Much like their fellow students on Buffaloes varsity squads, the University of Colorado Collegiate Sport Club teams have a rich tradition of success. With over 30 clubs and 1,200 CU Students Athletes we hope that you will find a sport to enhance your collegiate experience. Please feel free to contact us directly at (303) 492-5274 or visit our newly designed official Collegiate Sport Clubs web site at http://www.colorado.edu/rec-center/clubsports/

Welcome Back Collegiate Sport Clubs for the 2009 Fall Season!

Collegiate Sport Clubs Information Contact:
Cydney Ricker (cydney.ricker@colorado.edu)

Check out the Club Sports page in the CU football program each home game on page 126.

The University of Colorado Collegiate Sport Clubs Program consists of 35 sport clubs, ranging from large clubs, such as Cycling, to smaller clubs like Fly Fishing. Last season, 21 clubs competed in national competitions across the country.

The CU Collegiate Sports Club Program is one of the strongest in the nation, with over 1,200 student athletes, and is currently the second largest student organization on campus.

Collegiate Sport Clubs are identified as groups of fee-paying students and Rec Center members voluntarily organized for the purpose of furthering their common interests in a physical activity through participation and competition. This philosophy includes the opportunity for members to enhance their experience at the University of Colorado by becoming involved in the administration of club programs through leadership and participation in fundraising, scheduling, and budgeting.

Clubs are open to everyone from the beginner to the seasoned expert.

Participants must provide their own health insurance.

Club Sports on NewsTeam Boulder

Women's Hockey By Amy Fay 10/27/09

Women's Rugby Rakes up Some Dough By Allison Emanuele 10/06/09

Buffs Fight Way Past Rams

By Seth Prinlge

DENVER—The No. 9 University of Colorado Men’s hockey took on their longtime rivals the No. 1 ranked Colorado State University Rams Thursday night at the home of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, the Pepsi Center.  The game was a hard fought battle where CU was the victor by a 5-3 margin.  This was the first of two games that the teams will play in consecutive nights, as they meet again Friday in Boulder. 

CSU opened the game with an up-tempo pace that resulted in the games first scoring chance early in the game's first minute.  CU’s Kevin Litinsky was forced to keep the Buffs even in the early minuets as the Rams controlled the game for most of the first half of the period.  Just under the 15 minute mark CSU got on the board first.  Kolliln Vandersluis put the puck through the legs of Litinsky to take the lead.  Colorado caught a break when Litinsky came up with a 2-on-1 save with the Buffs on the power play.  The period was marred by crucial Buff penalties, in which they took two.  CSU took advantage of their power play opportunities with 5:43 left in the first.  Derek O’Donnell took the puck across the left side of the crease and snuck it past Litinsky on the right side of the net to give the Rams a 2-0 lead.  In the final minutes of the period the Buffs got a second wind, but CSU goalie Mike Dlugos made a few big saves for the Rams to.  With under a minute left in the period CSU’s Parker Harrison added the Rams third goal of the night to give the Rams a 3-0 lead going into the intermission.

As it tuned out three goals was all the CSU would muster up for the night.  The second period started out with the Buffs taking a penalty just 50 seconds into the period.  The Buffs got their power play chances early in the second as well, but they just couldn’t seem to control the puck and get it on net.  With 14:35 to play in the period the Buffs lackluster play stated to cause some frustration on the ice.  After the whistle sounded there was some pushing and shoving that brought both teams the front of the Colorado net that resulted in a bit of a scrum.  Both teams took penalties but it was O’Donnell for the Rams that got the worst of it.  He was issued a five minute penalty and a game misconduct for facemasking.  The teams skated 4-on-4 and CU started to show some spark.  CSU’s Dlugos kept the game at 3-0 with some big saves of his own.  CU’s efforts finally came through on the power play.  At the 12:08 mark CU’s Max Myers recorded his first of two goals, by gathering up a rebound in front of the net and slipping it by Dlugos, to make it 3-1. As the period continued the Buffs looked to be on their heels when it came to their special teams play.  When Colorado had the man advantage it was the Rams putting the puck on net.

Both teams played a physical game but the hitting picked up in the second.  CU got more physical trying to force a break to come their way.  It was CSU that continued to press the puck and continued to force Litinsky to be a wall in net.  With just over one minute left to play CU turned their sloppy play around.  Andrew Neitenbach got a shot off from the point that found the back of the net, to cut the Rams lead to 3-2 heading into the final period of play.

To start off the third CU still had 1:46 left on a hold over power play, but they once again could not capitalize on their chances.  Most of the first ten minutes of the period was spent playing back and forth hockey.  Neither team had many chances to score since neither team could keep possession of the puck long enough.  Moments after CU successfully killed a Rams power play they tied up the game with Myers second goal of the contest.  The Buffs Erich Seufert brought the puck along the boards and centered it along the goal line, directly to Myers who was waiting at the far post to put the puck away at the 9:49 mark of the period.  Just over a minute later the Buffs got back on the board to take the lead.  The Buffs were on the power play when Matt Ullrich put the Buffs ahead to stay.  The scoring ended in the final seconds of the game when the Rams pulled Dlugos for an extra skater.  Sean Carpenter put the puck in the back of the empty net with the game winding down to make it 5-3 at the final buzzer.

The win by the Buffs was the first against the Rams since February 9, 2008.  That contest was in Fort Collins where the CU won by four goals in their 7-3 victory.  These same two team match up again Friday night at the CU Rec Center with the face-off scheduled for 7:30.         

