The University of Colorado women’s soccer team improved to 5-0 after a goal was scored in overtime Friday night at the University of Denver Invitational at Ciber Field.

The match-up was a season record-breaker for the Buffs. The women made 33 shots on goal in regulation time and 39 including overtime, out-doing the previous record of 32.

According to CU’s Athletic Department, the previous record was set in women’s soccer’s inaugural season in 1996.

The Buffs’ 19 shots on goal in the first half were more than double that of Alabama’s 9 in the entire game.

Despite their attempts, the team was unable to put a ball into the back of the net in regulation time.

Then, in the 97^th minute of the game, sophomore midfielder Madison Krauser crossed the ball from the left side of the field, finding the foot of freshman forward Brie Hooks, who struck the ball into the back of the net, giving the Buffs the only goal of the game.

With that, Alabama’s season record fell to 1-3.

Both teams played a very physical game and racked up a total of 15 fouls between the them.

Hooks now has six goals in the season and is currently fourth place on the CU freshman list. CU senior goalkeeper Annie Brunner had three saves.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jessica Malknecht at jessica.malknecht@colorado.edu.

The women’s soccer team kicked off the 2013 season with two wins, one against the Air Force Academy on Friday and the other against Saint Mary’s College on Sunday, the first time the Lady Buffs have shut out their first four opponents.

The Buffs were 3-0 in the season after defeating the Air Force Lady Falcons on Friday. This is the second year in a row that the Buffs defeated the Falcons.

Both teams struggled to find a rhythm in the first half. The Buffs only managed two shot attempts on goal, while the Falcons had five. The Buffs also had three corner kick opportunities in the first half of the game, but the team was not able to put the ball into the back of the net.

Starting the second half, the Buffs had the ball on their defensive end for nearly 20 minutes of the second half. But at the 70:00 minute mark, the Buffs looked like a new team. They had better control of the ball, which was often at the feet of the rising freshman star Brie Hooks, who already has three goals. After a defensive stop, the Buffs began gaining momentum, working the ball up the field. At the 72:47 mark, the Buffs got their first goal after a chaotic play within the 18-yard box.

Hooks carried the ball and crossed it from the right corner of the field, where sophomore midfielder Olivia Pappalardo took a shot at the far left corner of the goal. The ball ricocheted off the goal post directly to the right foot of senior forward Anne Stuller, who ripped the ball into the back of the net, giving the Lady Buffs a 1-0 lead.

This goal was just the spark that the Buffs needed. They began dominating the game, rarely seeing the ball cross into their defensive end. Around five minutes later, freshman defender Alex Huynh crossed the ball to the top of the 18-yard box. Stuller was able to take advantage of the cross and again placed the ball into the back of the net, giving CU a 2-0 lead and scoring her second goal of the game and season.

“As a forward, you want to score,” Stuller said. “They were two easy goals, thanks to my teammates. Brie took the ball down on the first one, beat a girl, it was a good beat, and drove it across. It was a jumbled mess in there, and I think Olivia got on it and got a touch, and it came right to me. I just had to hit it far post, pretty easy goal because of my teammates.”

The defense in the second half was extremely strong and only allowed the Air Force Falcons a single shot attempt on senior goalie Annie Brunner, who had three saves in the game. The Buffs had nine shots on goal in the second half of the game and were able to capitalize on two of the shots.

“Hats off to our defense,” Stuller said. “Everyone’s been solid.”

The Falcons fall to two losses, one tie and no wins.

The second match for the Buffs this weekend was against the Saint Mary’s Gaels on Sunday.

Stuller has matched a record by becoming the first player since Kate Russell to tally two assists in any given game. Freshman standout Hooks scored both goals in the game and now has five goals in the season. The Buffs are now 4-0, while the Gaels rest at 1-3.

The Buffs gained their first goal of the game just over three minutes into the game, with a pass connecting from Stuller to Hooks. The Buffs outshot the Gaels 15-8. The Gaels carried most of the momentum for the first half but were unable to get a shot on goal until the 14th minute of play.

The Buffs dominated the ball for the majority of the second half and scored their second goal with Stuller, again, feeding a pass to Hooks in the 36th minute. The Gaels fought back in the last 10 minutes of the game but were unable to finish with a goal.

The Buffs’ next game will be against the University of Alabama as part of the DU Invitational at CIBER Field. The game starts at 4:30 p.m. on Friday at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jessica Malknecht at Jessica.malkencht@colorado.edu.

The Buffs Women’s basketball team earned their 21^st win of the season against Washington State University Friday night at the Coors Events Center.

The Buffs had their largest lead of the game at 40-27 in the final six minutes and the game concluded with a score of 59-45.

Brittany Wilson, guard, looks to pass the ball against Oregon Sunday Feb. 10, 2013. On Friday, the Lady Buffs beat Washington State, 59-45. (Nate Bruzdzinski/CU Independent)

This is the sixth consecutive game the Buffs have won. The Cougars now drop to 10-16 overall and 6-9 in the Pac-12 conference play, while the Buffs advance to 21-5 overall and 10-5 in the Pac-12 conference.

