With the opportunity to move up in the season standings, the Rocky Mountain Showdown loomed large with some big implications between the Colorado State University Rams and University of Colorado Boulder Buffaloes lacrosse showdown. The Rams weren’t able to answer the call at home in Canvas Stadium, losing 16-12.

The Rams started off the scoring immediately, making two goals early in the game. Despite their explosion in the beginning, the Buffs stormed back, scoring four straight, looking to leave the Rams behind.

However, Rams attacker Carson Malinowski had different plans when he scored his third goal. Malinowski and Riley Flores were a dynamic duo in the first period, with Malinowski scoring all three of the Rams’ goals and Flores assisting on two of them. 

The second period wasn’t as kind to the Rams. Goalie Charlie Bibaud struggled, giving up six goals to the Buffs in the period, including one goal where he had an error catching the ball and it rolled into the net. CSU was able to score three points, but the Buffs couldn’t be tamed on the offensive side of the field. 

“This team is always a family, and we’re together, and we can do something special in the (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) tournament.” -CSU lacrosse head coach Ryan MacDonald

The rest of the game followed suit, and Bibaud continued to struggle throughout the game and was eventually benched for Davis Wheeler following the third quarter, in which Bibaud gave up four goals. What looked to be a dynamic attack for the Rams went quiet as the Buffs were able to contain Malinowski, not allowing him to score again after the first period. 

CSU had a good fourth quarter, but it didn’t amount to anything other than a moral victory. They scored three goals in the quarter and held CU to just one. 

“We came out with the heart,” head coach Ryan MacDonald said. “The will and the heart was 100% there. … This team is always a family, and we’re together, and we can do something special in the (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) tournament.”

Although the Rams started to gain some mojo back in the fourth quarter, the physicality of the Rocky Mountain Showdown saw the Rams lose a couple of crucial players to injury. Flores, who was coming off of a six-goal game against the University of Utah, injured his arm and wasn’t able to get back into the game. The Rams also lost face-off specialist Dylan Hauff, who had to be helped off the field and didn’t return. 

“Injuries are going to give opportunity to new players,” MacDonald said. “You know, players that might not have seen the field this year, players that have been working really hard in practice. … Just dig deeper into our family, and bring new guys out onto the field and keep grinding and get wins.”

The Rams will travel for their final two games before the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament. The Rams will take on the first-seeded Utah Valley University Wolverines April 20 in Orem, Utah, before traveling to Provo, Utah, to take on the third-seeded Brigham Young University Cougars April 22.

Reach Damon Cook at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @dwcook2001.