Fundraising:  Club Sports Style

By Cydney Ricker

In order for a club sport to operate, each teammate is required to pay dues that can range anywhere from $10 to as much as $1500 per season. Depending on the amount and location of the team’s competitions, every club must fundraise to meet the monetary goals needed to participate in these competitions. Fundraising goals vary depending on the club.

The CU Buff Gold Dance team has already done a lot of fundraising including multiple bake sales and two days of car washing. Other fundraising opportunities can be a little more unique. This team also attended a car show and made a donation box, which made the team over $300.

“Despite having already raised a good amount of money, the team is still about $45,000 away from nationals,” head coach Tasia Scott said. The Buff Gold Dance team plans to host a Kids Dance Camp open to elementary and middle school aged children on November 8 from 12-3 p.m in the CU Rec-center. 

Many club teams are able to decrease their dues if they meet their fundraising goals. The Women’s Rugby team cannot succeed in the manner that they do without a lot of effort put into their fundraising.

“Fundraising is something we pride ourselves on because not only does it help us travel over five times a year, but it also gives us a great sense of team pride,” club president Kodi Kassell said.   

Like many other club teams, women’s rugby mails out “beg” letters every season to family and friends in hopes of receiving donations. Each player is required to send out four letters per season. This club team participates in a more interactive fund raising program called “Rent-A-Rugger.” During this event the rugby players visit various Boulder homes and businesses to perform any type of work they might need help with including yard work and moving boxes. The team charges $9 per rugger per hour, and each teammate must complete 15 hours of community service. This club aims to raise $3,000 every semester, which allows them to travel to many competitions.  Next semester the team expects to travel as far as Florida and Louisiana for the regional tournament.

For more information on the different club sports programs visit Colorado.edu/rec-center/clubsports

Swim and Dive Strive for Number Five

By Cydney Ricker

BOULDER—With a new coach on staff, the reigning national championship team, Colorado Swimming and Diving, strives for nothing less than another championship title.

The Colorado Swim and Dive team had an impressive finish at the Colorado School of Mines dual meet where the men and women competed against Division II teams and came out on top.

Colorado stole a total of 12 first-place finishes throughout the day.

A freshmen, sophomore, junior, senior foursome finished first in the Women’s 200 yard medley relay with a finish of 1 minute and 54.82 seconds while the men finished first and second in the same category. (1:42.33 and 1:42.52)

Almost identical to the 200-yard medley, both the men and women finished on top in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

Graham Parkinson and Jeremy Erbsen contributed first place finishes during individual races, and Jake Lebin, Steve Nester and Alice Simons each struck gold twice during the meet.

Senior President, Lindsay Spangler credits the team’s new coach, Lynn Zieske, for much of this team’s success.

“She has done a fantastic job of integrating event specific sets as well as stroke specific sets to get us into great shape,” Spangler said. “In addition, we are on a weight training schedule she developed that seems to be contributing to the success of our swimmers this season.”

One of this club team’s challenges is competing against NCAA teams but they have shown they can do just that. Their main goal is to defend their ASA U. National title and continue their four-year winning streak to make this season their fifth national championship win.

Catch the club in action at the CU Rec Center Competition Pool on Nov. 14 starting at 10 a.m.

MEET RESULTS

CU-CSU Hockey Game To Be Played at the Pepsi Center 

click here for more event information.

By Ron Knabenbauer

BOULDER – The University of Colorado hockey program is pleased to announce a new tradition in the CU-CSU rivalry. 

On Thursday November 5th, the Buffaloes will head down to Denver to take on their rivals from Fort Collins at the 18,000 seat Pepsi Center, the home of the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League for the Rocky Mountain Center Ice Showdown. 

“I think it’s going to be a great new venue for the CU-CSU game, and a place that can produce a awesome environment for the game,” said Scott Portnoy, the CU team president. “It will be a great new tradition for the two schools, and will be a great environment to play in.” 

There will be two CU-CSU hockey games on that Thursday night, beginning with the women’s game at 5 p.m., followed by the men’s game at 7 p.m. 

Free Parking will be available on the day of the game. 

Tickets for the event are only $20 and includes both the men’s and women’s hockey games that night, as well as an upper level ticket for when the Avalanche host the Minnesota Wild on Dec. 9 at 7 p.m., a $40-$53 value. 

The Buffaloes hockey team will receive a $5 donation from every ticket sold that will help the team travel to the 2010 American Collegiate Hockey Association National Championships in Simsbury, Conn., March 17-20. 

“I’m really excited about this game,” Director of CU Club Sports Kris Schoech said. “It’s an opportunity to not only showcase our men’s team, but our women’s team as well. It’s a great deal for getting a Colorado Avalanche ticket and a CU ticket for only $20.” 

Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.pepsicenter.com/groups/Avalanche/CUCLUB, or can be purchased directly from the team on Oct. 23-24 at 7:30 p.m., during the Buffs’ games versus Weber State and Eastern Washington at the CU Student Recreation Center. 

The Pepsi Center game tickets can also be purchased at the University Memorial Center on the Boulder campus two weeks prior to the game, outside of the Alfred Packard Grill. They can also be purchased directly from Scott Portnoy at 303-908-9375 or Scott Cooley at 248-240-3119. 

Tickets are available for just the CU-CSU game without the Avalanche game attached for only $5; however these must be purchased in-person from the team before the day of the game. 

On Friday Nov. 6, the Buffs will then face the Rams again, but this time in Boulder at the CU Ice Arena inside Student Recreation Center on campus at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for Friday night’s game are $5 for the general public and $3 for students with a valid Buff One Card. Tickets can be purchased at the door on the day of the game. 

