Marie Moore, right, and Annie Morsches run through a ball possession drill during an individual’s practice in the Coors Events Center in Boulder, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2013. The University of Colorado women’s lacrosse team will make its Division I debut this weekend against the Stetson Hatters. (Kai Casey/CU Independent)
The University of Colorado women’s lacrosse team makes its Division I debut this weekend in Florida. The excited, youthful squad is under the leadership of three-time NCAA Championship head coach, Ann Elliott. The women will open up against the Stetson University Hatters on Thursday, and then head over to Jacksonville University to play the Dolphins on Saturday.
Coach Elliott and her team are excited about the opportunity to be recognized as the first ever Division 1 women’s lacrosse team at CU.
“We’re ready, we’ve worked hard, our girls are prepared,” Elliott said. “Our message to them is that they’ve prepared for this opportunity, and we are just excited to be finally on the road.”
Accompanying Elliott on the road this season are 23 passionate and motivated Buff players. Not only is this roster small, but it is also young. Twenty-one of the 23 roster spots are occupied by freshmen. Elliott cites the youth and inexperience as a positive, because it is something that the whole team has in common.
“A lot of our kids are playing together for the first time, and a lot of them are playing their first ever Division 1 lacrosse game,” Elliott said. “But with that comes a lot of energy, a lot of excitement [and] a lot of passion from them, and that’s what we are going to try and get from them every game this year.”
The coach also mentioned that their hard work and their ability to compete is going to be what sets them apart the other teams. She says her staff has been working with the girls since the fall, trying to get them to focus on every possession as if it’s the last and to always play hard.
“We’re going to make mistakes,” Elliott said. “We are a young team, but even teams that aren’t young make mistakes. It’s inevitable in our sport that you’re going to make mistakes, and really the difference for us is going to be how we respond.”
The women’s lacrosse team is entering something new and fresh. With that comes expectations and precedents being set, but Elliott sees it differently.
“Everything is new,” she said. “We haven’t put any expectations on ourselves. We tell our kids to go out there and just play hard and see what we can do. Compete every day. The Buffaloes are looking to form a sturdy and reliable foundation for years to come.”
Coach Elliott tips her hat to the two opponents that they will face later this week. The Buffs are looking forward to getting out there and competing against two great teams, but their focus is definitely on the Hatters right now.
The women’s team is looking forward to playing its first real game together since the fall.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Elizabeth Vogel at Elizabeth.vogel@colorado.edu.
