Colorado earns commanding win over Towson
- Jake Chau
- 14 hours ago
- 3 min read
From first draw to final whistle, the Colorado Buffaloes (3-0) controlled the net, draw and score en route to a dominant 17-5 win over the Towson Tigers (1-4) on Saturday.
Junior attacker Teagan Ryan found the back of the net six times on just seven shots, doubling her previous career high of three goals.
Redshirt junior attacker Rachel Kennedy added three goals of her own, while senior midfielder Lily Assini had a goal and four assists.
The Buffs outshot the Tigers 40-18, including 28-11 on goal. Colorado controlled the faceoff circle, winning draw controls 17-6.
“Despite the score today, there were a lot of areas I think we could have done better in,” coach Ann Elliot Whidden said. “If we want to be great, not just a good team, we got to be able to understand those [areas] and lock down.”
Ryan began her tally early, putting home the first goal of the game just 38 seconds in, but Towson junior attacker Katie Roszko responded a minute later.
The Buffs’ defense did a good job driving the Towson attacks away from center, with multiple defenders collapsing in on the ball handler and limiting shots.
Kennedy found the back of the net after excellent passing from the offense, while senior attacker Maddie Shoup found nylon a man-up.
The Buffs’ patient, methodical offense continued to find cracks in the Towson defense, and Ryan netted her second of the match to put the Buffs up 4-1.
Sophomore Towson attacker Gabby Bjugan responded, cutting the lead to two. She had a chance to cut into the lead even further on a free shot opportunity, but it rang iron and stayed out.
The Buffs opened the second quarter with a strong defensive stop on one end before Kennedy went bar-down on a free shot on the other, extending the Buffs’ lead back up to three, 5-2.
Ryan found her third of the game after methodical passing from the Buffs, forcing a Tigers timeout.
Towson, a man-up, found the stick of redshirt junior attacker Hannah Lewis, who cut the lead to three, 6-3.
An excellent stick check from Shoup forced a turnover before the Towson defense could recover, giving junior attacker Jaimey Hill an easy goal.
Ryan continued the pressure, finding her fourth and fifth goals of the match to push the Colorado lead to six heading into the half, 9-3.
With the 90-second shot clock winding down, junior defender Averi Gardner ripped a prayer that beat sophomore goalkeeper Jenna Cardeno for the Buffs’ 10th goal of the match.
Kennedy and Shoup both scored within a minute and a half of each other, cruising CU out to a 12-3 lead.
Assini and Ryan both scored before the end of the third quarter as the Buffs outscored the Tigers 5-0 in the frame, taking a 14-3 lead into the fourth quarter.
Freshman attackers Rowan Edson and Sophia Yeskulsky recorded both of their first career goals two minutes apart from each other. Sophomore midfielder Phoebe Rogala scored on a free shot in between two Tigers’ goals.
Eleven different players recorded a point in an excellent showcase of Colorado's depth.
“I knew what that felt like as a freshman, and being able to see some of these girls come in here and take advantage of their opportunities is huge,” Assini said.
Ryan now leads the team with 10 goals on the season.
“She's a great player that's become pretty dynamic,” Whidden said. “I think she takes advantage of our opportunities and is really growing from last year in that experience.”
Colorado’s next three games will be on the road, all of which are currently ranked: Stony Brook (18), Army (17) and Michigan (10).
“Having that trust in ourselves and our teammates, knowing that we can get the job done no matter where we are and who we're playing,” Assini said.
Colorado will travel to Stony Brook, New York, to play the Seawolves this Thursday. First draw is set for 4 p.m. MT (Flo College).