The CU-CSU hockey rivalry has become a great tradition for the student body of the two schools as they face each other four times every season, and have played games at both the Broomfield and Budweiser Event Centers. 

The CU hockey team looks forward to the support from the community for the Nov. 5th game at the Pepsi Center, as it will not only be a memorable event for the fans, but for the players as well. 

“It’s great for these student-athletes and a once in a life time opportunity,” said CU head coach Ken Fikis. “Other than going to nationals, playing at the Pepsi Center should be the highlight of their season.” 

For more information go to www.cubuffshockey.org, or contact CU Hockey director of media relations, Ron Knabenbauer at knabenba@colorado.edu or at (720) 987-9512.

2008-09 Season's Three National Championship Teams

By Cydney Ricker

SWIM and DIVE

Two coaches, 100 members, four National Championships and no tryouts sums up the successful swim and dive program at CU. Lynn Zieske and Ken Schmidt take much pride in coaching this diverse group of swimmers and divers. Unlike some other club programs at CU, this one does not hold tryouts, so any ability level and person interested and available to participate is welcomed. This team of young and dedicated athletes hopes to bring home its fifth National Championship title this season.

“I love coaching sports teams in general because they provide students with a foundation in teamwork, confidence, competitiveness, organization, interaction with people, and overall success for life,” says swim coach, Lynn Zieske.

To follow the success of this team throughout the season visit their website. (Colorado.edu/StudentGroups/swimdive/index)

WOMEN’S ROWING

After only a few months in Boulder, rowing coach, Fran O’Rorke had no idea she was meant to not only coach but help bring the women’s rowing team to its first National Championship. O’Rorke rowed for four years at the Division I level and coached at that level for six years before coming to CU. With only six returning to the team, the rowing team welcomed walk-ons with no experience just to complete their team.

“The team never lost faith in their abilities and were able to keep pushing, training and getting faster!” said O’Rorke after her team competed against DI schools like Kansas and Tulsa.

Despite being very inexperienced, last year’s team walked away National Champions after winning by an entire boat length of open water.

“I really felt they deserved it after everything they’d been through, and it was great to see that hard work pay off for them,” O’Rorke said.

FREESTYLE SKI

Even before the snow falls, the University of Colorado freestyle ski team is busy strength and agility training every morning and perfecting skills in the afternoon either on the trampoline or diving board. Once the ski season starts, they practice on the snow four times a week in Keystone all while attending class as full-time CU students. The time and dedication put into training makes this team reigning back-to-back National Champions.

This club team is one of the few who does not hold tryouts. All 56 members come from very different skill levels and backgrounds. This team has the luxury of being coached by not only someone who competed in college, but head coach Palmer Hoyt is currently a professional skier. Ski competitions are held all throughout Colorado, and this year the USCSA National Collegiate Freestyle Skiing Championship will be held at Sunday River, Maine.

Buffs Ground the Eagles

By Seth Pringle

BOULDER—Saturday night the University of Colorado Men’s hockey team defeated the visiting Eastern Washington University Eagles 5-2 at the CU Rec Center.

            The game started out in a back and forth fashion.  The Buffs seemed a bit sluggish to begin with as they were playing in their second game in as many days.  Things picked up 6 minutes into the game as both sides traded scoring chances.  With just under 12 minutes left in the period Colorado tried a clearing attempt from their zone, but it was intercepted in between the circles.  In a one-on-one situation Colorado net-minder Kevin Litinsky came up with the save to keep the contest tied up at 0-0.  In a period that seemed that EWU outworked the Buffs, CU got on the board first with a backhand shot through some traffic in front of Eagles goalie BJ Leach, by Colorado defenseman David Starr.

            The second period started out with a blown opportunity for the Buffs.  There was a wide open net but the Buffs could not get the puck to the net to make a play.  Just 2:30 into the second the game was suspended due to an injury on the ice.  Colorado’s Scott Cooley was hit hard into the corner boards and fell to the ice clutching his left leg.  While being attended to by the team physician and paramedics Cooley had an air cast fastened to his leg.  After being on the ice for 20 minutes he was taken off on a stretcher giving thumbs up to his teammates and fans. 

            After play resumed EWU took control of the period.  They out-hustled CU and beat them to nearly all of the loose pucks.  Their hustle paid off with 11:39 left in the period as a centering pass from the left side of the net deflected off of Colorado defenseman Jase Richardson and got by Litinsky to tie up the game.

            CU’s special teams held strong in the game.  Later in the second period after successfully killing and EWU power-play, the Buffs forced the Eagles to take a penalty putting them on the power-play for the first time of the night.  At the 3:17 mark of the second the Buffs notched a power-play goal with a hard slap shot from the point by Andrew Neitenbach, that made it just under the cross bar. 

            Special teams seemed to be a theme for the rest of the night.  The Buffs took a penalty at the end of the second period, meaning that they would start the third down a man for two minutes.  Just 27 seconds into the third Colorado extended their lead with a goal from Conor Williams, who received an outlet pass from the Colorado blue line and he skated in with the puck and fired it past Leach to make it a 3-1 game.  Later on in the third EWU’s Ryan Pajimola was granted a penalty shot after he was pulled down going to the net.  Pajimola didn’t have much deception in his shot and was denied by Litinsky. 

            Approaching the half way mark of the period it look as if the Buffs were content to sit on their lead and just play dump and chase hockey to kill out the clock.  On the other hand the Eagles were playing with a sense of urgency.  With 3:27 left to play in the game the Eagles dug into Colorado’s lead with a shot that made it through some bodies in front of the net.  Colorado didn’t sit back though.  Just under a minute later the Buffs took a 2-on-2 into EWU’s zone and Erich Seufert got the drop pass and found the back of the net to make it 4-2.  Colorado added a late 5-on-3 goal from Sean Carpenter to put the game out of reach at 5-2.

