BOULDER, Colo. (April 1, 2010) – It’s the game that Colorado laxers alike circle first at the beginning of the season: CSU versus CU. The longtime rivals are set to square off in the seventh annual Rocky Mountain Showdown Saturday night at Dicks Sporting Goods Park in Denver.

For the Buffaloes, however, this is more than a rival conference game; this is a game that is considered a must win in order to salvage what is left of their less than spectacular season.

The Rundown

The No. 3 Rams (10-0, RMLC 2-0), leaders of the RMLC, have had everything go their way so far in the season. A victory over their bitter foe would make it even more perfect.

The Buffs (2-4, RMLC 0-1) are a different story. A current three-game losing streak and a mid-season change with the departure of head coach Pete Stevenson are just a few chapters in CU’s disappointing season. The Buffs have fallen from No. 13 to No. 21 and seek a win over CSU as a turnaround point in their 2010 campaign.

The Rivalry

Since the Rocky Mountain Showdown began in 2003, CSU has dominated the meetings winning all but one, with their lone loss coming last year in an 11-4 Colorado win. Outside the Showdown, CSU has won every meeting against Colorado since 2001, most notably an 8-7 victory in the 2006 national title game.

The games between the Buffs and Rams have ranged from close calls to blowouts, but all in all Colorado is seeking to finally tilt the rivalry in its favor, and it couldn’t come at better time. At this point in the season, CU is a bubble team for the MCLA tournament in May. The Buffs have been plagued with an inconsistent offense in the past few outings and are in the beginning of a coaching transition. With Mike Ryder, a former defensive player and coach at Salisbury, as the new coach for the black and gold, CU may become a more defensive squad. Again, this is a turnaround game for the Buffaloes; they break the losing streak or continue to slide out of the upper tier of the MCLA. The added motivation for the Rams to push their rivals closer to being outside the championship field in May should give this always chippy contest even more intensity.

Statistically, Colorado averages more shots per game (43) than Colorado State (37.6), but at the same time gives up more shots (33.5 compared to CSU’s 21.6). The Rams have the edge in scoring, averaging 12.5 goals per game and only giving up roughly five; CU meanwhile scores 9.2 but also lets in 9.2 on average.

Players To Watch

The fallout of the confrontation last week in the Chapman-CU game will see sophomore midfielder Nick Kupcewicz suspended for the Showdown, so look for Kyle Driver, Ryan Haines and Tyler Snyder to step up in his absence. Aaron Gray will also be key in the faceoff game if the Buffaloes want an early push in their favor.

For CSU, the majority of their offense comes from the attack, most notably freshman Austin Fisher and juniors Cooper Kehoe and Paul Larson. Kehoe leads the team with 27 goals and 21 assists, averaging nearly five points a game. Also watch senior midfielder Luke Miller, a ground ball machine who has also found the net 10 times this season.