University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
3-5
Colorado
6-2
Huskies Upended by No. 14 Colorado
3/18/2026 7:10:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
BOULDER, Co. - The UConn women's lacrosse team (3-5) was defeated by No. 14 Colorado (7-2) with a score of 11-5 on Wednesday afternoon at Kittredge Field.
How it Happened:
Kelsey Neary opened the scoring for the Huskies, netting just twenty-nine seconds into the game. Rowan Edson evened the score for the Buffs with a free position goal at 12:20 left in the quarter. Colorado took the lead on the woman-up advantage, with Teagan Ryan putting the hosts ahead 2-1 at 4:07 remaining in the first. Edson extended the lead with her second goal of the game, making it 3-1 just over a minute before the end of the opening quarter.
Jaimey Hill got Colorado started in the second half with an early goal to extend the lead to three at 4-1. McKenna Merkel scored on a free-position rebound for her third goal of the season, bringing the Buffs' lead to 4-2. Ryan responded with a free position, pushing the lead back to three at 5-2. Merkel converted from the spot with four minutes remaining in the half, and the Huskies closed the gap to two at 5-3. Lily Assini scored three straight goals in the second, giving the hosts an 8-3 advantage at halftime.
Both defenses were strong in the third quarter, with Sofia Oximana and Colorado goalkeeper Elena Oh making multiple stops to keep both sides scoreless eight minutes into the half. Hill scored her second of the day to give the hosts a 9-3 lead at the end of three quarters.
Rayea Davis ended the scoreless drought for the Huskies by scoring on a free position shot with 11:13 remaining in the fourth quarter. Assini scored her fourth goal of the day on the advantage to put the Buffs ahead 10-4 midway through the final period. Merkel completed her hat trick on a free position shot with 4:30 left. Edson added her own hat trick to close the scoring and secure the win for Colorado.
Numbers and Notes:
- Colorado won the shot battle 34-29.
- The third quarter was the fourth time that the Huskies were blanked in a quarter this season.
- Merkel's hat trick was a career high. The freshman tallied two against Fairfield earlier this season.
- The five goals scored by UConn tied the lowest in a game this season (vs Stony Brook, at Yale).
Up Next: UConn will open BIG EAST play on Sunday afternoon, taking on defending conference champion No. 20 Denver at 2:00 p.m. Eastern.
