Although lacrosse is not one of the most popular sports at Colorado State, it has a record of being one of the most successful club programs at CSU.

Founded in 1964, CSU lacrosse has a long tradition of success. The Rams hold a Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association record, with six national championships and nine championship appearances from 1999 to 2013. The Rams also have nine Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference titles. This winning tradition is continued by coach and former CSU lacrosse player, Ryan MacDonald.

MacDonald, who became coach in 2018, was a strong offensive midfielder for the Rams from 2005-08. He was team captain in 2008, honored with RMLC first team midfield awards and named to the MCLA’s All-American Second Team the same year.

“Winning this year would represent a return to form for that rivalry. We’ve both been watching each other this season. We’ve played really similar games against similar teams. When we played in the fall, it was a quick, chippy game, so I’m expecting a fast, chippy, exciting game.” -Owen Wellschlager, CSU men’s lacrosse player

But not much has changed since MacDonald played lacrosse at CSU.

“We might have been on field one instead of field 10, just a little dirt patch where those high bouncers will go in,” MacDonald said. “The culture is still the same. We’re still a family; we’re still gritty.”

Since MacDonald graduated and shifted his focus from player to coach, Colorado has defeated the Rams the past 10-straight seasons. This all changed last year when CSU defeated CU 9-8. Now the Rams look to create a win streak against the Buffs, which is something that hasn’t been done since MacDonald was taking classes at CSU.

“We beat them for the first time in 10 years,” MacDonald said. “I’ve never lost to them as a player and was never able to beat them as a coach, but now that we’ve won that game in the last meeting, they know we’re here, and we’re here to stay. … It means a lot to me that we won’t ever be that team again that always gets beat by CU.”

The Rams and Buffs are both part of the MCLA, a nonvarsity men’s lacrosse league that is home to over 183 teams across 42 states and two countries. To make the rivalry even more intense, these two teams share a spot in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference — a conference within the MCLA — with other schools like Utah Valley, Brigham Young, Utah and Utah Tech.

This year, the RMLC is loaded with talented players and well-coached programs, as five of the six schools currently have winning records.

Preparing for the game against the 7-3 Buffs won’t be a challenge, as CSU faced UTU, UVU and BYU in the weeks prior.

The Rams’ final test before the Rocky Mountain Showdown will happen April 12 when they head to Provo, Utah, and face conference rival BYU. BYU won the RMLC and the MCLA last season and has not lost since May 2023. The Cougars have the second-most MCLA championships behind CSU, with four.

“In all honesty, we start to prepare now,” MacDonald said. “We can count the amount of times we will practice on two hands before that game against CU, so it’s really about getting dialed in (and) taking care of the little things and the things we can control.”

The Rams currently sit at 6-3, but the team is playing some of their best lacrosse of the season, boasting a four-game win streak before their matches with their RMLC counterparts in Utah.

The team this year is led on offense by senior attackman, Owen Wellschlager. So far this season, Wellschlager has 17 goals and nine assists in nine games played. Last season was one to remember for Wellschlager, as he was awarded with First Team All-Conference Attack honors as well as an honorable mention for All-American. This year, Wellschlager looks to create the same success for him and his teammates as they enter the final stretch of the season.

“It’s important to be maintaining the same level of offense, trying to be consistent and worrying about turnovers and things like that over getting the most points on the board,” Wellschlager said.

On the defensive end of the field, the Rams rely on junior goalie Charlie Bibaud to get them consistent stops and keep them in games. Last season, Bibaud was an honorable mention for All-Conference Goalie. This year, Bibaud has 117 saves in nine games played. He also has three assists throughout the season.

Bibaud, who is from Southern California, grew up playing lacrosse since the second grade. He knew goalie was the position for him because “it is one of two positions on the lacrosse field where you can completely take over a game.”

“If you run into a hot goalie, and you can’t get the ball past him, you can’t win,” Bibaud said.

Both players understand the importance of getting through the gauntlet of BYU and Utah Valley, but the team is looking toward the Rocky Mountain Showdown April 19 at Canvas Stadium.

Bibaud and Wellschlager have both faced CU three times over the course of their careers as Rams.

“Winning this year would represent a return to form for that rivalry,” Wellschlager said. “We’ve both been watching each other this season. We’ve played really similar games against similar teams. When we played in the fall, it was a quick, chippy game, so I’m expecting a fast, chippy, exciting game.”

Reach Brandon Vetromila at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.