The Colorado Buffaloes women’s lacrosse team has started the 2026 season with a strong defensive showing, winning their first two games. The Buffaloes limited then-No. 2 Northwestern to nine goals and held Cornell to just five, ranking them 11th nationally in scoring defense. Jess Peluso and Elena Oh have received consecutive Big 12 Defender and Goalkeeper of the Week honors for their performances.
In their recent win over Cornell, Colorado forced 21 turnovers, marking their highest total since recording 22 against Stanford at the start of the previous season. The team is currently averaging 11.5 caused turnovers per game, which places them second in the Big 12 and 17th in the NCAA.
Offensively, Colorado has relied on a balanced attack with six different players scoring across two games. Maddie Shoup led with five goals in the opening win against Northwestern. Head coach Ann Elliott Whidden emphasized the importance of depth: “For us to be successful, we’re going to have to have seven people down there at any time that can contribute,” she said. “That’s how our offense is built, whether we’re playing against a man or a zone.”
Whidden added, “It’s about every single person ready to do their job and ready for their opportunity.” Teagan Ryan echoed this sentiment after her hat trick versus Cornell: “The best part about it is that really it’s just like a team effort out there. It only happens when we all work together.”
Whidden also noted how defensive stability supports offensive freedom: “It’s nice when you can rely on getting stops, making saves. I think it allows you a little more freedom on how we’re playing offensively, not constantly putting pressure on ourselves.”
Colorado will face Towson for the first time in program history on Saturday at Kittredge Field in Boulder. Towson enters the matchup with a 1-3 record after losing to Denver.
Tickets for both single games and the full season are available through CUBuffs.com/WlaxTix.
More information about Colorado Lacrosse can be found at cubuffs.com/wlax.