            Colorado’s next game is against in-state rival Colorado State, at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Thursday November 5^th.  The start time is set at 7:30 p.m.                  

Buffs take it to the Aggies

By Seth Pringle

BOULDER—The No. 2 University of Colorado men’s varsity hockey team defeated the visiting No. 3 Aggies from Utah St. Saturday night by a final score of 5-3, at the CU rec-center. 

In what was a slow first half of the first period of play both teams had trouble controlling the puck.  Utah St. took two penalties in the first six minutes of the period, but the Buffs could not take advantage with their special teams.  Colorado goalie Kevin Litinsky came up with a big save with Utah St. on the short-handed side of things.  The Aggies developed a 2-on-1 but were denied by Litnisky, who came up big all game for Colorado.

The first period was marred by turnovers.  Colorado capitalized on Utah St.’s mistakes.  Their first goal of the period came off a turnover where CU’s Mark Viau found the puck tee’d up between the two circles and slapped it by Utah St. goalie Greg Finatti with 10:33 left in the period.  CU’s second goal was a similar situation.  Utah St. turned the puck over in their own zone and the Buffaloes Conor Williams skated in free from the top of the circles to find the back of the net for a short-handed goal with 4:14 left to play in the first.  Viau would go on to net his second goal of the game, also a short-handed goal when he slipped the puck past Finatti’s stick side with 2:20 left to go in the period.  The Buffs weren’t done scoring though.  The Aggies took a penalty during their own power play so both sides skated four a side.  John Park capped off the first period scoring on and odd man rush where he kept the puck and went stick side to beat Finatti, yet again.  That would be the last of Finatti for the night after giving up four goals in the first period, he was replaced by Dan Cornelius.  The period ended on a physical note with both teams taking penalties in the final two minutes of the period.

The second period started out with the teams skating 4-on-4 and both sides continued the keep up the physical play.  Colorado had 23 penalty minutes in the period.  The major penalty came when Williams took a five minute major and 10 minute game misconduct for checking from behind.  Utah St. had eight penalty minutes in the second.  For the most part Colorado held tough despite two hiccups on defense that led to the first two goals for the Aggies.  Their first goal came on the power play when a centering pass from the left side of the net was deflected by a Colorado defenseman and squeaked across the goal line with 11:20 left in the period.  It didn’t take long for Utah St. to get goal number two on the board either.  In almost the exact same play a center pass caught a piece of a Colorado defender and ended up in the back of the net with 10:58 to play.  Things got exciting as momentum shifted toward Utah St.’s side.  Colorado took two penalties and went down two skaters.  The Aggies could not do a thing with their 5-on-3 advantage for 2:12, as the Buffs kept the game at 4-2 and got momentum back on their side. 

The focal point of the second period came with 2:58 left in the period.  Litinsky raced out of his net to beat Utah St. to the puck.  He got to the puck first and poked it away, but in the process he took a major hit and had his helmet pop off as he hit the ice.  There was no penalty called on the play, and for the remaining time left in the period there was plenty extracurricular activity going on after the play.

The third stared with Colorado on the power play for :33.  Utah St. had no trouble killing the holdover penalty time.  But it didn’t take long for the Buffs to get back on the board.  Just 30 seconds into the period Colorado snuck one past Cornelius to pad their lead to 3 goals.  At the 17:18 mark the Aggies had what looked to be a sure thing empty net goal, as Litinsky was caught out of position.  He had the right side of the goal covered up but he let a rebound out to the left side of the net.  Unable to slide across the crease he stuck out his stick in desperation and somehow knocked the puck away.  Utah St. kept up with their attack and got back on the board at the 14:09 mark when Brendan MacDonald received a long outlet pass from the Aggies own zone down to the Buffs blue line.  From there there was no stopping him as he skated freely in on the break away to notch his second goal of the game, making it 5-3.  Colorado had another opportunity to get the puck in the back of the net, but they just couldn’t make it happen.  CU’s Sean Carpenter missed an open net with :32 left in the game as the Aggies pulled their goalie for an extra attacker.  

Colorado, now 2-0, continue on in their young season.  The Buffs next play October 9^th against Illinois State at the Linwood Ice Arena.  The puck drops at 5:30p.m.

Women's Volleyball takes first in home tournament

Colorado Women’s Club Volleyball kicked off their season by taking first place at their home tournament held at the CU rec center last Saturday.

The University of Colorado “A” and “B” team, University of Miami, University of Northern Colorado “A” and “B”, Colorado State, and even a team of Colorado Alums participated in the tournament.

Colorado “A” team made it to the finals where they beat the University of Miami; 25-18.

Women’s Volleyball can be seen in action at the Rocky Mountain Region tournaments on Oct. 11, Nov. 8, and Dec. 6 in the Denver metro area.

 1st place: U Of Colorado "A"  8-1    5-1 in pool play     

         Beat U of Miami  in finals  25-18

         Beat CSU in semis 25-14, 25-8

 2nd place: U of Miami  6-4                            

         Beat Univ. of Colorado "B" in semis  2 games to 1

 3rd place:  U of Colordo "B"  8-2    6-0 in pool play     

         Lost to U of Miami in semis

         Beat CSU in 3rd place match 25-19

4th place      CSU  5-5    

5th place      U of Colorado Alums

6th place      U of N. Colorado "A"

7th place      U of N. Colorado "B"

Men's Water Polo climbs to No. 15

BY GALEN CLUTTER

No. 15 Colorado Men’s Water Polo starts the 2009 season undefeated (4-0) and won the University of Utah tournament last weekend.