The Buffs had a comfortable lead for the majority of the game, but both teams played a very physical game.

“It was a physical game, but I liked how our players responded,” said Linda Lappe, the head coach of CU women’s basketball.

The Buffs played well defensively as the team got their hands on loose balls and picked off passes, forcing the Cougars into 25 turnovers. The Buffs were able to score 25 points as a result of those turnovers.

The Buffs racked up 11 steals and 26 rebounds in the first half alone and had 15 steals and 48 rebounds throughout the full game. The team scored 34 points in the paint compared to Washington State’s 14 points.

The Cougars 2-3 zone defense seemed to stifle the Buffs in the first half, allowing them to shoot a mere 28.1 percent.

Starting sophomore guard Lexy Kresl didn’t play in the game, as she is still out with a shoulder injury after last week’s game against Arizona.

CU had the lead for the entirety of the first half, with the exception of the first few points of the game. Toward the second portion of the first half, the Cougars began making a run of their own and, at one point, pulled within four.

The Buffs finished the first half with a seven-point lead 26-19. Half of the Buffs 26 points came from forced turnovers.

Washington State freshman guard Lia Galdeira lead the Cougars with 12 points.

“There was no rhythm in the game at all, but we came together a lot better in the second half,” Lappe said.

The Buffs got into foul trouble with just under six minutes left of play, which helped the Cougars get to the free throw line often. However, it wasn’t enough for the Cougars, as the Buffs were still able to pull a 14-point win.

Look out for the Buffs final home game of the season on Sunday Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. against University of Washington. The game will be the last for seniors Chucky Jeffery, Brenna Malcolm-Peck, and Meagan Malcolm-Peck.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jessica Malknecht at Jessica.malknecht@colorado.edu.

The Buffs Women’s basketball team earned their 21^st win of the season against Washington State University Friday night at the Coors Events Center.

The Buffs had their largest lead of the game at 40-27 in the final six minutes and the game concluded with a score of 59-45.

Brittany Wilson, guard, looks to pass the ball against Oregon Sunday Feb. 10, 2013. On Friday, the Lady Buffs beat Washington State, 59-45. (Nate Bruzdzinski/CU Independent)

This is the sixth consecutive game the Buffs have won. The Cougars now drop to 10-16 overall and 6-9 in the Pac-12 conference play, while the Buffs advance to 21-5 overall and 10-5 in the Pac-12 conference.

The Buffs had a comfortable lead for the majority of the game, but both teams played a very physical game.

“It was a physical game, but I liked how our players responded,” said Linda Lappe, the head coach of CU women’s basketball.

The Buffs played well defensively as the team got their hands on loose balls and picked off passes, forcing the Cougars into 25 turnovers. The Buffs were able to score 25 points as a result of those turnovers.

The Buffs racked up 11 steals and 26 rebounds in the first half alone and had 15 steals and 48 rebounds throughout the full game. The team scored 34 points in the paint compared to Washington State’s 14 points.

The Cougars 2-3 zone defense seemed to stifle the Buffs in the first half, allowing them to shoot a mere 28.1 percent.

Starting sophomore guard Lexy Kresl didn’t play in the game, as she is still out with a shoulder injury after last week’s game against Arizona.

CU had the lead for the entirety of the first half, with the exception of the first few points of the game. Toward the second portion of the first half, the Cougars began making a run of their own and, at one point, pulled within four.

The Buffs finished the first half with a seven-point lead 26-19. Half of the Buffs 26 points came from forced turnovers.

Washington State freshman guard Lia Galdeira lead the Cougars with 12 points.

“There was no rhythm in the game at all, but we came together a lot better in the second half,” Lappe said.

The Buffs got into foul trouble with just under six minutes left of play, which helped the Cougars get to the free throw line often. However, it wasn’t enough for the Cougars, as the Buffs were still able to pull a 14-point win.

Look out for the Buffs final home game of the season on Sunday Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. against University of Washington. The game will be the last for seniors Chucky Jeffery, Brenna Malcolm-Peck, and Meagan Malcolm-Peck.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jessica Malknecht at Jessica.malknecht@colorado.edu.

The Buffs Women’s basketball team earned their 21^st win of the season against Washington State University Friday night at the Coors Events Center.

The Buffs had their largest lead of the game at 40-27 in the final six minutes and the game concluded with a score of 59-45.

This is the sixth consecutive game the Buffs have won. The Cougars now drop to 10-16 overall and 6-9 in the Pac-12 conference play, while the Buffs advance to 21-5 overall and 10-5 in the Pac-12 conference.

The Buffs had a comfortable lead for the majority of the game, but both teams played a very physical game.

“It was a physical game, but I liked how our players responded,” said Linda Lappe, the head coach of CU women’s basketball.

The Buffs played well defensively as the team got their hands on loose balls and picked off passes, forcing the Cougars into 25 turnovers. The Buffs were able to score 25 points as a result of those turnovers.

The Buffs racked up 11 steals and 26 rebounds in the first half alone and had 15 steals and 48 rebounds throughout the full game. The team scored 34 points in the paint compared to Washington State’s 14 points.

