Buffs fail to pull through in nailbiter against Pioneers

Colorado fell just short against in-state rival Denver on a chilly Thursday afternoon. (Photo by Ryan Asaro/Sko Buffs Sports)

On Thursday, the Colorado Buffaloes (6-7) and the No. 24 Denver Pioneers (10-5) went head-to-head at Prentup Field in a box state showdown.  The Buffs would fight in a nailbiter but ultimately fall to the Pioneers 9-8.

The Buffs got off to a cold start as the Pioneers came out swinging, taking an early 3-0 lead led by Olivia Ripple’s two goals.  Halfway through the first quarter, the Buffs would start finding their rhythm on offense. Averi Gardner and Teagan Ryan put two in the back of the net, cutting the deficit to one at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter started with another quick goal from the Pioneers, which led to some noticeable frustration from the Buffs' defenders and coaches.  Colorado wouldn’t back down, as Maddie Schoup would go on to score two unanswered goals, tying the game and leading to a Pioneers goalie change. 

After the substitution, the Pioneers would come out and score two of their own, taking back their control of the game.  CU would grab a late goal from Lily Assini to make the score 6-5 Pioneers at halftime.

The start of the second half would mimic that of the first, as the Pioneers scored another goal within its first minute.  It wasn’t until seven minutes later that the Buffs would finally get one of their own, cutting the Pioneers' lead back to one.  However, the Buffs’ momentum would once again be short-lived as two minutes later the Pioneers would strike gold again, making the score 8-6 at the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Buffs noticeably upped their intensity on defense, drawing a couple of early turnovers, which led to a goal just five minutes into the quarter.  CU would go on to try and find paydirt one more time to tie the game, but would ultimately fail to do so thanks to four turnovers and two great saves from the Pioneers' goaltender. 

The Pioneers would eventually take charge on offense again, leading to a goal that made their lead two once again with four minutes left.  Responding quickly, the Buffs cut the lead back to one just a minute later thanks to a Molly Reed goal. 

With three minutes left, the Buffs would look to find one more goal to tie the game.  However, the Pioneers' zone defense would shut the Buffs down, leading to the Buffs falling in their box state matchup against the Pioneers. 

The Buffs look to turn things around back at home on Easter Sunday at noon MT against the UC Davis Aggies (ESPN+).