The Buffs first contest of the season was against the University of Utah B team, which Colorado came out on top; 25-9.  This game was a great first game to get some of the new members on the team time to get in the field and show what they were made of.  Rookie members contributed 13-of-24 goals.

CU’s second match-up in the tournament was against the Colorado State Rams. Colorado played a physical game, getting two of its starters Taylor Horowitz and Peter Lorenz majored. (Majors occur when a player has been ejected three times in a game, and an ejection happens when the referee calls an excessive foul on a player, removing them from the game for twenty seconds).  Even with missing two key players the Buffs were still able to beat the Rams 17-14.     

The final game on Saturday was against the University of Denver with Colorado winning 14-1. Colorado’s points came off of drives only against DU. (Drive: scoring while swimming with the ball). 

Sunday morning the boys were scheduled to face-off with their rivals from last year’s conference finals, the University of Utah A team.  The first half of the game did not seem to show much promise for Colorado with Utah scoring seven goals and Colorado only three.  At the half CU was mentally worn out and unsure if they could pull off a win, but after a pep talk from freshmen Nick Holbrook, Colorado came out with a new desire to win. They started by getting two starters of the Utah team majored, which would be a big help offensively for Colorado.  The Buffaloes had a flawless second half with great defensive strength; the momentum of the game had clearly changed in Colorado’s favor when they scored 5 goals in the second half.  As the game was coming to an end with a score of 8-7, sophomore goalie Dylan Gantley made an incredible save with one minute left in the game to keep Colorado’s lead and win.  Appropriately enough scoring the winning goal for Colorado was the freshman himself who believed most in the team, Nick Holbrook. 

Junior Ryan Vick led the team with 17 goals overall in the tournament with teammates Steve Nester and Taylor Horowitz contributing 8 goals apiece.

No. 15 Colorado looks to battle No. 14 The University of Utah Oct. 3 and 4 at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Baseball: Gearing up for the spring

BY SPENCER THOMAS

Colorado’s club baseball team is underway in its fall season.  Coached and run by the players, the team is looking forward to competing in the National Club Baseball Association-NCBA.  The fall season is viewed as an intra-squad training season, while the spring season is the time for the teams to compete for the national title.  The team prefers a small ball squad, says coach Tanner Smith, “We preach small ball, because we don’t have the best caliber of athletes, so we have to produce with what we got.”   The NCBA lacks the power of a higher level, so the pitchers often take over the games. 

The team plays local schools such as CSU, UNC, CU-Colorado Springs, as well as other junior colleges in the area.  Once the major part of the season rolls around, the team will play in tournaments over spring break and compete for the NCBA title.

No. 21 Men's Water Polo Heads to Park City

BY GAYLEN CLUTTER

The CU men’s water polo team is headed to the University of Utah in Park City, Utah this weekend for the start of their season. This team is currently ranked 21st in the nation and are the defending Rocky Mountain Conference Champions. The team looks to hold onto their title and this first tournament will give them an idea of what they are up against. Other teams in the Rocky Mountain Division are the University of Utah, University of Denver and Colorado State University; although both CU and the University of Utah have both an A and B team that compete in the division. This year, Colorado's A team is being lead by returning players and captains Kevin Webster and Peter Lorenz hoping to the lead the team to another Championship title.   

 Find Out More About CU's Sport Clubs...

 For more information on CU's 35 collegiate sport clubs, check out this article from the Colorado Daily.

Club Sports in the Colorado Daily

Club Lacrosse: Buffs Ready to Blast Rams at Folsom--April 24, 2009

Buffs Club Hockey Team Makes Turnaround--March 16, 2009

Buff of the Week: CU Ultimate Frisbee player Mac Taylor--March 15

CU's Club Lacrosse Teams Have Mixed Results Over Weekend--March 10

CU Club Hockey: Buffs' JV Squad Going for National Title--March 3, 2009

CU Women's Club Lacrosse Team Completes Weekend Sweep--March 3, 2009

Buff of the Week: CU Equestrian Rider Kelsey Slusser--March 1, 2009

Club Lacrosse: Unbeaten Buffs Remain 'Team to Beat'--February 26, 2009

Club Rugby: Spring Season Kicks Off for CU Women--February 26, 2009

Engarde: CU's Club Fencing Team Ready for Battle--February 19, 2009

Blades of Glory: CU's Synchronized Skating Team Looking to Raise Profile--February 17, 2009

CU Club Hockey Faces Arizona at Home--February 12, 2009

Men's and Women's Ultimate Frisbee Advance to Nationals

The University of Colorado Men's Ultimate team, Mamabird, won the 2009 UPA Southwest College Regional while the Women's team, Kali, was the runner-up in the women's division.  CU hosted the tournament at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City April 25-26. 

Mamambird dominated the University of California-San Diego 15-2 in the finals to secure one of three bids to the national tournament.  Mamabird currently has the longest nationals streak in the nation (12 years) and the longest winning streak of its region (8 years).

Kali lost to the University of California-Santa Barbara 15-4 in the championship, but still secured one of the four women's bids to nationals.  A high point for Kali was the team's 9-6 and 11-10 wins over the University of California-Los Angeles, who came into the tournament seeded No. 1.

Both Mamabird and Kali will look to continue their success at the national tournament May 22-25 in Columbus, Ohio.

Click here to see the men's results and here to see the women's results.

