#16 Buffs Will Face Tough Schedule in ‘09
By: Scott Cunningham; Public Relations, CU Lacrosse

Boulder, CO (Jan. 22, 2009) - Some say to be the best you have to beat the best. This will be the theme of the Buffaloes’ season because the slate for 2009 is absolutely loaded.

“We have a great schedule,” says Colorado Associate Head Coach, Peter McGraw. “This year, we get a chance to play some top programs that we normally don’t get to see. That type of competition will help prepare us for postseason play.”

CU will indeed compete with the best this season. Out of 106 MCLA Division I programs, Lacrosse Magazine, a US Lacrosse publication, places just 20 in their preseason rankings and this Spring, the Buffs are set to face nine of them, including two in the top five.

Colorado is set to face 13th ranked Texas A&M, 14th ranked Boston College and the 15th ranked Florida Gators in Boulder, then will start on an eight-game road gauntlet that includes match-ups with the second-ranked Michigan Wolverines, 11th ranked Georgia, 8th ranked Florida State, and a 4th ranked Brigham Young squad to begin conference play. The Buffs will come back to Colorado with #18 Lindenwood and #6 Colorado State to welcome them.

This might be considered a nightmare schedule to some, but if CU Head Coach John Galvin had his way, it would be even tougher.

“We do our best to play all the teams in the top 10 every year,” says Galvin.

That may be the objective, but this is about as challenging as it gets.

All of these tough match-ups make it important for CU to take a 'one game at a time' approach to the season, but the annual Rocky Mountain Showdown at Invesco Field  @ Mile High, with rival CSU, still holds a special place on the schedule.

“The CSU game is always a big one for us because it is a rivalry game,” McGraw says. “Since the game is typically played at Invesco Field it is particularly special.”

It is impossible to predict where CU will stand come May, but one thing is certain. This group of Buffs will be an extremely battle-tested team, ready for anything come postseason.