The Cougars 2-3 zone defense seemed to stifle the Buffs in the first half, allowing them to shoot a mere 28.1 percent.

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Starting sophomore guard Lexy Kresl didn’t play in the game, as she is still out with a shoulder injury after last week’s game against Arizona.

CU had the lead for the entirety of the first half, with the exception of the first few points of the game. Toward the second portion of the first half, the Cougars began making a run of their own and, at one point, pulled within four.

The Buffs finished the first half with a seven-point lead 26-19. Half of the Buffs 26 points came from forced turnovers.

Washington State freshman guard Lia Galdeira lead the Cougars with 12 points.

“There was no rhythm in the game at all, but we came together a lot better in the second half,” Lappe said.

The Buffs got into foul trouble with just under six minutes left of play, which helped the Cougars get to the free throw line often. However, it wasn’t enough for the Cougars, as the Buffs were still able to pull a 14-point win.

Look out for the Buffs final home game of the season on Sunday Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. against University of Washington. The game will be the last for seniors Chucky Jeffery, Brenna Malcolm-Peck, and Meagan Malcolm-Peck.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jessica Malknecht at Jessica.malknecht@colorado.edu.

In 2012 it was confirmed that women’s lacrosse would become CU’s 17^th Division I collegiate sport. The Buffs will be competing in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation since there are currently not enough teams for the Pac-12 to form a league. The new addition of women’s lacrosse gives females a chance to showcase their talent in a Buffs jersey.

Former player and assistant coach of Northwestern University, Ann Elliot was named head coach. At Northwestern she had the opportunity to work under well-known coach Kelly Amonte Hiller and facilitate the success of her former program.

The CU women’s lacrosse team gathers during practice on Wednesday. Women’s lacrosse became the newest Division 1 sport at CU. (Annie Rumbles/CU Independent)

Some may say Coach Elliot was simply thrown into the chaos of developing the new program at CU, but she seems very eager about the entire development.

“It was pretty crazy; I was officially hired in the middle of my season at Northwestern,” Elliot said.

She finished out the season at Northwestern, and led her team to the championship. Her last day at Northwestern was her official start as a CU Buff. The transition may have been extremely quick, but was an electrifying turn around for this first ever head coach.

Elliot expresses her excitement on the opportunity to build a program from the ground up. Knowing that the process of building a program will take time is all the more motivating.

“This opportunity is really special, and we are really excited to kind of hit the ground and get started,” Elliot said.

Hannah Nielsen and Colleen Magarity were hired as assistant coaches and are both from Northwestern as well. CU is extremely fortunate that the new addition of the coaching staff share the same basic values as the Elliot, and will surely bring synchronization to this up-and-coming program. Elliot strongly believes that her staff will bring new things to the program and challenge her and the players as well.

The first step to program was to begin the recruiting process, which started in early June. Elliot believes they have been successful thus far.

“There was a lot to do, and we tried to take it one step at a time,” she said. “We tried to really focus on recruiting and find the right players to come out here and join us this fall.”

She believes CU has a lot to offer academically, athletically and in the community. The great support of the athletics within the Boulder community and within the student body leads to an exciting jump-start on the season. The staff is hoping to recruit great student athletes that will help in the process of building the program to compete at the highest level of play.

On November 19, players officially signed with CU and all of the recruits consist of the class of 2013 graduates.

With a new team set in stone her main goal is to get better every day. Elliot has high expectations for the team, her staff and herself. She thrives on bringing in players that are passionate about the sport and that want to work hard.

“Working hard will bring us one step closer to competing at the highest level,” Elliot said.

The values she plans to instill in her players are simple: “I believe in hard work. I believe in the little things. Most importantly you have to have a lot of passion for what you do.”

She believes this is what makes the sport fun and will prompt her players to work even harder. And Elliot hopes to have an exciting up-and-coming season and is thankful for the opportunity.

“We just can’t wait to get started,” she said.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jessica Malknecht at Jessica.malknecht@colorado.edu.

The Buffs women’s golf team fell during the third round of the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge on Wednesday, finishing in 14th place of 16 teams with a score of 927, 75-over par. They had been in 9th the previous day.

The fierce competition consisted of four of the best teams in the nation and 15 teams that rank in the top 22. The UCLA Bruins claimed the victory with a final score of  291, seven over par.

Leading the Buffs were freshmen Alexis Keating and Jamie Oleksiew, who scored 16 over par with a cumulative score of 229, and both were placed in a tie for 39 individually.

Keating finished the tournament with the lowest score of the team, 73 in round one, 74 in round two and 82 in round three. She got three birdies and managed just five over par in her first two rounds. Her third round did not end smoothly with eight bogeys or worse.

Oleksiew had a strong start and finish with a score of 74 in round one and 75 in round three, the best of any Buff on the last day. She struggled in her second round shooting 80 with eight bogeys.

The other Buffs scoring for the team were junior Jenny Coleman, who finished with 75-78-81 (234), freshman Allie Zech 82-75-80 (237), and junior Kristen Coleman 82-80-80 (242).

The next tournament for women’s golf will be held on Feb. 24-26 at the 2013 Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jessica Malknecht at Jessica.malkencht@colorado.edu.