First Win in Ten Years: Men's Lacrosse Defeats CSU 11-4

 By Zack Shapiro (CUIndependent)

 April 27, 2009

Even though the annual football game between Colorado and Colorado State is still several months away, the two schools met at Folsom Field on Saturday for a battle of men’s lacrosse.

No. 11 Colorado beat No. 8 Colorado State 11-4 to win the Rocky Mountain Showdown for the first time since 1998, the same year the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association was established.

Full Story

CU Triathlon Team Takes 3rd at Collegiate National Competition

The University of Colorado Triathlon Team secured its place on the podium with a third place victory overall at the USAT Collegiate National Championships April 18 at Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas.

The fleet-footed men raced into fourth place with each teammate finishing in the top 100.  Cedric Wane’s hard work and dedication paid off as he finished in 3rd place overall, just 29 seconds behind the top finisher.  Todd Darlington claimed the fourth place win for the male graduate division.

The go-for-broke female nationals team claimed a second place victory.  Just like the men, each female racer finished in the top 100.
Ashley Walker secured a fourth place finish in the female graduate division and the indomitable Jessica Broderick claimed first place in the overall female division.

Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Showdown Postponed

April 16, 2009

CU Men's and Women's Ultimate to Host Regional Tournament

The University of Colorado Men’s and Women’s Ultimate clubs are hosting the 2009 UPA Southwest College Women’s and Open Regionals Tournament at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City April 25-26. 

The top mens and women’s teams from all over the Southwest U.S. (California, Arizona, and Colorado) will be competing for the few bids to go the national tournament in Columbus, Ohio over Memorial Day weekend.  This year, there will be 16 men’s teams battling for 3 national bids and 14 women’s teams in contention for four bids to Nationals.

CU’s men’s team, Mamabird, is currently ranked No. 4 nationally, while the women, Kali, sit at No. 29.  Mamabird will be coming into Regionals as the No. 1 seed in the Southwest region, and Kali will enter as the No. 5 seed in the Southwest.

Other nationally ranked teams that will be at the Regional Tournament include No. 2 UC Santa Barbara and No. 11 UCLA on the women’s side.  Mamambird’s top threats will be No. 25 UC San Diego and No. 29 UC Santa Barbara.

Mamabird currently has the longest nationals streak in the nation (11 years) and the longest winning streak of its region (7 years).  Kali, on the other hand, will be fighting to return to Nationals after a two-year hiatus

Games will start at 9 a.m. both days and the finals games will be played on Sunday at 2 p.m.  Spectators are encouraged and admission is free!
 

CU Equestrian National Tournament-Bound After IHSA Success

By Audrey Tobin

The University of Colorado Equestrian team is heading to Nationals in four divisions April 22-26 in Marlboro, Tenn. after topping Colorado College to win Region 1, Zone 7 of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).

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Buffs Lacrosse to Host Annual Showdown with CSU at Folsom Field

Fairview-Boulder Game to Kick-Off Event

The lacrosse version of the “Rocky Mountain Showdown” between the University of Colorado-Boulder and Colorado State University, which has recently been held at Invesco Field in Denver, is moving to Folsom Field on the CU Campus.  The Buffaloes and the Rams will face off in a late-season conference battle on Saturday April 18 at 4 p.m. preceded by the Boulder-Fairview Men's Lacrosse game at 2 p.m.

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Men's Volleyball Serves Up Success at Nationals

From: The Official University of Colorado Men's Volleyball Team Website

The University of Colorado men's volleyball team entered the NIRSA National Championships in Kansas City, Mo. April 9-11 ranked 27th in the country, but the Buffaloes left the tournament tied as the 5th best team in the nation.

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CU Swim and Dive: Four-Time National Champions

The University of Colorado Swim and Dive team returned from the 5th Annual ASA U. National Club Championships at Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio April 4-5 with its fourth consecutive national title!  Out of the 56 teams at Nationals, CU claimed the Men's Title, Women's Title and they are overall team champions. During the successful weekend, CU swimmers broke national records and set personal best swim times and team records.

National Records:
Emily Sampl, Women’s 50 Breast 32.02
Emily Sampl, Women’s 25 Breast 14.62
Women’s 200 Free Relay (Scott, Lance, Gallery, Bleidt) 1:40.93

Team Records:
Men’s 200 Medley Relay (Blyth, Driver, Nemick, Wilson) 1:36.60
Emily Sampl, Women’s 50 Breast 32.02
Emily Sampl, Women’s 100 IM 1:03.51
Piers Blyth, Men’s 100 IM 54.09
Steve Nester, Men’s 500 Free 4:41.35
Emily Sampl, Women’s 200 Breast 2:36.09
Kristi Crawford, Women’s 400 IM 4:55.46
Greg Nemick, Men’s 400 IM 4:16.93
Men’s 400 Free Relay (Wilson, Swanson, Blyth, Nester) 3:11.16
Men’s 400 Medley Relay (Blyth, Driver, Urich, Wilson) 3:32.02
Emily Sampl, Women’s 25 Breast 14.62
Michael Wilson, Men’s 100 Free 47.51
Emily Sampl, Women’s 100 Breast 1:10.83
Women’s 200 Free Relay (Scott, Lance, Gallery, Bleidt) 1:40.93
Men’s 200 Free Relay (Nester, Blyth, Urich, Wilson) 1:26.55
 

Mixed Results for CU Crew in Spring Break Races

University of Colorado Crew kept very busy over the University of Colorado-Boulder's Spring Break racing Wichita State and Baylor on the opening weekend (March 21-22) and closing out the week with a duel against the University of Texas-Austin (March 28).

