Women’s lacrosse: Pac-12 Player of the Week honors for Madeline Pisani, Jess Peluso

The hot start put together by the Colorado women’s lacrosse team is generating plenty of attention.

The Buffaloes swept the weekly Pac-12 Conference honors as announced on Tuesday, with Madeline Pisani landing the Offensive Player of the Week award while Jess Peluso was tabbed as the league’s Defensive Player of the Week.

Pisani also was named the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches national offensive player of the week, while the Buffs debuted in this week’s IWLCA top 25 at No. 20. Pisani is just the third CU player to win the IWLCA offensive player of the week honor.

Pisani scored four goals in both of the Buffs’ road victories last week, as CU topped Penn State 10-9 before winning a defensive struggle at St. Joseph’s 7-6. Pisani scored the game-winner in both games. With 13 goals in three games, Pisani begins the week leading the Pac-12 in goals while also ranking in a tie for fourth nationally.

Peluso played a key role in a defensive effort that saw the Buffs surrender just 15 goals in the two wins. Peluso is the Pac-12’s early leader with six forced turnovers.

The 20th-ranked Buffs face their first marquee showdown of the season at home on Thursday when they host No. 4 Northwestern at Kittredge Field (11 a.m., Pac-12 Network). Northwestern, the alma mater of CU head coach Ann Elliott Whidden, was the preseason No. 1 before losing against Notre Dame last week.