Fort Collins, CO – Coming off a physical game the night before, the top ranked Colorado State Rams rested the majority of their starters and seniors and allowed underclassmen to run the show against visiting New Mexico on a blustery afternoon on campus. The young guns didn’t disappoint in the team’s second to last game of the regular season, ringing up 19 goals and holding the Lobos scoreless on the afternoon.
The Rams dominated all stats categories, including out-shooting UNM 41-3 and holding a 43-17 advantage on groundballs. CSU led 3-0 after one quarter, 8-0 at halftime, and 15-0 after three before en route to their second shutout of the season.
Freshman Jake Johnson (Bridgton Academy / Lake Forest, CA) and sophomore Chris Roach (Wheat Ridge HS / Westminster, CO) led all scorers with five points each – Johnson’s coming on five second half goals. Roach had four goals and an assist while a host of other players pitched in as well. Sophomore long-stick midfielder Trace Evans (St. Charles North HS / St. Charles, IL) turned in a sterling performance, scooping up a game-high seven groundballs and adding an assist as well. In all, fourteen different Rams had at least a point on the afternoon.
In his first career regular season start, junior goaltender Nick Fiore (Mountain Vista HS / Highlands Ranch, CO) made two saves while New Mexico goaltender Eric Painter had 13 saves for the Lobos, several of which came in spectacular fashion.
Colorado State (14-0 overall, 4-0 RMLC) has just one game left on the regular season schedule, and it could be one of the most anticipated regular season match-ups in recent MCLA history. The University of Colorado is ranked #2 in the country and holds an identical 14-0 record heading into next weekend’s Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Showdown at Hughes Stadium in Fort Collins, CO. The game will be held at 4:00pm and tickets are available at www.csuvscu.com.
In their first season in the MCLA’s Division I, New Mexico’s season finishes up at 2-8 overall and 0-5 in the RMLC.