueled CSU-Pueblo 17-11. For the ThunderWolves, the only upper-hand they had was in the ground balls, out-collecting Colorado Mesa 14-11. The teams broke even in caused turnovers as both forced five.
The ThunderWolves wasted no time getting on the board, as Zierden reached the back of the net a minute into the contest off a free-position shot. The next 5:20 the squads went back-and-forth defensively until the Mavericks broke the struggle to tie the match at 1-1. The mark from CMU was the beginning of a 7-0 run the next over the next 20:13 of gameplay to give the home team a 7-1 lead with 3:51 before intermission.
Gray broke the run 26 seconds later to cut the deficit to 7-2, but Colorado Mesa poured in two more goals to go into halftime with a 9-2 advantage.
Coming out of the break, the Mavericks tallied the first goal of the period off another Lange shot 3:06 into the half for a 10-2 lead. The ThunderWolves answered shortly after off of Gray's second tally of the contest to trail 10-3 with 23:32 remaining.
The teams traded goals, first from the Mavericks, then Webb answered for her first score of the match to bring the deficit back to seven, trailing 11-4. CMU continued to put the pressure on the Pack, as they responded with a 2-0 run to its lead to 13-4 with 16:40 to go in the game.
Three minutes later the squads traded punches again, this time Webb started the trade, with Furrow answering back 28 seconds later. The Pack traded another jab, as Zierden scored to cut the deficit 14-6, but the Mavericks delivered the knockout blow with a 6-0 run to raise their advantage to 20-6 with 4:24 left in the game. Both teams went scoreless the rest of the way for a final score of 20-6.
Up next, the Pack remain on the road, as they'll travel south to take on Adams State University in Alamosa, Colo. Friday at 3 p.m.
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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.
