Colorado State Rams (3-7) VS Boise State (2-6)
1:00 p.m. MT | Colorado State University NCAA Turf Field
The Rams lacrosse team enters Sunday’s matchup looking to add another win to their season campaign after a 13-9 win over #15 Cal Poly. Colorado State looks to increase their hold on the head-to-head series record, currently sitting at 2-1 with a +4 goal differential.
Latest Results (CSU): CSU 13 || CAL POLY 9
Latest Results (CAL POLY): BOISE 5 || CU 19
A new day, a new horse
The Rams beat their second ranked opponent in a row with their victory yesterday against the Mustangs, their second win against a ranked opponent in as many games.
The Rams will look to saddle up again, this time against the Broncos. While on paper Boise State looks to be struggling this season, they’ve upset Colorado State in the past and are undoubtedly looking to do it again.
Against the Mustangs, the Rams were able to get nearly 50 shots off, keeping Cal Poly’s goalie under constant duress. On the opposite side of the ball, Colorado State was able to go nearly two full quarters without allowing a goal.
In goal, Eli Goth (#99) helped anchor the defense with up 12 saves, including five in the fourth quarter to help close out the game.
Captain Joe Dixon (#41), along with freshman Kai Skaer (#76) were monumental in keeping the Mustangs in the stable. Key contributions also came from Will Scott (#55) and Johnnie Alejo (#5) on the defensive front.
Stout defense by the Rams led to great transition and easy clears, partially due to the legwork of Jack Kovacik (#2) and Levi Houston (#29), who were able to help the Rams flip the field.
Offensively, the Rams stuck with their game plan, despite going down by as many as three goals while facing a goaltender that seemed to stop everything. Ryan Menard (#53) had another great performance, scoring four goals and adding two assists. Freshman Brandon Krause (#10) and Junior Lochlan Rogers (#7) both had four points, tallying two goals and two assists each.
The man-up unit was also effective, capitalizing on the Mustang mistakes by going 4/6 with goals from Jack Rego (#22) and Jimmy Ponicki (#34).
Leading the Plays
Points Leader – Attacker Jack Rego leads the Rams offensively with 42 points and 29 goals this season.
Assists Leader – Midfielder Ryan Menard maintains his lead with 17 assists and 16 goals.
Ground Ball Leader – Faceoff Specialist Max Hall currently leads the team with 52 ground balls, picking up a goal and assist this season.
Boise State on the Field
The Broncos have had a tough season up to this point, with two wins and six losses, many of which were by double digits. That said, they’ve had an extra day of rest when compared to the Rams, and will likely look to take advantage with a fast start to the contest.
Leading the Broncos
Top Points Leader – Attackman Ben Posner leads the Broncos with 22 points this season (3g 19a).
Defensive Leader – Defenseman Charlie Lyons leads Boise State with 8 caused turnovers, paired with 14 ground balls.
In the Net – Anchoring the Broncos defense is Bond Barnette in goal, who has 73 saves on the season with a 40.7 save percentage.
