No. 15 Colorado secured a 13-6 victory over No. 22 Army at Michie Stadium, handing the Black Knights their first home defeat since the end of the 2024 season. The win marks Colorado’s second road win against a ranked opponent this year, following their earlier triumph over then-No. 2 Northwestern.
Head coach Ann Elliott Whidden commented on her team’s response after a previous loss: “What a great opportunity [for us]. For us to come out and play again, after that loss to Stony Brook, I thought our team came out confident and played together. We executed a lot of the little things that we talked about, just in terms of finishing plays, playing for each other, supporting the ball, and I thought we did a great job of that in the first half.”
Eight different players scored for Colorado during Sunday’s game. Jaimey Hill led with her second career hat trick while Maddie Shoup, Rowan Edson, and Lily Assini each scored multiple goals. Shoup also contributed three assists.
Army started strong by scoring first but was unable to score again until after halftime as Colorado built a commanding lead. The Buffaloes led 3-1 at the end of the first quarter and extended their run to nine unanswered goals by halftime for a 9-1 advantage.
Both teams’ goalkeepers had notable performances; Elena Oh made eight saves for Colorado while Lindsey Serafine stopped 11 shots for Army.
Early turnovers were an issue for both sides before Allison Riley opened scoring for Army. Despite being down a player due to Jenna Morely’s yellow card, Colorado managed to tie with Averi Gardner’s goal while short-handed.
Coach Whidden addressed early offensive struggles: “I think for us, just on the offensive end, being a little more patient,” she said regarding turnovers. “I felt like we were a little rushed to begin with, kind of just eager to go out there, looking for some first opportunities. I think once we settled down and were a little more patient on the offensive end, we were able to execute.”
Colorado’s dominance in draw controls during the second quarter contributed significantly to their momentum: “I think our ability to win the draws was huge,” Whidden noted about the second quarter. “I think we won them 5-1 in that quarter, which gave us possessions. I think on the offensive end, we played with a lot of composure, and we were able to execute. When you’re able to win draws and execute on that end, it kind of gives you a little control of the game. I thought we did a great job of that in the second quarter.”
After halftime Molly Reed added her first goal of the season before Army ended Colorado’s scoring streak at ten consecutive goals. Hill completed her hat trick soon after as both teams traded scores through much of the third and fourth quarters.
Despite Army narrowing Colorado’s lead in the final period with three straight goals—cutting it from 11-3 down to 11-6—Shoup and Edson closed out scoring for Colorado.
Coach Whidden reflected on maintaining consistency: “We have to be a little more consistent in our play throughout four quarters,” she said regarding Army’s comeback attempt late in the game. “Especially coming out of halftime. That will be a focus for us. But in general, I think we’re playing a good team that fights and scraps. We knew they weren’t going to just roll over for us.”
Next week Colorado will face another ranked opponent when they travel to No. 6 Michigan.
The Buffaloes are now 2-1 against ranked opponents this season—all wins coming away from home—and remain undefeated against Army historically (2-0). Lily Assini has recorded points in 21 consecutive games; she now has 49 career goals along with two assists Sunday moving her into ninth place all-time at Colorado with 38 career assists overall.
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