The University of Louisville lacrosse team had a stellar showing on Sunday, earning a 12-5 win against the No. 25 Colorado Buffaloes at the UofL Lacrosse Stadium. With the win, the Cardinals move to 1-1 on the season, while the Buffaloes fall to 0-2.
The win over No. 25 Colorado ends a 16 game losing streak against ranked opponents for Louisville, with the last ranked win coming in a 12-9 win against then-ranked No. 24 Colorado on February 18, 2021.
“I thought today was another excellent lacrosse game,” said head coach Scott Teeter. “Our defense and Sara (Addeche) in net carried us today. It was definitely a tough start at first on the offense again.”
Louisville got off to a strong start, jumping out to a 5-1 lead in the first half, with goals coming from four different Cardinals. Nicole Perroni got the Cards on the board first, netting from a free position attempt for the only goal in the first quarter. Hannah Morris and Kylea Dobson recorded their first goals of the season, while freshman Negai Nakazawa knocked in a goal for the second straight game. The final goal of the half came from Perroni as she ripped a shot down the lane.
Colorado quickly answered back with three straight goals coming out of the locker room to bring the score within one. However, freshman Rian Adkins notched the first goal of her career from a free position attempt to put a stop to the Buffaloes’ scoring run and start one for the Cards.
Izzy Seikel then brought some offensive energy to the team, scoring three goals in the third quarter to earn the first hat trick of the season. Morris added to the scoring run with a goal of her own to help put the Cardinals up 10-4 to end the third quarter. Lauren Figas earned her first goal of her career for the Red and Black to start the final quarter. Seikel added in another goal for her fourth of the game, a career-high. Colorado scored in the final five minutes, but it wasn’t enough as the Cardinals took the win 12-5.
Sara Addeche was a standout player for the Cardinals, recording a career-high 14 saves to protect the net. Her 14 saves rank 8th in single-game saves on the Cardinal record books. Madi McKee led the team with four draw controls, while Addeche led the team with four groundballs. Maggie Foster and Ashley Osborne notched two caused turnovers each.
Louisville continues its homestand on Sunday when they take on Lindenwood at 1 p.m. ET. The strong performance from the team against a ranked opponent bodes well for their upcoming games, as they look to continue their winning ways and build on their early-season success.
