Buffs Face No. 11 BYU, New Mexico This Weekend

QUICKLY: The University of Colorado women's soccer team takes its first trip outside the Centennial State this week to No. 11 Brigham Young for an evening match on Friday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. MDT. The Buffs then return home to host New Mexico on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 1 p.m. MDT. CU opened its 2015 campaign going 1-0-1 last weekend, earning a 1-1 draw in two overtimes against Colorado State and defeating Colorado College, 3-0 in the first two matches of the Colorado Cup.

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.

MATCH INFORMATION: Friday's match will be televised on BYUtv. Spencer Linton has the call alongside Natalyn Lewis. The contest will also be livestreamed at the following link: http://www.byutv.org/watch/livetv. Live stats for both matches and Sunday's livestream are available at CUBuffs.com.

COLORADO VS. BRIGHAM YOUNG: The Buffs are 2-3-1 all-time against the Cougars. Each team has met in the last two NCAA Tournaments with CU eliminating BYU both times. In 2013, the Buffs topped the Cougars 2-1 in the second round at a neutral site and last season, CU claimed a 2-0 shutout in the opening round in Boulder. Friday's match will mark the first time CU has visited Provo since 2006.

SCOUTING THE COUGARS: The Cougars opened their season with a 2-0 victory over California and are ranked No. 11 in the nation. Their second match against Stanford was canceled due to unplayable conditions. BYU returns eight starters, including Ashley Hatch, who tallied 18 goals and six assists last season and already has one goal this year. Head coach Jennifer Rockwood, now in her 21st season with the Cougars will look to lead her team to its fourth straight West Coast Conference title.

COLORADO VS. NEW MEXICO: The Buffaloes are unbeaten in two matches against the Lobos, holding a 1-0-1 all-time record. The two teams have not squared off since the 2007 season.

SCOUTING THE LOBOS: New Mexico is 1-2 in three matches this season with its two losses coming against top-ranked and defending National Champion Florida State, 3-1 and No. Texas Tech, 1-0. The Lobos earned their first win with a 1-0 shutout over New Mexico State. NM is under the leadership of first-year head coach Heather Dyche.

LAST TIME OUT: Colorado opened its season with a 1-1 tie against in-state rival Colorado State in Fort Collins on Friday, Aug. 21. After the Rams jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the eighth minute, forward Brie Hooks found the equalizer in the 82nd minute for the Buffs to force overtime, eventually ending in a draw. CU then picked up its first win on Sunday, Aug. 23 in its home opener, shutting out Colorado College, 3-0. Senior Emily Paxton, freshman Erin Greening and Hooks each tallied one goal.

FRESHMEN DEBUTS: First-year Buffaloes Amy Alexander, Erin Greening, Sarah Kinzner, Brooklyn Varnadore and Stephanie Zuniga-Herrera each made their collegiate debuts last weekend. They combined for six shots, five on frame and one goal.

WHO'S RETURNING: The Buffs return 18 letterwinners, including five starters and four student-athletes with starting experience. Four of the team's top six scorers return, led by junior Brie Hooks, who recorded 23 points off eight goals and seven assists in her sophomore season. All but four goal scorers will be returning to the Buff attack, while defenders Kahlia Hogg, Alex Huynh and Heather Ward will help anchor the back line. Seven seniors will provide leadership on and off the pitch.

WHO'S GONE: The team bids farewell to seven players, including five senior starters. Forward, co-captain Darcy Jerman along with midfielder Carly Bolyard have graduated. They played pivotal roles on the attack, combining for eight goals, six assists and 64 shots. The defense also loses a few key pieces, with shot blockers Tori Cooper, Brooke Rice and 2014 co-captain Bianca Jones all graduating from CU. The three defenders supported a back line that helped shutout a record-tying 12 opponents and only allowed 17 goals over 22 matches. Forward Storie Ledger also graduated and Hannah Dearborn will not be returning in 2015.

HEAD COACH DANNY SANCHEZ: Fourth year head coach Danny Sanchez has been outstanding at the helm of CU. Under his leadership, Sanchez has guided the Buffaloes to a combined 36-22-7 record in three seasons. 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 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 accumulated a 304-82-31 record.

JUNIOR BRIE HOOKS: Brie Hooks followed up her strong freshman year with another impressive season as a sophomore. During year two wearing the black and gold, she started all 22 matches, tied her career-high with eight goals while setting a new personal best with six assists, 23 points and 58 shots. In Colorado's sophomore offensive record book, she ranks first in points, tied for second in goals, second in shots and tied for second in assists. She tallied the game-winning assist for the Buffs in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against BYU, helping CU advance to the Round of 32 for a second straight year. She finished the year ranked in the top 15 in the Pac-12 in assists, goals, points and shots, and also led the Buffs in the same respective categories. Her outstanding performance on the pitch earned her a handful of honors including All-Pac-12 Second Team, Collegesportsmadness.com All-Pac-12 First Team, NSCAA/Continental All-Pacific Region Third Team, UNLV Nike Invitational All-Tournament Team and University of Colorado Female Athlete of the Year.

SENIOR MADI KRAUSER: One of seven seniors on the squad and elected as one of three team captains, the Buffs will turn to Madi Krauser for her leadership throughout the year. Krauser, healthy again from an injury that forced her to miss part of last season, came back strong with three goals and four assists. She returned to the pitch to tally the game-winner against 18th-ranked USC on the road and also scored the Buffs' second goal versus No. 15 BYU in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, helping seal the victory.

2014, A LOOK BACK: The Buffs made a statement in 2014, earning 14 victories for a second consecutive season and just the sixth-time ever to finish a program-best third place in the Pac-12 Conference. CU concluded its 2014 campaign with a 14-7-1 overall record and went 6-4-1 against conference opponents, the program's first winning Pac-12 record since it became a member in 2011. The Buffaloes attacked scored 33 goals, tied for sixth-most all-time and tied a school record with 35 assists over their 22 matches. The defense had one of its best showings in program history, posting 12 shutouts, which tied a single-season team record, held opponents to a combined 17 goals and tallied a 0.76 goals-against average. The Buffs strong season earned them the right to return to the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year and advanced to the Round of 32. The Pac-12 Conference sent a league record nine teams to the postseason. The Buffs hosted 15th-ranked BYU in the opening round and went on to claim a 2-0 victory on a cold and snowy November afternoon in Boulder. The Buffs' season came to an end against No. 6 North Carolina in the second round, falling 1-0 in overtime. Colorado placed two student-athletes on the All-Pac-12 Conference Second Team, sophomore Brie Hooks and senior Tori Cooper and nine were named Pac-12 All-Academic Honor Mention.

NSCAA RANKINGS: The Buffs received votes in the 2015 NSCAA Preseason Poll. CU will face eight opponents ranked or receiving votes in the 2015 preseason poll, including defending Pac-12 Conference Champion (No. 4) UCLA and 2014 NCAA College Cup semifinalist (No. 3) Stanford.

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. The Buffs' match against Northwestern is also part of the Pac-12 Networks line-up.

GAME PROMOTIONS: The Buffs will host a free skills and drills clinic for kids (8th grade and under) before Sunday's match, beginning at 11 a.m. Space is limited to 100 participants. RSVP to Alyson Yarwood at 303-492-6771 or alyson.yarwood@colorado.edu. Also, fans are encouraged to arrive early to receive a free commemorative seat cushion to celebrate the Buffs' back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.

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. 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.