BOULDER – The No. 17 Colorado State Rams (8-5) sought its first win against the No. 9 Colorado Buffaloes (8-4) since 2007 in the annual Rocky Mountain Showdown from Kittredge Field on Sunday. The two nationally ranked foes compete in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference of Division 1 men's club lacrosse and were looking for bragging rights heading into the postseason.
Jack McIntyre started the scoring early for both teams, but CSU quickly responded with three goals to establish an early 3-1 lead. The Buffs were unable to establish transition offense early which allowed the Rams’ defense to maintain their man-to-man and negate easy opportunities for Colorado. CSU made the most of its transitions, which applied early pressure on the Buffs' defense and Chandler Nayman. The Rams beat Nayman a few more times, extending their lead to 6-3 over the Buffs.
The Rams' defense backed by goalie Charlie Bibdaud proved to be a tall task for even the potent Colorado offense in the first half. Colorado remained plagued by lackluster passing and failed clears that prevented CU from establishing momentum. However, the Buffs cut the lead to one, entering the half down 7-6.
Colorado started the second half on a defensive tear. The Buffs held the Rams scoreless for the duration of the third quarter, silencing the Rams’ offense that was consistent in the first half. The solidifying of the Buffs' defense allowed for the offense to get going, with hat tricks in the second half from Ben Hamilton, Jacob Roos, and Craig Nam who helped the Buffs regain the lead and build on it. Colorado led 13-7 before CSU scored their first goal of the second half, marking over 23 minutes of scoreless play by the Rams.
With the game out of reach, the Buffs added some insurance goals before winning by a score of 17-9.
Heading into the postseason, Colorado will be a tough out with its defense and faceoff play. Nayman continued to prove he is a brick wall in the net, and faceoff specialist Mike Kuligowski continues to dominate the faceoff X. However, the Buffs continue to struggle clearing and it has majorly impacted its ability to establish transition offense or give its defense a breather. If the Buffs can piece together solid clearing with their already potent defense and faceoff play, big things may be in the works for this Colorado squad.
CSU, on the other hand, was one-half away from earning its first win at CU in 17 years. CSU proved they can compete with elite teams as reinforced by the elite play of attackmen Lachlan Rodgers, who was virtually unstoppable in Sunday's contest. The Rams will need to look for more from their faceoff group that featured several Rams taking faceoffs Sunday if they want to find success in the postseason. The Rams' defense largely did its part, however, if Bibdaud made more timely saves the game likely would have been much closer. If Bibdaud can sure up his goaltending, look for this Rams team to make some noise in the postseason.
Up Next: Both teams will await their fates for the 2024 MCLA National Championships, which begins May 6
Cover photo by Roberto Patrick Gerra/Sko Buffs Sports
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