Soccer Sweet 16 Bound With 2-1 Win Over Denver

BOULDER - The University of Colorado women's soccer team survived the elements and a University of Denver comeback to top the Pioneers 2-1 and give the Buffaloes their first-ever trip to the NCAA Soccer Women's College Cup Sweet 16 here on Sunday afternoon.

"I haven't been past the second round since 1994 (at Duke) so I am pretty happy for our kids," said CU head coach Bill Hempen. "They fought for this opportunity and I'm really, really proud of their effort today."

After 32 minutes of scoreless play, Nikki Marshall took a Katie Griffin pass and played a ball right back to her from the right side of the penalty box and Griffin streaked through the center, where she was taken down by a DU defender. Colorado was awarded a penalty kick and Griffin stepped up and buried it into the goal, giving CU the 1-0 lead with 13:43 to go.

Griffin's goal ended Denver's streak of 615 minutes and 32 seconds played without allowing a goal.

"I saw the goalie move, she went so far one way that I decided to go the other way," said Griffin of her successful penalty kick. "She actually hit me pretty hard, I actually was trying to beat her to keep my feet, but she hit my upper thigh and took me out."

Colorado nearly got on the board again when Allie True blasted a shot from 20 yards out and Denver's keeper Dani Wiley made a brilliant save to get a hand on the ball and knocked it into the post, denying Colorado the chance to take the 2-0 lead going into the half.

As the second half got underway, the teams battled it out as the weather turned from sunny and 40 degrees to rain and eventually heavy snow in mid-30 degree temperatures.

The Pioneers evened things up after they were awarded a free kick six yards outside the 18. DU's Lleane Grimditch took the kick and sent it through Colorado's defense, where it skipped through the Buffaloes and into the left side of the goal, untouched at the 76:11 mark of the match.

"At that point, we just knew it would be the end of our season if we didn't work our butts off," said Griffin. "Like Bill says, you have the rest of the year to rest after this, we have to keep going until 90 minutes are up."

That approach would pay off just 3:27 later, as Colorado would strike again and take the lead back when Allie True played a through ball to Nikki Marshall. Marshall stuck with the ball after a DU defender was unable to clear it and she sent a slow shot towards the goal. The ball glanced off the post, but she followed her shot to see it in the goal and give the Buffaloes the 2-1 lead with 10:22 left to play in the game.

"I'd like to say that there was some sort of magic, but we didn't really do anything tactically to change, we just kept fighting because that's what it was going to take and the kids did a great job," said Hempen of the game-winning goal. "(Marshall) does that. She's probably got at least four of those this season, she just doesn't give up on it. She very nearly scored one of those on Friday."

"True played a great ball to dump it in, and I knew it was going to skip," said Marshall. "I was just on it. I stayed on it and I saw it wasn't going in, it bounced back out. So I hit it in then."

Denver managed one more shot from Jamie Dierburger with nine minutes to play, but that effort went high and CU held on for the 2-1 win in front of 1,229 fans.

"I don't know how many people were here but it doesn't matter when it's full end to end it's a full house for us," said Hempen. "(Being at home) is so important. It's hard enough to go on the road in the regular season, but when the stakes are this high it's even more difficult so it's such a big step for us as a program no doubt."

"We're making history right now and it's amazing," said Griffin. "I'm just so proud of my teammates. Our fans are so great. Hopefully they'll come and support us this weekend even if we are in Indiana. Our fans are amazing. Rain or shine they are great."

The soccer victory was the cherry on top of a fantastic weekend for Colorado Athletics, which saw the department go 8-1 from Friday through Sunday. The soccer team got the weekend started with a 2-1 win over Colorado College on Friday, which was then followed by the men's and women's basketball teams each winning their season openers on Friday evening.

Saturday, the cross country teams both won their NCAA Regionals, followed by a football victory over Iowa State and a stunning win by CU volleyball over top ranked and previously undefeated Nebraska. Another soccer win pushed the department to 8-0, with a women's basketball loss to Vanderbilt the only defeat on the weekend.

"What a weekend CU has had," said Hempen. "With us on Friday, volleyball beating Nebraska, and football getting it right this weekend. Cross country doing what they do. What a great weekend. Boy do we need this. Credit to the coaches and kids involved in our whole athletic program."

Colorado moves on to the third round of the tournament, where they will face No. 1 seed Notre Dame on Friday, Nov. 17 at 5:30 p.m. MST. The Fighting Irish advanced with a 1-0 win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee in South Bend, Ind., on Sunday.

NOTES: Colorado is now 7-0-2 in its last nine games, with both ties coming in double overtimes that went to penalty kicks in the Big 12 Tournament. Griffin's goal was the 32nd of her career, adding to her school-best all-time total. Griffin, who missed five games with a knee injury, now has five goals this season with CU 3-1 in those games. She scored both goals in CU's 2-1 win over Colorado College in the first round Friday and has four career goals in NCAA postseason play...CU now leads the all-time series with DU by a 6-3-1 count, including a 4-0-1 mark in the last five and a 5-1 record in Boulder... Colorado moved to the .500 mark in NCAA tournament play with the win (3-3-1)....Marshall's goal was her seventh game-winner of the season, a CU record and her 17 goals continue to lead the Big 12 Conference and ranks her in the top 20 in scoring in the NCAA....Colorado has now won 14 games, just one off the school record of 15 set in 2003 and 2004...CU is one of three Big 12 teams still alive. Texas A&M advanced to the Sweet 16 with a 4-0 win over SMU, while Texas' game at UConn was postponed until Monday due to weather. Oklahoma State lost on penalty kicks to Clemson earlier today...This marks the first time since women's basketball in 2003 that a CU team has reached the Sweet 16 in a tournament-style sport (as in not CU juggernauts skiing or cross country). The volleyball team last went in 1997.

Next Event

Team Stats

Katie Griffin

Nikki Marshall

Alex Cousins

Allison Kidd

Players Mentioned

Katie Griffin

Nikki Marshall

Allie True

Players Mentioned

Katie Griffin

Nikki Marshall

Allie True