No. 1 ASU knocks out No. 2 Colorado in defensive battle

(Photo: Jodi Vosika/ASU Lacrosse)

Watch out, MCLA.

There’s a new kingpin in town, after a snowy battle for first in Boulder, CO.

No. 1 Arizona State defeated No. 2 Colorado 8-6 to secure their seventh straight win and remain atop the top of the MCLA’s rankings. It may not have become the offensive explosion that some were expecting, but both teams performed remarkably well on the defensive side of the ball.

Early in the 4th quarter it became a back-and-forth tussle with Colorado seeming to knock on the door, but the Sun Devils continued slamming it in the Buffs’ faces. Riley Seidel scored for Colorado midway through the final quarter to make it a 7-6 game, but attackman Logan Quinn was quick to stomp on CU’s hopes with a crafty unassisted goal of his own in response.

That was with just over 7 minutes to play in the 4th quarter. From that point on, it was just a game of running down the clock, and Arizona State nearly perfected that craft with active but conservative offense, limiting Colorado to only a minute or so of possession in crunch time. The Sun Devils simply clung to the lead for 7 minutes, and it worked.

ASU built that lead as early as the 1st quarter, with a goal from midfielder Cooper Pickell to give them a 3-2 advantage. From that point on, Colorado never even pulled it to a tie, as the Sun Devils’ stout defense stood tall and stuffed the Buffs’ attack.

Buffaloes attackman Jack Cranston certainly generated some offense with two goals that seemed to catch the entire defense off guard, but it wasn’t enough to dismantle the defensive unit of Ian Connell, Nick McEneany, and Matt Wallace. Colorado came into the game averaging exactly 15 goals a game, but they failed to get to half of that average as they were shut down throughout the game.

Offensively for ASU, there was a bit of sloppiness that kept the Buffs in the game, with a few turnovers and missed ground balls that resulted in transition opportunities for CU. However, when it mattered most, the offense was able to kill clock and preserve the two-goal lead.

ASU improves to 7-0 with the victory, while Colorado will fall to 4-2 with their second consecutive loss.

The Sun Devils will next play against Sonoma State on Wednesday. The Buffs, on the other hand, have got to make a trip to California right away for a Sunday afternoon game against Cal.

You can reach Trey Lanthier by email at treylanthier@gmail.com or on Twitter, @TreyLanthier.

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