PUEBLO, Colo.– Colorado State University Pueblo women's lacrosse continues Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play this weekend as the ThunderWolves play league games at 17th-ranked Regis and UCCS.

The ThunderWolves, who are 1-0 in RMAC play after opening league action with a 12-8 win last Saturday at Fort Lewis, opens the weekend with a 6 p.m. game in Denver, Colo., on Friday, March 20 against nationally-ranked Regis, before traveling to Colorado Springs, Colo., for a 12 p.m. game on Sunday, March 22 at UCCS.

CSU Pueblo, who is led by fourth-year head coach Taylor Ward, comes into this weekend's action riding a two-game win streak as they are sporting a 4-3 overall record after concluding its non-conference schedule with a 9-8 come-from-behind home win on Monday over Missouri Western. The Pack, who trailed 8-6 entering the fourth period, scored three fourth period goals, including the game-winning goal on a free position shot from freshman midfielder Ainsley Jackson (Anaheim, Calif./Canyon) with 3:37 left in the game.

The 4-3 start to the season is the best seven-game start for Pack women's lacrosse program since opening the 2016 season by winning five of its first seven games. The four wins this season are the most in a season by the program since the 2021 team finished with a 4-9 record.

Through seven games this season, the Pack has scored 84 goals and is averaging 10.3 goals per game, which is third-best in the league. The 84 goals scored are second-most in the league behind Regis' 91 goals. Leading the way offensively for the Pack is Jackson and sophomore attacker Emily Doane (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro) as both Jackson and Doane have each scored 17 goals and are averaging 2.43 goals per game, which is tied for third-best in the league.

Doane, though, leads the league in assists with 12 and is averaging 1.71 assists per game and has tallied a team-leading 29 points, which is tied for tops in the league. Jackson has amassed 17 points on the season. Sophomore midfielder Sydney Gunnels (Dallas, Texas/Coppell) is second on the team in points with 19 as she is averaging 2.71 per game as she has had 13 goals and six assists.

Doane has scored three or more goals in four games, including a career-high five goals in the season opener at Coker, while Jackson has tallied three or more goals in a game three times, including a career-high five goals in a 15-14 loss at Converse and Gunnels has posted three games with three goals each this season.

Along with Doane's 12 assists and Gunnels' six assists, redshirt freshman midfielder Sienna Rinn (Eagle, Colo./Eagle Valley) has also had six assists and has scored seven goals. As a team, the Pack has recorded 42 assists on its 84 goals and is second in the league in assists per game at 6.0.

The Pack leads the league in shots on goal per game as they are averaging 23.43 shots on goal per game and are third in the league in man-up goals with 20 and are averaging 2.86 man-up goals per game.

CSU Pueblo also leads the league in ground balls per game as they have collected 198 and are averaging 28.57 per game and also lead the league in draw controls with 86 and are averaging 13.0 per game.

Twelve Pack players have recorded double-digit ground balls with freshman defender Maelynn Saucedo (Eastvale, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt) having picked up 24 this season and is averaging 3.43 per game, while senior defender Audrey Allendorf (Stow, Ohio/Stow-Munroe Falls) has collected 17 and is averaging 2.83 per game. Meanwhile, on draws, four Pack players have tallied 10 or more this season with Jackson leading the way with 20, while Gunnels and Rinn have each had 16 and Doane has earned 10 draws.

The Pack has played two goalies this season – freshman Hannah Duffee (Bayport, Minn./St. Croix Preparatory Academy) and junior Breonna Mason (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy). Duffee started the first four games of the season and Mason has started the last three games in goal. Duffee leads the team in saves with 28 and has an 11.64 GAA, while Mason has recorded 23 saves, 10 ground balls and has a 10.77 GAA. Mason is the program's all-time leader in saves per game (12.37) and is second in school history in wins (6), saves (371) and saves percentage (.463 percent).

Defensively, the Pack has allowed 79 goals and is allowing a league-best 10.14 goals per game. In addition, the Pack is second in the league in caused turnovers per game (11.86) as they have been credited with 88 in seven games. Saucedo and junior defender Dylan Retzloff (Bend, Ore./Mountain View) each have had 17 caused turnovers this season and each are averaging 2.43 per game, which is tied for third-best in the RMAC.  

ABOUT REGIS
Regis University comes into Friday's game with the Pack sporting a 4-4 overall record and an 0-1 mark in the RMAC after opening league play last weekend with a 12-11 loss at Westminster. The Rangers, who are ranked 17th in this week's IWLCA Division II Coaches' Poll, snapped a two-game losing skid with a 16-5 win Monday in Salt Lake City, Utah, against William Jewell. Regis has faced four nationally-ranked foes as they are 1-3 against those ranked foes with the lone win coming at home against Florida Tech (14-13), while the losses came at home to Maryville (Mo.) University (17-9), at Florida Southern (17-5) and at home to Indianapolis (15-11).