The racing against Baylor and WSU gave mixed results.  The Men's First Varsity team defeated the other crews in both 4 and 8 man boats while the Men's Second Varsity team lost to WSU by a mere 5 seconds.  The Women's Varsity Four was not able to overcome an early lead by WSU, but the Novice finished in first place in their race.

Both the First and Second Varsity Men's team defeated the Texas Longhorns by open water.  The Women's Novice and Varsity put up a tough fight but were not able to pull ahead of the Longhorns. 

No. 2-Ranked Men's Ultimate Frisbee Goes Undefeated, Captures Centex Title

 While many CU spring breakers were relaxing on vacation during their week off from school, the Men's Ultimate Frisbee team was hard at work, playing seven games over a two-day span in the Centex Tournament March 21-22 in Austin, Texas.  The team went 7-0 on the weekend, defeating the University of Washington 15-7 in the finals to claim the title of the 33-team tournament.  After their perfect performance in Austin, CU Men's Ultimate is now ranked second in the nation.  The only team ranked above them is Florida, and the Buffs will get the chance to upend the No. 1-ranked Gators as they will play in St. Louis, Mo. in the upcoming weekend.

The CU Men's Ultimate Frisbee team has a few more events coming up to prepare them for the Southwest Regionals, which will be held in Colorado on April 25-26 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City.  If the Buffs do well enough in this tournament, they will qualify for Nationals.  CU currently has the longest nationals streak in the nation (11 years) and the longest winning streak of its region (7 years).

Results from Centex

3/21 CU vs. Texas Tech -- Won 13-4

3/21 CU vs. Harvard Won -- 13-6

3/21 CU vs. Texas A&M  -- Won 13-6

3/21 CU vs. Texas -- Won 13-8

3/22 CU vs. Illinois -- Won 13-5

3/22 CU vs. Washington -- Won 15-7

3/22 CU vs. Stanford -- Won 13-9

Men's Ice Hockey Competes at ACHA Division II Nationals

The Men's Ice Hockey Team wrapped up its season in at the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II National Tournament in Hudsonville, Mich. from March 17-19.  The Buffaloes pulled off an 8-4 victory against William Patterson after a third period run, but their season ended with losses in pool play to defending national champion Davenport (5-1) and Miami-Ohio (2-1).

Click on the links below to read about each game.

Colorado vs. William Patterson

Colorado vs. Davenport

Colorado vs. Miami-Ohio

CU Equestrian Secures Region One High Point 

By Stephanie Kupper

BOULDER--After two successful weekends of competition, the CU Equestrian team has learned that they will be heading to Cheyenne, Wyo. to represent Region 1 at the Zone 7 show where they will compete head-to-head with Region 2's West Texas A&M. 

In addition, CU’s own Audrey Tobin will represent Region 1 at Nationals in the Cacchione Cup.

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Buffs Close Out Regular Season with a Win, Head to Regionals

By Ron Knabenbauer

GREELEY--The No. 3 University of Colorado Hockey team snapped a three game losing streak Saturday February 21 as they as they beat the No. 5 Northern Colorado Bears 3-1 in the season finale at the Greeley Ice Haus.

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Ice Hockey Team Part of USA Hockey Weekend

By Ron Knabenbauer

BOULDER--The University of Colorado hockey team took part in the USA Hockey Weekend across America on Saturday February 14 with support from the Hyland Hills Hockey Association.  Hockey Weekend across America is a yearly initiative led by USA Hockey throughout the hockey community to celebrate the game with those involved and also expose the game to new audiences while providing opportunities to those who haven’t played before.

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Club Sports and CU Athletics Partner to Host Colorado Girls in Sports Day

By Jessica Steinberg

BOULDER--On Saturday February 7, the CU Club Sports Program hosted the 7^th Annual Colorado Girls in Sports Day on the CU Campus.  Over 160 girls, ages 6-12 registered for the event, which kicked off at the CU Recreation Center with six various sports stations, each of which was led by members of CU’s collegiate sport clubs.  This year, stations included women’s volleyball, dance, taekwondo, women’s rugby, kayak, and triathlon.  After participating in the stations, the girls were invited over to the Coors Events/Conference Center to watch the CU Women’s Basketball Team take on Iowa State.  CU Athletics partnered with Club Sports this year to provide the girls with the game tickets and food coupons.  Club Sports Director Patty McConnell coordinates the annual event with the Girl Scouts of America and the Governor’s Council for Physical Fitness.  Colorado Girls in Sports Day is a very important event because it allows young girls to learn from and interact with female college athletes, while exposing the girls to several unique sports they may have never played before.  McConnell said this year’s event was a huge success.

CU Snowboard Team Halftime Show

By Cody Booth

It has recently become a tradition that once a year during the football season snowboarders invade Folsom Field and perform a rail demo in front of over 50,000 spectators, making it one of the largest snowboard events. This year 14 Riders were selected and executed a successful demo in front of thousands of screaming fans. Halftime demo riders included: Adam Drost, Andrew Groff, Cody Booth, David Monhait David Surovy, Katrina Siegfried, Luke Haberkern, Marty OConnor, Michelle Tamayo, Mike Dresser, Nate Goodman, Seth Hill, Steve Plines, and Bryan Bouquet.  Once again in March, the CU snowboard team plans on taking home the championship title at Nationals.

For links to photos and a video of the halftime show check out the following links:

Photos

Video 

Alumni Lace Up Skates, Get Back on the Ice

The University of Colorado Hockey Team hosted an alumni game on Jan. 9, in hopes of reconnecting with the many talented players who have played in the program since its beginning in 1967.

