Saturday, Feb. 24th, is the home opener for the Colorado College men's lacrosse team as it hosts CSU Pueblo at Washburn Field. The Tigers will face off against the DII Thunderwolves after their season started on the road last weekend. 
 
CC hosts the Pack at Washburn Field at noon MT. 
 
Last Time Out
 
The Tigers began the 2024 campaign on the road and split two games against Elmhurst and Aurora on Feb. 16th and 18th. CC was barely edged by Elmhurst 14-13 in the season opener. CC entered the fourth quarter down 7-11 after giving up four goals in the third quarter and almost coming from behind in the final minutes. The Tigers scored six goals in the fourth quarter and outshot Elmhurst 13-4. 
 
CC bounced back two days later at Aurora, defeating the Spartans 15-7, led by three goals from Thomas Power and Charlie Faldi. Goalie Ben Anastos collected his first win in net after nabbing 15 saves. 
 
Power in the Offense
 
Sophomore Thomas Power already has a team-high seven goals through two games. The Englewood, CO native has put eight shots on goal and found the back of the net on all but one. He matched his career-high of four goals against Elmhurst and followed it up with three against Aurora in the win. 
 
He also grabbed three assists in the two games to give him 10 points for the season. Last year, Power was the point leader for the Tigers as a freshman. He racked up 48 points, 28 goals and 22 assists. 
 
With Power already off to a strong start, CC's offensive is in good shape. Last season, the team averaged 14.19 goals per game. 
 
Strong Senior Core
 
CC carries 12 seniors on its roster this season that it will rely on for on and off-the-field leadership. Notable names like Dylan Brown, Phillip Gisler, CC Jeffers, and Stephan Ruffenach all return to the team for their final season, to name a few. 
 
Brown was fourth on the team last year in points (30) and goals (24). He played and started in all 16 games, and so far this season, he has a goal and eight shots. 
 
Jeffers helps command the midfield. The Houston, Texas native played in all 16 games last season and collected one goal. 
 
Goaltender Ben Anastos enters the year a Preseason All-American Honorable Mention selection by Inside Lacrosse. The Concord, MA native has already logged his first win with 27 saves through the first two games. Over his career, Anastos has 425 saves. 
 
At the Helm
 
Head coach Mike Horowitz enters his third season at the helm of the Tigers. CC is 17-17 under his direction and is coming off a Heartland Conference Tournament Championship. 
 
CC hired a new assistant, Joe Lopopolo, over the offseason. Lopopolo served as the offensive coordinator for the men's lacrosse team at FDU-Florham and was the building manager for the school's Ferguson Recreation Center for the past two seasons. Before that, he spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Aurora University.
 
Lopopolo played college lacrosse at DII Mercy College in New York, where he excelled as a two-way midfielder. 
 
The Competition
 
CSU Pueblo comes into Saturday with a 0-2 record. The Pack took on the Dominican University of California in the season opener and ultimately fell 11-15. Then competed against powerhouse Rockhurst in a 9-21 contest. 
 
The Thunderwolves are led by goal scorers Andrew Dzubek and Lane Lessley, who each have five goals on the season. Dzubek is also the points leader after racking up four assists.