To cap off a three-game home stint, Colorado State University lacrosse team hosted Brigham Young University at Canvas Stadium on Saturday. Heading into the rivalry hall of fame matchup against the BYU Cougars, the Rams previously defeated Utah Valley University 11-8.

This season has become one of the Rams’ most successful years since their 2013 national championship season. However, the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference is stacked with competition this year, with an exciting regular season that has had its turbulent ups and downs for the Rams. The 2022 CSU senior night game against BYU was thrilling to say the least: a high octane offensive performance from both teams, fueling their rivalry, and Ram fans’ lust for a rematch in the playoffs.

CSU held its own for the entirety of the matchup against BYU. The offense was free and easy, as this was the expectation for the game coming into Canvas Stadium with CSU and BYU leading the RMLC in goals, but nobody expected this offensive showdown.

The Cougars opened up the scorecard tallying three unanswered goals. Early defensive mistakes are typical for CSU, as the defense has become their Achilles’ heel, with the Rams ranking first in the RMLC in goals against (109).

CSU employed a very aggressive defensive pressure in the wing area of the field during this matchup. This wing pressure from the midfielders creates a high-risk, high-reward situation for the Rams. This defensive strategy can lead to easy fast breaks into the offensive area but conversely can cause the exterior defense to get beat from the top, forcing the defensive rotations to become hectic and freeing up the BYU attackmen for easy catch and shot opportunities.

At halftime, CSU was down by just a handful of goals. Senior midfielder Cole Koeberer took the game into his own hands to start the third quarter. Koeberer forced several turnovers in the Rams defensive area, collecting the ground ball and advancing the ball up the field for easy give-and-go opportunities with sophomore attackman Riley Flores.

Scoring came early and often for the Rams to start the second half, coming one goal behind the Cougars. However, BYU junior face-off specialist Corwin Frey proved instrumental for the Cougars’ winning performance down the stretch, seemingly controlling every draw in BYU’s favor.

But the fourth-quarter offensive pressure by the Rams proved to be too little too late: As the final whistle sounded, BYU left Canvas Stadium with a 16-12 win over CSU. The redeeming light for CSU is that they kept pace with a formidable opponent in the BYU team. The Rams will look to build off of this respectable performance and roll their offensive success into their non-conference matchup against the Michigan State University Spartans Saturday, April 9.

Final score: 12-16 Cougs. Rams fight hard against the #1 team in the nation. Proved a lot to ourselves and the rest of the country.

— CSU Men’s Lacrosse (@CSUMensLAX) March 27, 2022

Reach Jack Taylor at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @J_taylr.