Colorado is set to begin its 13th women’s lacrosse season under head coach Ann Elliott Whidden, opening against No. 2 Northwestern on Monday at Ryan Fieldhouse in Evanston, Illinois. The match will start at 6 p.m. Mountain Time and can be watched via B1G+ or CUBuffs.com/WatchLax, with live stats available at CUBuffs.com/WlaxStats.
The Buffaloes have a program record of 130-75 and are aiming to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. In the Big 12 Preseason Coaches’ Poll, Colorado was picked third behind Florida and Arizona State after finishing last season with an overall record of 8-8 and a conference record of 4-1.
Northwestern enters the contest ranked second nationally, having started its season with a win over No. 3 Boston College. The Wildcats were national runners-up in 2025 and have reached the national championship game three years in a row. Their roster features Madison Taylor, who leads all active NCAA players in points.
Monday’s matchup marks Colorado’s sixth time starting a season against a ranked opponent; it is also the highest-ranked team they have faced in an opener. Colorado has won one out of five previous season openers against ranked teams and holds an all-time opening day record of six wins and six losses. Their most recent opening win came against Louisville in 2024.
Four Buffaloes players—Jess Peluso, Elena Oh, Maddie Shoup, and Lily Assini—were named to the Preseason All-Big 12 team. Peluso was selected as Co-Preseason Defender of the Year while Oh received recognition as Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year.
The team welcomes nine true freshmen this year: Haylie Abrams (Wading River, N.Y.), Parker Lemm (Lake Oswego, Ore.), Julia Etu (Fredericksburg, Va.), Rowan Edson (Chappaqua, N.Y.), Alison Stevens (Berlin, Mass.), Georgia Rios (Berwyn, Pa.), Ryann McLeod (Tampa, Fla.), Sophia Yeskulsky (San Clemente, Calif.), and Charlotte Yeskulsky (San Clemente, Calif.). This matches their largest freshman class since 2024.
Last season Colorado scored 178 goals—the tenth-highest total in program history—and returns three of its top four scorers: Maddie Shoup, Lily Assini, and Teagan Ryan. Together they account for more than half of last year’s goal production.
Tickets for both single games and the full season are currently available through CUBuffs.com/WlaxTix.
For further updates on Colorado Lacrosse visit cubuffs.com/wlax or follow @cubuffswlax on social media platforms including Instagram, X, TikTok, and Facebook.
