QUICKLY: The University of Colorado concluded its inaugural home season last weekend, seeing its three-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday. The Buffaloes (9-7, 5-3 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) split the weekend with a win over Old Dominion and a one-goal loss to California. They look to better their fate at May’s MPSF Tournament during their trip to Eugene, Ore. for their final regular season game. The Buffs take on the Oregon Ducks on Sunday, April 27 at noon PT. A live stream is available at http://goducks.com/live2.
SCOUTING THE OREGON DUCKS: Oregon enters the weekend with a 10-5 overall, 6-1 MPSF record. The Ducks’ lone conference loss was to then-No. 12 Stanford, but they face another big challenge on Friday, taking on conference leader Denver before playing host to Colorado on Sunday. Oregon has one of the conference’s strongest resumes, leading the MPSF in goals, assists, points, shots on goal and ground balls per game. The Ducks also rank in the nation’s top 10 in points, scoring defense and caused turnovers, the top 13 in scoring offense and scoring margin and the top 23 in ground balls per game and win percentage. Oregon averages 13.73 goals per game, while holding its opponents to just 7.47. Nine Ducks have scored 10 or more goals, with 34 coming from Nikki Puszcz. Puszcz also ranks in the MPSF top five with 22 caused turnovers. Shannon Propst and Carly O’Connell boast some of the nation’s most impressive lines. Each rank in the MPSF top three and the nation’s top nine in points and assists. Propst has the second-most assists in DI, with 41, she’s also netted 26 goals to make 67 points. O’Connell has 58 points off 32 assists and 26 goals, while causing 18 turnovers. Bella Pyne, the reigning MPSF Rookie of the Week, is having a killer debut, with 18 goals, 10 GBs and three game-winners. Between the pipes, Caroline Federighi holds the MPSF’s second best goals-against average at 7.72 in over 816 minutes played. This season, she’s grabbed 85 saves and 28 ground balls
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