COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 29, 2022) – Despite a hat trick from Ashley Hendricks, the Colorado State University Pueblo women's lacrosse team (0-6, 0-2 RMAC) fell to the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs squad (4-3, 1-1 RMAC) 19-8 Tuesday afternoon.
 
The day opened up in favor of the ThunderWolves, as Hendricks charged down the field with the Pack and squeaked a point-blank shot by the Mountain Lions' goalie to jump CSU Pueblo ahead 1-0 early.
 
Hendricks struck again for the Pack at the 4:00 mark, but it was after six unanswered goals by the UCCS attack. The Mountain Lions scored one more goal before the first horn sounded and put the ThunderWolves in a 7-2 hole after the opening quarter.
 
In the second quarter, the Pack tried to lessen the deficit. After goalie Annika Ponse caused a turnover and recovered a ground ball, the Pack led a charge downfield. Hendricks fed Caira Lessick a pass and she did the rest. Lessick's shot found the back of the net and allowed the Pack to score their third goal of the afternoon.
 
A 30-minute lightning delay ensued and the two teams left the field following the Lessick goal. In the final eight minutes of the game, the Mountain Lions scored five straight goals and the ThunderWolves went into the locker room trailing 13-3.
 
Unfortunately for the Pack, the UCCS run of goals carried over into the second half, as the Mountain Lions scored one more goal before CSU Pueblo was able to find an answer.
 
Baylee Mee charged down the field after Lessick won a draw control. After Mee raced toward the net, her shot flew by the UCCS goalie for her fourth goal of the season. 
 
After another UCCS goal, the Pack tallied another goal. Emily Eller scored her 101st career goal with 5:46 to go in the third quarter to log the ThunderWolves' fifth goal of the afternoon. Before the fourth quarter however, UCCS was able to add three more scores to their tally to take the game into the final frame with the Pack trailing 18-5.
 
The fourth quarter started quietly and for nearly seven minutes, not scores were made by either team. Hendricks broke the silence with her third goal of the afternoon off free position shot with 7:54 remaining in the frame.
 
CSU Pueblo squeezed off two more goals in the fourth quarter to the Mountain Lions' one. Eller scored her second goal of the afternoon off a free position shot and Sedona Sargent logged a score with 46 seconds to go.
 
The ThunderWolves eventually fell to UCCS 19-8 in the RMAC battle despite three goals from Hendricks. Samantha Schmidt had four ground balls for the Pack while Lessick won 10 draw controls Mee tallied six total shots.  The Pack were 9-17 on clear attempts on the afternoon and won 18 of the 30 draw controls. 
 
CSU Pueblo looks to bounce back after the loss at UCCS Friday, as the Pack host Fort Lewis College at 1 p.m. at Art and Lorraine Gonzales Stadium.