Men’s lacrosse team looking for postseason bid
Almost every student attending college in Colorado has heard of the Rocky Mountain Showdown. However, while the football rivalry holds most of the fame, the Rocky Mountain Showdown is present in other college sports.
On April 26, the CU men’s and women’s lacrosse teams will play CSU in their own Rocky Mountain Showdowns at Invesco Field at Mile High.
Much like football, the CU and CSU lacrosse teams have always had a heated rivalry against one another.
Over the past few years, CSU men’s lacrosse team has come out on top of the CU men’s team and dominated both local and national standings. Players understand the rivalry between the two schools and said they strive each year to best their opponent.
“That’s our main rival, the team we hate and want to beat every year,” junior men’s captain Mike Emerson said.
Also a factor in this game is the postseason standings of the Buffs. Currently, the team sits No. 16 in the Shamrock Lacrosse MCLA Division A Top 25 Poll. In order to qualify for a postseason bid, they must remain in the top 16.
While the record may be in CSU’s favor, CU has been working hard this past season to make sure that history does not repeat itself. The Buffs have a 4-5 record against some of the toughest teams in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association. They are confident that they can pull out a win against the No. 7 Colorado State Rams.
“You go in to every game with the mindset that you’re going to win,” junior captain Alex Mical said. “If you didn’t, you’d be doing yourself and your teammates a disservice.”
Colorado will play their final regular season game against the Rams at Invesco Field. For the Buffs, playing on a heightened platform has placed added pressure on the team, head coach John Galvin said.
“The guys will be playing in front of the biggest crowd they’ve been in front of all year, which will add a heightened state of anxiety,” Galvin said.
Despite nerves and the pressure of performing well against their longtime rivals, the Buffs are prepared and ready for the upcoming game. Junior captain Kevin Moriarty said the team knows what they need to do to go out and perform well.
“We’re trying to focus on what we have to do (to win the game) and not let the hype of the whole Invesco Field and fans get to us,” Moriarty said.
The women’s lacrosse team will open up the night and take on CSU at 5 p.m. at Invesco Filed at Mile High in Denver. The men’s team will follow with their own Rocky Mountain Showdown at 7 p.m. on April 26. For tickets, visit the men’s team’s Web site.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Rachael Fischer at
rachael.fischer@colorado.edu.
