Buffs Pick Up Final Big 12 Win Over NU, 2-1

Friday, October 29

Boulder, Colo.

3 p.m.

Colorado

8-9-2, 4-5-1Big 12

Nebraska

12-6-1, 5-4-1Big 12

Nebraska

Colorado

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

October 29, 2010 | Soccer

Box Score

By: Cydney Ricker, Graduate Assistant SID

BOULDER - Erin Bricker scored the game-winning goal to give the University of Colorado a 2-1 win over the University of Nebraska in its final Big 12 Conference home match at Prentup Field Friday afternoon.

Colorado (8-9-2 overall, 4-5-1 Big 12) not only beat its rival, Nebraska (12-5-1, 5-4-1 Big 12), in its final Big 12 home matchup, but the win propelled the Buffaloes into the post-season Big 12 Championship tournament as the eighth seed.

CU tied Texas Tech at the seventh seed, but since the Buffs lost to the Red Raiders 1-0 on Oct. 1, they officially are the eighth seed.

"This was not a cake-walk for sure," said head coach Bill Hempen. "I'm proud of the way our kids handled it. I think the first 15-20 minutes we weren't quite ready for that intensity, but we definitely gained our respect again for the Cornhuskers."

The first half of play showed an even matchup as both teams were held scoreless. Nebraska barely outshot the Buffs 5-4, but CU managed to put up three shots on goal while holding the Huskers to just one.

As the Buffaloes came off the bench for the second half of play, they knew this could potentially be the last 45 minutes of their season, but no one on the field was willing for that to happen.

"I think we came out a lot harder in the second half," said Bricker. "We didn't let them dictate the pace. Everybody's mind-set changed. We just didn't want (the season) to end, and we wanted to make a statement."

Senior Taryn Vitacca entered the game for the first time at the beginning of the second half and assisted the Buffaloes first goal of the game in the 57th minute. She had possession on the left sideline where she sent a service to Amy Barczuk just inside the goal box. Barczuk stopped the ball with her body and then shot the ball into the back of the Cornhuskers goal to give the Buffs the first lead at 1-0.

With excitement high at Prentup Field, Bricker increased CU's lead to 2-0 at 60:12. She went one-on-one with a Nebraska defender and used her speed to beat her to the goal where she blasted a shot past keeper Tara Macdonald in the goal.

"It's just a relief," said Bricker. "It was a difficult situation, and we turned it around."

"Erin Bricker pushed herself through the ceiling today," Hempen said. "That obviously made a difference for us. At the beginning of the game, as an offensive player she wasn't gaining any ground. I told her, "You have to hold your ground." And she did that in the second half. She pushed by people. We kept telling her to go to goal and she did that. We really needed that."

This is the first time Colorado has recorded the first two goals in a game since beating Wyoming and Northern Colorado 2-0 in the first two matches this season.

Just under two minutes later on the opposite end of the field, Nebraska earned their first goal at 62:02. Morgan Marlborough attempted a corner which was returned to her on the right side of the field. She shot the ball at the goal, and the Buffaloes recorded a team save. Jaclyn White rebounded the save and sent it right back into the net to make the score 2-1 with CU still in the lead.

"They played really well, and they're such an aggressive team," said senior defender Kelly Ross. "(They) are so direct with their play that you could see every time their defense got the ball that all they wanted to do was send it over. It was hard to defend their players."

The Buffs' held Nebraska to just one goal to secure a 2-1 win, which gives Colorado a chance to move on to the Big 12 tournament.

"We're starting to get more confident and respect each other and depend on each other more," said Ross comparing the difference the team has made in the last week. "So I think our confidence level is going to be good. We love the Big 12 tournament, so we want to be there as long as possible."

"(The tournament) is definitely going to be knock-down, drag-out, but the kids are excited about the opportunity," said Hempen. "Up until about 25-30 minutes ago, we weren't really sure if we were going to play again, but here we are and we're excited about it."

The women's soccer team will play the No. 1 seed Texas A&M in the first round of the Big 12 Championships on Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 4:30 p.m. MDT in San Antonio, Texas.