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UCSB Upsets 3rd Ranked Colorado in 12-9 Win

Box Score

Feb. 19, 2012

Santa Barbara, CA - Seventh ranked UCSB upset 3rd ranked University of Colorado with a 12-9 win in the final game for both teams at the 24th Annual Santa Barbara Shootout. It was the first loss for the Buffalos this season. The Gauchos used a run of 6 unanswered goals over a 9 minute span in the first half to break the game open. The two teams traded goals for a 1-1 start early in the game but after that Colorado was never really within striking distance. The Buffalos did get to within 3 twice and 2 once in the the second half.

Colorado scored to make it 10-7 but UCSB responded with an assisted goal on a feed from senior Maegan Cruse (San Diego, CA) to Megan Dawe (Martinez, CA) to go back up by 4 goals. Later Colorado scored to make it 11-8 and then 11-9 but Cruse responded to that with an unassisted goal and UCSB ran out the clock on their next possession for the final 12-9 margin of victory. 

The story during the run of 6 straight goals for UCSB in the first half was a mix of up tempo play and some nifty settled offense. Freshman Lindsay Alex (Tustin, CA) assisted on 4 straight goals and her 4th straight assist helped UCSB take a 5-1 lead 16 minutes into the game. The UCSB offense adjusted when Colorado stepped up and played Alex. The Gauchos revved up the ball movement and it resulted in an unassisted goal from Katie Mitchell (Lafayette, CA) and an assisted play from Cruse to sophomore Blair Evans (Salinas, CA). Later, with 30 seconds left until the end of the first half, an unassisted Mitchell goal on a fastbreak off a draw control gave UCSB an 8-3 half-time lead.

The UCSB offense wasn't all off draw controls either. Colorado won 12 of 23 draw controls in the game but the UCSB defense stepped up and stymied the Buffalos attack. From the 8-1 lead play was controlled at times by both teams but UCSB had put the Buffalos into too big a hole for them to climb out. Jeni Centner (Tustin, CA) had 6 of her 7 saves in the second half. Shawna Falk (San Diego, CA) had 4 ground balls and Jordan Venetis (Thousand Oaks, CA) had 5 draw controls.

UCSB improved to 5-1 overall and starts conference play at Cal Poly SLO on Friday, February 24th. Colorado plays next at 11th ranked University of Georgia on March 2nd.