In the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll, the Rangers were tabbed to finish tied for first with Colorado Mesa as each team earned 23 points and three first-place votes. The Rangers shared the RMAC regular season title last season with Colorado Mesa, but Regis captured its sixth consecutive league title last season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse Championships.

As a team, Regis leads the league in scoring with 91 goals and is averaging 11.38 goals per game. The Rangers have scored double-digit goals in six of eight games, including a season-high 16 goals last time out against William Jewell.

Leading the way offensively for Regis is junior midfielder Lexie Springman and senior midfielder Maggie Schipfer as those two have combined to score 43 goals as Springman leads the league with 22 goals and is averaging 2.75 per game, while Schipfer has scored 21 goals and is averaging 2.63 per game. The third goal scorer is sophomore midfielder Aubrey Benton, who has scored 16 goals and is averaging 2.0 goals per game.

Springman leads the Rangers in assists with seven and has tallied 29 points and is averaging 3.63 points per game. Schipfer has had five assists and totaled 26 points, while three other Rangers have collected four assists each. As a team, the Rangers have had 33 assists on their 91 goals.

The Rangers have collected 72 draws this season with freshman midfielder Krista Munsinger and freshman attacker Elle Enselman have each had 15 draws, while redshirt sophomore midfielder Evie Tanalla has had 11 draws.

Graduate student goalie Brigit Goetsch leads the team in ground balls with 25 and is averaging 3.13 per game, while freshman defender Sophia Katnik has had 22 ground balls and is averaging 2.75 per game. As a team, Regis has had 144 ground balls and is averaging 18.00 per game. In addition, they are fourth in the league in caused turnovers as they are averaging 9.50 per game.

In goal, Goetsch is second in the RMAC in goals against average at 11.79 and leads the league in both saves per game (11.25) and save percentage (.500 percent). Sophomore Izzy Schember has played one game in goal and has allowed two goals and made one save.

The Rangers are coached by Sarah Kellner, who is in her 20th season as Regis' coach. Kellner has compiled a 228-83 record in her time at Regis. She has coached the Rangers to nine conference championships, seven NCAA Tournament appearances and three NCAA national semifinal appearances. The Rangers have gone undefeated in league play in four of the last six seasons (the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic) and is 65-4 overall in the RMAC since the beginning of the 2019 season.

Friday's game will mark the 21st all-time between the two schools as Regis leads the all-time series, 20-0, including being 15-0 against the Pack in RMAC play. Regis won both meetings last season as they earned an 18-3 win in Pueblo and a 20-7 win in Denver.

ABOUT UCCS
UCCS, who plays host to Fort Lewis on Friday before hosting the Pack on Sunday, comes into this weekend's action sporting a 3-4 overall record and a 1-1 mark in the RMAC after splitting RMAC games last weekend at Westminster and Colorado Mesa as the Mountain Lions fell 12-11 at Westminster and picked up an 8-7 win at Colorado Mesa. UCCS then picked up a 14-9 home win on Wednesday over Missouri Western to enter the weekend having won two straight games.

As a team, UCCS has scored 71 goals and is averaging 10.14 goals per game. Freshman attacker Ella Mills leads UCCS in goals with 15 and has added three assists for 18 points, while sophomore midfielder Sofia Watts has recorded 14 goals and three assists for 17 points and freshman midfielder Allison Hoffman has had 11 goals and added five assists for 16 points.

The Mountain Lions have recorded 30 assists as they are averaging 4.29 per game as senior attacker Allie Schell leads the way with seven assists, while Hoffman has had five assists.

UCCS is second in the league in draw controls with 84 and is averaging 12.0 per game with senior midfielder Jade Wilson leading the way with 23, while freshman midfielder Josie Leonard has had 18 draws and Hoffman has had 14 draws. UCCS is also second in the league in ground balls with 155 as five UCCS have had 10 or more on the season as freshman attacker Charlotte Fannin leads the way with 20 ground balls.

Defensively, UCCS has caused 39 turnovers and have allowed 80 goals in seven games.

In goal, sophomore Delaney Gnos has played in all seven games and is fifth in the league in goals against average (12.87) and is fourth in saves per game (7.00). Redshirt junior Ellen Gernert has played in two games and has allowed 10 goals and has had six saves and a 6.40 GAA.

UCCS is coached by Brice Queener, who is in his second season with the Mountain Lions after spending the five years as the Associate Head Coach at the University of Denver. As a collegiate player, Queener played four years at Georgetown University and helped the Hoyas to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. After his college career, he played six years in Major League Lacrosse with both the Rochester Rattlers and the Hamilton Nationals.

Sunday's game will mark the 14th all-time meeting between the two schools as UCCS holds an 10-3 advantage in the series. The Pack have lost 10 straight games in the series, including dropping both games last season as the Pack fell 22-6 at UCCS and 21-8 at home to the Mountain Lions.