The Colorado Buffaloes women’s lacrosse team defeated the No. 18 Denver Pioneers 9-6 on April 15, with Rachel Kennedy scoring five goals to lead the No. 16 Buffs to victory at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.
The win is significant for Colorado, snapping Denver’s three-game winning streak and handing the Pioneers their first home loss of the season. The Buffaloes improved their record to 10-3 overall and now stand at 2-1 in Big 12 play.
Head coach Ann Elliott Whidden said, “I think this was a great opportunity for us coming down here. Coming off our game against Cincinnati, we needed to challenge ourselves to lock in and really fight for every moment and every play on the field. I thought tonight they came out with a great mentality, came out to compete, really fought for each other, came up with second chances, and did a great job of staying in the game one play at a time.” Whidden credited her team’s composure through early adversity before taking control in the final two quarters.
Kennedy’s performance marked her first five-goal outing of the season and brought her total to 23 goals this year—16 of which have come over her last four games. Other contributors included Maddison Shoup, Rowan Edson, Lily Assini, and Teagan Ryan who each scored once; Abrams led with three assists while Sam Peluso recorded five draw controls and Oh made five saves.
Colorado overcame an early deficit after Denver controlled possession in the opening quarter but responded by tightening its defense and generating more offensive opportunities before halftime. In the second half, Kennedy led an offensive surge that produced six goals while Colorado’s defense limited Denver’s scoring chances through forced turnovers.
The Buffaloes are set to face UC Davis on Sunday, April 19. First draw is scheduled for 1 p.m., with coverage available on ESPN+.
