Tempe, AZ – The #1 Colorado State University men’s lacrosse team again started quickly and rode smothering defense the rest of the way in to move their record to 6-0 with a solid road victory over the #9 Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday afternoon. CSU led 6-1 at one point before stumbling a bit down the stretch on their way to a 9-6 win. The Rams were great again on the defensive side of the ball and overcame some fourth quarter turnover problems to get the win. Sophomore Sean Smith (Amherst HS / Amherst, NY) was outstanding, pitching in with six assists on the afternoon while junior Austin Fisher (Rock Canyon HS / Highlands Ranch, CO) led the team with four goals.
The game started slowly in the Arizona sun, but CSU eventually got on the board first with two goals inside a minute as Kacy Carter (Rock Canyon HS / Castle Rock, CO) and Tim Taggart (Mountain Vista HS / Highlands Ranch, CO) struck to put them Rams in front. Colorado State scored the next three goals of the game as well before ASU finally got on the board with 5:00 remaining in the first half to send the game into halftime with the Rams in front 5-1.
ASU ratcheted up the pressure in the third quarter, outshooting CSU 13-4 in the frame, but sophomore goalie Koltin Fatzinger (Wheat Ridge HS / Thornton, CO) was up to the task, making eight saves to keep the Rams in front. The Sun Devils struck for three third quarter tallies, but were answered by CSU each time. Fisher had three of his four goals in the third quarter to keep CSU out front 9-4 at the end of 45 minutes.
Arizona State continued to play well in the fourth quarter, getting two more goals to close the gap to 9- 6 with 6:26 to play, but CSU was able to withstand the run and salt away the victory. ASU’s two fourth quarter goals were the first surrendered by CSU’s defense all season long.
Fisher’s four goals were nearly equaled by Carter’s hat trick while Smith’s six assists led the game in points. Ben Martynec and Rockne Repp each had two points for ASU while CSU’s Alex Devlin had two points as well. CSU out-saved ASU on the afternoon as the sophomore tandem of Fatzinger and Jack Regan (Sunset HS / Beaverton, OR) rang up 11 total saves to ASU’s senior Dylan Westfall. The game marked the first time all season that CSU did not win the face-off battle with the Sun Devils taking down 10 of 19 draws. Nearly all statistical categories were even on the afternoon.
Next up for Colorado State (6-0 overall; 0-0 RMLC) is a meeting with #17 Stanford, who were 12-5 victors over the University of Arizona on Saturday afternoon as well. The game will be held at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale on Sunday afternoon. Arizona State must regroup quickly as they will face #20 Northeastern on Sunday as well.
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