“We haven't done one for two or three years,” said CU club sports director Kris Schoech, “I think we're going to start doing it every year now because of the guys coming back, and there seems to be a lot of enthusiasm for it.”

Schoech said he is hoping to have the next alumni game in the fall during Alumni Weekend, as more former players would be able to participate.

“My goal is to get a lot more out,” Schoech said. “This year I think we had 15 or 16, and we need to get a few more former players.”

Schoech, who played for the program from 1982-87, decided to play in the game as well, and said the hardest part was keeping up with the faster varsity players.

“The hardest part here is when you’re playing against the varsity club team, there are a lot of good athletes and you can see their speed versus some of the alumni who have been away from the game,” Schoech said.

The game consisted of two teams, with both being made up of a mix of varsity and alumni players.

The white team ended up winning the contest, beating the black team 9-8.

The game resembled an old pickup hockey game with a relaxed atmosphere that’s rarely found in the CU Ice Arena on a Friday night.

However, there was some order in the game as ACHA referees were on hand during the event.

Some changes to the game included 90 second penalties instead of the normal two-minutes, and three shortened 15-minute periods.

For current head coach Ken Fikis, he said it was good to see some of the players who had played for him in the past.

“It was fun, and I think the kids had a good time,” Fikis said. “It was nice to see some of the players that played for me back in 2003. I thought it was a fun game; that's all we wanted.”

Some of the former players who relaced their skates for the event included Jeff Neitenbach, junior varsity coaches Shawn Sullivan and Jon Pfeiff, varsity assistant coach Zach Sanner, and the 2007 varsity captain, Matt Ridens.

Ridens said his favorite part of the game was being with and having a good time with some of his former teammates.

“It's always fun, joke around with the guys, some of these guys you haven't seen in a couple years,” Ridens said. “It was fun to get out there with them and skate on the old ice.”

Even current players, like senior captain Daniel Coloccia made the same remark, as they got to skate with their friends from past teams.

“The best part is basically seeing your buddies you played with years ago and guys before that,” Coloccia said. “It’s kind of like the history of the program.”

Though the next alumni game doesn’t seem to be scheduled until next fall, Fikis said he expects the game to only get better. He also said that his players may not have to wait that long to play against some more alumni.

“I think it’s only going to get better,” Fikis said. “We're trying to get a game going in February with the 2003 national champion team, and a lot of those kids want to come and play in that.” 

Equestrian Success

OMAHA-- The Equestrian Team won High Point Team both Nov. 29 and 30 at the University of Nebraska - Omaha. The team is now only one point behind Colorado College, who is currently in the lead for the region. If CU wins for overall points in the region, the entire team will compete at Zones against Region 2's high point team. The winner of those two teams will receive a team bid to nationals.

The Equestrian Team only has 2-3 more horse show days left, and they will look to pass CC for high point team! 

Excerpt from CU Men's Soccer website about CU Gold vs. CSU ‘A’ game:

"Meeting for the first time this season, the Buffaloes looked to keep their undefeated streak alive with a win on their home turf over the also undefeated CSU Rams. The game began as it usually does between the two bitter rivals; fast paced, hard hitting, and full of adrenaline. The sidelines were packed with fans, held back from the field only by a taught rope that surrounded the pitch, though their intensity carried well within the white lines that painted its boarders."

"After 15 minutes, the game remained tied, and though both teams had seen chances come their ways, neither was able to capitalize upon their opportunities. It wasn’t until the 20th minute that a CSU corner kick would prove costly for the Buffaloes. A floating ball was sent in from the corner, dropping at the back post. The Rams then played the ball back in to the center of the box, ricocheting between two or three players, and finally trickling into the back of the net. The crowd was stunned. It was the first time the Buffaloes had trailed against any opponent in any game this season."

"With an unfamiliar feeling of urgency, the Buffaloes played the next 15 minutes with a prideful sense of vengeance, attacking the goal without hesitation, flying into tackles, and winning countless balls in the air. Finally, just before the end of the first half, it would be the same knife that stabbed the Buffaloes earlier that would strike the Rams and even the slate. A corner kick taken by Andrew White would find the head of midfielder Marcus Kirkwood and the teams would go into halftime the same way they entered the game; tied."

"The second half continued exactly where the first had completed; both teams playing with their hearts on their sleeves, both teams hoping to keep their undefeated streaks alive. Unfortunately for the Rams, remaining unbeaten would prove to be unobtainable in the end.  In the 70th minute, a cross from Dustin Gallegos found the head of Tyler Huntley, and the Buffaloes would take their first lead of the game. After 20 more minutes of play, the Buffaloes would emerge the victors of this high-flying match, with a winning score of 2-1."

"The Buffaloes now advance to 6-0."

 CU Women's Rugby Hosts CSU

CU Women's Club Rugby will take on the CSU Rams this Sunday, September 28, at 11:30am on the Business Field.  This will be the team's first league match of the season, and you better believe the Buffs will come out hard, as they will be trying to avenge their only league loss from last year!

CU Women’s Club Soccer Tournament on Home Turf

By Jessica Steinberg

September 14, 2008

BOULDER -- From September 19-21, the CU Women’s Soccer Club hosted the 7^th Annual University of Colorado Women’s Club Soccer Invitational Tournament.  The Gold team took 2nd, losing 2-0 against Arizona in the championship game.  The White team made it to the quarterfinals, losing to Cal-Berkeley 3-1.

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Congratulations to Our 2008 National Champions!

The CU Collegiate Sport Clubs Program would like to congratulate its Spring 2008 National Champions: Swimming, Women's Snowboarding, and Freestyle Skiing!