Colorado University Athletics
Soccer Hosts Pair Of Top 25 Opponents
October 08, 2015 | Soccer
QUICKLY: The University of Colorado women's soccer team (7-4-1, 1-2-0 Pac-12) returns home to host two top 25 opponents this weekend after a road trip to Oregon last week. The Buffs face No. 19 Washington on Friday, Oct. 9 at 3 p.m. MDT and then 21st-ranked Washington State comes to Boulder on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. MDT. The Buffs have won six of seven at home during their 2015 campaign.
INTERVIEWS/CREDENTIAL REQUESTS: For those members of the media wishing to interview the women's soccer team during the season or request a game credential, please contact Assistant Sports Information Director/Soccer Contact Ashley Braun at (303) 492-7525 or ashley.braun@colorado.edu.
DON'T MISS IT: Friday's match will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks. Ann Schatz has the call alongside Kyndra de St. Aubin. Catch Sunday's contest online at CUBuffs.com.
COLORADO VS. WASHINGTON: The Buffaloes are 1-2-1 all-time battling the Huskies. Colorado will look to a earn its first win at home against Washington as the Buffs hold a 0-1-1 mark when facing the Huskies in Boulder. In their meeting last season, the two teams played to a double-overtime scoreless draw.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES: Washington enters the match ranked 19th in the nation and owns a 9-2-1 overall record and a 2-1 mark in conference play. The Huskies are on a two-game winning streak, having defeated UCLA and USC last weekend. Their only two losses this season have come against top 25 opponents, then-No. 16 Kentucky and then-No. 25 Arizona, dropping each match by the same 1-0 score. Shannon Simon leads Washington with 15 points on six goals and three assists. Goalkeeper Megan Kufeld is the only net-minder to see minutes between the posts for the Huskies this season. She has earned four shutouts and is fourth in the Pac-12 Conference with a .827 save percentage.
COLORADO VS. WASHINGTON STATE: The Buffs are 1-4-0 in five meetings against the Cougars. Washington State has won the last four meetings. Last season, CU jumped out to a 1-0 lead behind Brie Hooks' goal in the 30th minute, but Washington State scored two straight, eventually going on to win 2-1 in Boulder.
SCOUTING THE COUGARS: No. 21 Washington State is 9-2-0 overall and 2-1 against Pac-12 opponents. The Cougars, who play at Utah on Friday before heading to Boulder, started the season winning seven straight and have gone 2-2 over their last four contests. Last week, Washington State dropped a 1-0 match at home against USC and then scored a season-high four goals to defeat UCLA, 4-2. As a team, the Cougars lead the Pac-12 in points and goals. Eleven different Cougars have scored at least one goal this season, led by Kourtney Guetlein who has five and she is also second the squad with three assists. Goalkeeper Ella Dederick has posted two shutouts and has allowed 11 goals, while recording a .828 save percentage.
LAST TIME OUT: The Buffaloes dropped both matches in Oregon last weekend. Colorado fell 1-0 in Eugene against the Oregon Ducks on Friday. The Ducks earned a free kick at midfield, sending the ball into the box and capitalized, scoring the game-winner in the 74th minute. On Sunday, Oregon State topped Colorado 2-0 in Corvallis. The Beavers scored one goal in the first half and then again with less than five minutes remaining in the contest.
PINK POWER: The Buffs will wear pink in Friday's match against No. 19 Washington in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Help CU lace up in the fight against breast cancer as fans arriving early to the match will receive a free pair of pink CU shoelaces.
RUN, RALPHIE, RUN: Ralphie will be making her annual appearance at Prentup Field prior to Sunday's match. Fans will have the opportunity to take photos with CU's mascot and see her run before kickoff.
