SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (March 22, 2016) – In a back and forth battle, Colorado State University-Pueblo, came away with a hard fought 18-17 victory over Westminster College. The Pack scored a school record 18 goals and needed all 18 of them to earn their program-record fifth win of the season.
CSU-Pueblo has already exceeded its win total from 2015 less than halfway into the 2016 season. They own a 5-2 record. The Griffins dropped to 1-3 this season.
Leah Neumann (So., Napeville, Ill.) led the Pack with five goals and two assists. She now has a team-best 20 goals on the season. Neumann also controlled four draws, picked up four ground balls, and caused two turnovers.
Freshman Taylor Christensen (Fr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) scored two goals including the game winner. Christensen also grabbed a game-high eight ground balls. She put in both of her shots in the game and added an assist.
Sami LaBella (Fr., Pleasanton, Calif.) netted a hat trick. LaBella dealt out two assists for a career-high five points. She also collected two ground balls and two draw controls.
Allye Webb (So., Colorado Springs, Colo.) ripped in another three goals. She also grabbed two ground balls and controlled two draws. Webb now has 19 goals on the season.
The Griffins got the first two goals of the game. LaBella got the Pack on the board as she tucked in a feed from Neumann with 25:21 left in the first half.
Westminster would extend its lead to 3-1 less than a minute later. The Pack would erase this lead with the next four goals as they took a 5-3 lead. LaBella struck twice in this run as she netted the hat trick in the first 15 minutes. Neumann, Webb, and Alix Zierden (So., Elk River, Minn.) also scored during this 5-0 run that lasted close to 13 minutes of game time.
With the Pack up 6-3, Westminster responded with a four-goal run of its own. The Pack scored two goals in the final minute 1:20 to retake an 8-7 lead. Rachael Welzin (So., Farmington, Minn.) tied the game at seven. Webb scored with 36 seconds left to give the Pack a one-goal advantage at the break.
CSU-Pueblo came out of the locker room with a fury, scoring three goals in 2:04 to seize an 11-7 lead. Nuemann netted two strikes during this run, while Zierden launched in the other one that put the Pack up four.
Westminster scored seven of the game's next nine goals to take a 14-13 lead. The only Pack goals during this stretch came from Neumann and Christensen.
Down one, the Pack went on a run of its own, rattling off the next three goals to jump back in front 16-14. Chloe Sharko (Fr., Naperville, Ill.) knotted the game up on a free position goal. Zierden and Neumann fired in two more goals to put the Pack up 16-14. However, Westminster would embark on a three goal run to go up by one, 17-16.
With 2:44 left in regulation, Sharko found Webb on a pass. Webb fired in her third of the season to tie the game at 17.
The squads remained deadlocked until the clock read 1:25 left. At this point, Christensen broke the tie when she rifled in the tie breaking goal to give the Pack an 18-17 lead.
Down by one, Westminster tried to get the tie. They threw three shots at the net in the final 1:20, but Ane Marie Horton (Fr., Long Beach, Calif.)stopped all three shots as she helped the Pack close out the 18-17 win.
Horton entered the game in relief of Nicole Burkhauser (So., Auburn, Wash.). She made nine saves on 19 shots as she claimed her fifth win of the season.
Zierden finished with a hat trick. Zierden's three-goal game marked a new season high and matched her career high.
Allison Wurscher (Fr., Tigard, Ore.) contributed three assists. Wurscher now leads CSU-Pueblo with 27 points and 13 assists.
Sharko set a new career high with three draw controls. Defender, Taylor Wertz (So., Lamar, Colo.) caused three turnovers to lead the Pack.
CSU-Pueblo will try to extend its four-game winning streak on the line when they play No. 19 Regis University Friday at 2 p.m. at the Art & Lorraine Gonzales Lacrosse Stadium. The Pack's four-game winning streak has already set a school record.
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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
