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Buffaloes Battle Back to Take Opener in Double-OvertimeBy Scott Cunningham; Public Relations, CU Lacrosse
Boulder, CO (Feb. 28, 2009) Tyler Snyder (Arapahoe/ Centennial, CO) and Fred Reisen (Rutgers Prep/ Oldwick, NJ) both scored two goals and senior Joel Packer (The Stevenson School/ Monterey, CA) got the game-winner in sudden-death, and the #10 Colorado Buffaloes beat the #7 Boston College Eagles 9-8 in a double overtime, thriller of a season opener. 
 Boston College brought a 2-0 record to Boulder and for most of the game it looked like they would be putting another tally in the win column, as they controlled much of the possession time and enjoyed a three-goal lead on two separate occasions. After a CU goal by Nick Kupcewicz (Harrison/ Kennesaw, GA) less than a minute into the game, the Eagles returned fire, with four unanswered goals to end the first quarter, helped by two from Christian Falco (Medfield/ Medfield, MA).
The Buffs would answer in the second quarter, however, and counter with three straight goals to end the half tied at four.
 BC once again took control of the game and scored three in a row to begin the second half of play, but once again Colorado had an answer. Two quick scores from Kyle Driver (Cherry Creek/ Centennial, CO) and Aaron Gray (The Woodlands/ The Woodlands, TX) brought CU to within-one before the Eagles capitalized on one of Colorado’s eventual eight penalties to make the score 8-6 with 13:31 to play in the game. The Buffs, now playing with a sense of urgency, would tie the game on Fred Reisen's second, with just over four minutes remaining. On their second comeback of the day from a three-goal deficit, the boys from Boulder were determined.
At the 3:10 mark, it looked like CU was going to pull off the victory in regulation with what appeared to be a goal, but the referee signaled a crease violation. In a game marred by Buffalo penalties and comebacks, it was only fitting that players and fans would have to sweat it out in sudden death overtime.
 But since one OT period just isn’t nerve-wracking enough, the Buffs and the Eagles would stretch the game into a second extra period before the Buffaloes’ Joel Packer put the game-winner in the back of the net half way through the four minute overtime. Final score: CU-9, BC 8.
The fight displayed by CU certainly bodes well for the rest of the season, as the schedule doesn’t get any easier. The Buffaloes escaped with shorter fingernails, as well as a gutsy victory against the 7th ranked team in the nation to set the tone for 2009.
CU takes the field for game 2, against the University of Montana Grizzlies, on Friday, March 6th at 7 PM on Kittredge Field.
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