HEAD COACH DANNY SANCHEZ: Fourth year head coach Danny Sanchez has been outstanding at the helm for CU. Under his leadership, Sanchez has guided the Buffaloes to a combined 43-26-8 record since 2012. He has helped the black and gold post back-to-back 14 wins seasons (2013 and '14) along with two straight berths in the NCAA Tournament, advancing as far as the Sweet 16 in 2013 and the Round of 32 last season. In 2014, Sanchez led the Buffs to a program-best third place finish in the Pac-12 Conference and it also marked the first time CU posted a winning Pac-12 record since it joined the conference in 2011. In his 20+ year coaching career, Sanchez has compiled a 310-86-31 record.
NEWCOMERS MAKING AN IMPACT: Freshmen Amy Alexander, Erin Greening, Sarah Kinzner, Brooklyn Varnadore, Alex Vidger and Stephanie Zuniga along with Portland transfer Danica Evans have each stepped up, playing important roles this season, whether starting or coming off the bench. The group of newcomers have combined for six goals, five assists, 73 shots with 30 on goal and three game-winners.
JUNIOR BRIE HOOKS: Brie Hooks continues to be a leader for the Buffs in her junior year. She is first on the team with four goals and five assists. Her goal against Iowa State earlier this season moved her into sixth place on the all-time scoring list. Hooks has five assists this season, which is tied for 57th in the country and her 14 career assists is tied for fifth in the CU record book. Her nine career game-winners is fifth most all-time. She also is fifth in the Pac-12 Conference with 43 shots, averaging 3.58 per contest and is tied for fourth in points with 13 total.
SCHEELE SHINING: Senior goalkeeper Kate Scheele has recorded three shutouts this season and has 14 career clean sheets, which in just her second season at CU, ranks fourth on the all-time list.
KRAUSER DISHING ASSISTS: Senior Madi Krauser has transitioned from the attack to playing on the backline this season, however she has found herself in the mix on offense at times. She has three assists this season and her 15 career assists ranks fourth all-time in the CU record book. She only needs two more assists to move into third place.
HOME SWEET HOME: Colorado has remained dominant at Prentup Field this season, posting a 6-1 record thus far. Since joining the Pac-12 Conference in 2011, CU holds a 28-17-3 record playing on its own pitch. The Buffaloes have only allowed three goals at home in 2015 while recording four shutouts.
TOUGH DEFENSE: Colorado's back line continues to play strong defense in front of the net this season. In 12 matches, the Buffs have only allowed three multi-goal games and no team has scored more than two goals against CU in 2015.
LEADING THE WAY: As a team, the Buffs rank among the top five in the Pac-12 Conference in several categories. Colorado is first with 20 assists, averaging 1.67 per game, tied for third with 54 points and is sixth in shots (176).
STEADY PAC-12 IMPROVEMENT: Colorado has improved each year in Pac-12 play since joining the conference of champions four years ago, increasing its win total every season. In 2011, the Buffs' first season, they posted a 1-9-1 conference record and finished tied for 11th in the standings. In 2012, Danny Sanchez's first season at the helm, CU finished 2-7-2 in conference play followed by a 4-5-2 record in 2013. Last year, CU posted its first winning Pac-12 record, going 6-4-1 and finished a program-best, third place.
NON-CONFERENCE PLAY: The Buffaloes finished their non-conference schedule with a 6-2-1 record, which marked the fourth straight season CU has earned at least six non-conference victories.
PAC-12 NETWORKS: In its fourth year, the Pac-12 Networks will air 69 women's soccer games, including nine of the Buffs' match-ups. Eight of CU's nine televised contests on the networks are conference matches.
UP NEXT: Colorado begins a three-game road trip and will face Stanford on Friday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. MDT in Palo Alto, Calif.. The match will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.
TICKETS: Single game tickets are $5 each. Season tickets start at just $25 for general admission and are on sale now by visiting CUBuffs.com or by calling 303-49-BUFFS. Kids 12 and under get in for free. Also, new this year is the Women's Sports Pass, which gives you general admission seating to all home soccer, volleyball and women's basketball games for just $125. The sports pass is also available for purchase by contacting the CU ticket office to save over 50 percent off the single game price.
