Soccer Blanks Denver in Season Opener 2-0

Friday, August 31

Denver, Colo.

4:30 PM

Colorado

1-0-0

Denver

0-1-0

Colorado

Denver

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

August 31, 2007 | Soccer

Box Score

By: Aaron Lopez, Denver Nuggets

DENVER - The No. 14 University of Colorado women's soccer team opened the 2007 season with a 2-0 shutout over the University of Denver here Friday afternoon. The Buffs improved to 1-0-0 while Denver dropped to 0-1-0.

The game started off slow for both teams early on in the first half, but Colorado managed to turn things around in the attacking third and gain momentum.

"We were far from good night, but we're good enough," said head coach Bill Hempen. "Jeff (Hooker) did a great job preparing his team to play against us. It showed because we weren't sure how to play around them but fortunately with Nikki (Marshall) and her speed to get through the defense we were able to score some goals."

CU nearly got on the board when sophomore Nikki Keller took a shot from the top left of the 18. Denver goalkeeper Mackenzie Snyder was there to deny it, but CU's Jess Quador capitalized on the rebound, blasting a shot on the ground that Snyder blocked, sending the ball back into play again.

The Buffs continued to pressure the Pioneer defense when Alex Cousins sent a ball into the left corner to freshman Amanda Foulk. Denver's keeper came off her line and nearly out of the box to slide into Foulk and clear the ball.

Colorado would finally take the 1-0 lead on a Nikki Marshall goal with 7:11 to play in the first half. Cousins sent a ball forward to Marshall who carried the ball through the DU defense into the left corner and buried a shot past the keeper for her first goal on the season.

Right at the one-minute mark, CU nearly got on the board again as freshman Mel Hicks broke through the defense on the left side of the box and nailed a shot across the goal that DU's Snyder laid out and deflected wide out of bounds.

The Buffs finished the half dominating the stat charts as CU finished with eight shots to DU's two, with five of Colorado's shots on goal.

Colorado kept on the pressure and capitalized again as Hicks crossed a ball from the right corner that found the foot of Marshall. Marshall took one touch past the keeper and knocked in her second goal of the game to give the Buffs a 2-0 advantage in the 65th minute.

"Today was average," said Marshall. "We have a lot of room to improve and we have so much potential to work together better. We're not quite there yet but we'll get there the more we play games and continue to practice."

Colorado was rewarded a free kick about 30 yards out when Marshall was taken down by a DU defender with 20 minutes to play in the game. Cousins stepped up to take the kick and powered a ball on frame toward the DU goal and Snyder was able to get a hand on it and deflect the ball over the crossbar.

The game was called prematurely due to lightning with 8:13 remaining on the clock. The Buffs ended the game outshooting the Pioneers 16 to five and finished with the 2-0 victory over Denver.

Colorado goalkeeper Kirstin Radlinski recorded her eighth career shutout with the win and Hempen is now 3-2-2 in season openers.

Colorado will take the field again on Sunday, Sept. 2 against Fairfield at 11 a.m. in Denver.

"We were able to watch their (Fairfield) game and get some ideas," said Hempen. "Hopefully we'll come out ready and play better."