Colorado stuns Florida, captures first Big 12 Tournament championship

Colorado women’s lacrosse seniors posing for a picture with the championship trophy (Photo via CUBuffsWLax on X).

See you later, alligators. 

The Colorado Buffaloes(14-3, 5-1 Big 12) delivered the Florida Gators (15-3, 5-1) their first Big 12 loss of the year in the conference tournament championship game, 8-6 in Gainesville, Florida. 

The win marks Colorado’s first conference tournament win in program history. The tournament’s Most Valuable Player award went to senior attacker and team captain Maddie Shoup, who had four of CU’s eight goals. 

"Maddie is just a competitor," head coach Ann Elliot Whidden said. "She knows what she carries on her shoulders for this team, and she's going to give you her best effort every single day."

Shoup joined the herd of Buffaloes that made the all-tournament team, including senior attacker Lily Assini, freshman attacker Rowan Edson, sophomore goalkeeper Elena Oh and senior defender Jess Peluso.

Edson had two goals on the night, while Assini and junior attacker Teagan Ryan each scored a goal. 

The Colorado defense continued to shine, holding Florida, which averages 16 points a game, to just six on the night. Oh had seven saves from nine shots on goal. 

“Peluso is the best defender in the country, hands down,” Shoup said. “I’m really proud of our defense. Elna Oh had some amazing saves that kept us in that game.”

Florida opened scoring with a goal from senior midfielder Kaitlyn Davies, but Shoup quickly answered with her first goal for the Buffs. 

The Gators took advantage of a transition opportunity, securing their second goal from graduate midfielder Boo DeWitt to close the first quarter up 2-1. 

Edson tied it back up to start the second quarter with a stutter-step and shot. Colorado followed with another goal, this time from Ryan on a free-position attempt. 

Florida didn’t falter, knotting it up once again, with a free-position goal of its own from DeWitt. 

Colorado ended the half scoring back-to-back goals from Edson and Shoup to take a 5-3 lead. 

The Gators cut their deficit in half, scoring another transition goal to start the third, this time by sophomore attacker Clark Hamilton. 

Shoup scored the only two goals for the Buffaloes in the third quarter to keep the Gators swamped. She sent her first one low to the opposite side of the net and sneaked the second right over the head of goalkeeper Susan Radebaugh for a 7-4 lead heading into the fourth. 

Hamilton ended Florida’s scoring drought on a free-position goal early in the fourth quarter, cutting CU’s lead back to two. Assini quickly answered with a goal of her own with five minutes remaining for an 8-5 lead.

Gator freshman midfielder Caroline Hoskins added the last goal of the game, but the Buffaloes cruised through the last three minutes to earn the historic win.

With the win, Colorado gets an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. It will be just the fourth NCAA tournament for CU in program history.

"It's not like you get to play in May all the time," Whidden said.

Selection Sunday is on May 3 at 7 p.m. MT and will air on ESPNU.