MCLA Season Preview: Colorado Buffaloes

Many people claim that MCLA lacrosse teams are weaker or can’t compete at the NCAA level. I beg to differ. To participate in the NCAA, a team must be able to compensate for their travel (airfare, hotels, meals, transportation, missed classes, communications with professors, etc.). With that said, Colorado has become the lacrosse-mecca of western USA and the Colorado. Buffaloes are ready to show the NCAA what it’s missing.

Colorado  is coming off a VERY impressive 2014 season. They finished the year 18-2 overall and UNDEFEATED in their Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference. To get there, the Buffaloes topped some nifty programs also, not limited to but including Boston College, Texas, Stanford and Colorado State.

Buffaloes two key losses were to Arizona State and Michigan State. 

Their 2015 schedule looks like a real challenge of their true abilities:

DATE OPPONENT VENUE RESULTS
Sat Feb 7
2:00 PM
scrimmageColorado College Lacrosse@ Colorado College Colorado CollegeColorado Springs, CO
Sat Feb 14
10:00 AM
scrimmageUniversity of Northern Colorado Lacrosse@ Northern Colorado University of Northern ColoradoGreeley, CO
Sat Feb 21
11:00 AM
Texas State University Lacrosse@ Texas State The PitchCanyon, TX PREGAME
Fri Feb 27
7:00 PM
divisionalUtah Valley University LacrosseUtah Valley Kittredge FieldBoulder, CO PREGAME
Sat Feb 28
1:00 PM
Boston College LacrosseBoston College Kittredge FieldBoulder, CO PREGAME
Fri Mar 6
7:30 PM
Arizona State University Lacrosse@ Arizona State Reach 11 Sports Complex Field 16Phoenix, AZ PREGAME
Sat Mar 7
2:30 PM
University of California-Santa Barbara Lacrosse@ UC Santa Barbara Reach 11 Sports Complex Field 16Phoenix, AZ PREGAME
Fri Mar 13
7:00 PM
Florida State University LacrosseFlorida State East Boulder Recreation CenterBoulder, CO PREGAME
Sun Mar 15
1:00 PM
Sonoma State University LacrosseSonoma State Kittredge FieldBoulder, CO PREGAME
Sat Mar 21
1:00 PM
Grand Canyon University LacrosseGrand Canyon Kittredge FieldBoulder, CO PREGAME
Mon Mar 23
1:00 PM
Chapman University LacrosseChapman Kittredge FieldBoulder, CO PREGAME
Thu Apr 9
4:00 PM
divisionalWestminster College Lacrosse@ Westminster Dumke FieldSalt lake City, UT PREGAME
Fri Apr 10
7:00 PM
divisionalBrigham Young University Lacrosse@ BYU Helaman Lacrosse FieldProvo, UT PREGAME
Sun Apr 12
12:00 PM
divisionalUniversity of Utah Lacrosse@ Utah University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT PREGAME
Sat Apr 18
6:00 PM
divisionalColorado State University-Ft. Collins Lacrosse@ Colorado State Hughes StadiumFort Collins, CO PREGAME

 

Colorado is coached by John Galvin who comes with an impressive Colorado lacrosse background. He was with the Buffaloes for a few years in the early 2000s, but left to focus on his business in Boulder, CO. In his original time with the team, they went to the 2006 National Championship and had records such as 16-7, etc.

After Galvin left, the team was left under the helm of Mike Ryder, who was only able to achieve records along the lines of 16-10 at best.

Galvin returned to the team in 2012, and as mentioned earlier about the team’s recent successes, it sounds like Galvin is the magic-maker. He played at Ohio Wesleyan University as a college student and has a decorated history in both playing and coaching.

This Colorado team is an offensive powerhouse. Though what seems like half their scoring players are questionable due to graduations and no official posting of the 2015 roster yet, young players expected to return include:

Player Name (2014 stats)

Jace Gan (32 points)

Ryan Stoll (26 points)

Mitch Erickson (17 points)

Jake Lucier (18 points)

Cary Garfinkle (14 points)

All those players should be seniors this year. However, look at the stats of the 2014 seniors (again, no insight as to who has graduated or who is staying)

Riley Seidel (96 points)

Jack Cranston (81 points)

That’s astonishing and seems almost unsurmountable.

If you check out the team’s pump up video from 2014, I can only imagine what’s in store for 2015: