Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Host No. 14 Cal In Pac-12 Opener
September 25, 2015 | Soccer
QUICKLY: The University of Colorado women's soccer team has reached the halfway point in its 2015 campaign and will open Pac-12 Conference play on Sunday, Sept. 27, hosting the 14th-ranked California Bears at 1 p.m. MDT at Prentup Field. The Buffs will look to build on last week's 3-0 victory over Villanova as they conclude their three-game homestand.
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: Can't make it to the match? Sunday's contest will be televised on the Pac-12 Network. JB Long has the call alongside Aly Wagner. Live stats will also be available at CUBuffs.com.
COLORADO VS. CALIFORNIA: Sunday's match will mark the sixth meeting between the Buffaloes and Bears. Colorado is 1-3-1 all-time against its Pac-12 foe. Two of the five meetings have gone to overtime and the Buffs will look to earn their first win at home against the Bears. CU is winless in two matches when playing Cal at Prentup Field. Last season, the Bears defeated the Buffs 4-2 in the Pac-12 opener in Boulder.
SCOUTING THE BEARS: California is 6-1-2 overall entering Sunday and since dropping its first match of season against No. 19 BYU, the Bears are unbeaten in their last eight contests, tallying a win at No. 16 Duke and a tie vs. third-ranked North Carolina along the way. Goalkeeper Emily Boyd has only allowed four goals thus far and has shutout four consecutive opponents. She has also been named Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week for the past two straight weeks. On the offensive side, forward Arielle Ship leads the Bears and the conference with 18 points and eight goals. In addition, Cal has six players with at least one goal this season and forward Ifeoma Onumonu is first on the team with five assists. Last weekend, Cal went 1-0-1 on the road, defeating San Francisco 2-0 and then tied Cal Poly 0-0 after two overtimes.
LAST TIME OUT: The Buffaloes concluded their non-conference schedule with a 3-0 win over Villanova at Prentup Field. The Buffs took an early lead in the sixth minute and did not look back. Junior Brie Hooks scored her team-leading fourth goal of the year while junior Danica Evans and sophomore Brittney Stark added two more goals in the second half. Goalkeeper Kate Scheele also recorded her third shutout of the season.
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, 61 shots with 26 on goal and three game-winners.
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 42-24-8 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 309-84-31 record.
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 four assists. Her goal against Iowa State earlier this season moved her into sixth place on the all-time scoring list. Hooks has 13 career assists, which ranks sixth in the CU record book and her nine game-winners is fifth most all-time. She also is fourth in the Pac-12 Conference with 34 shots, averaging 3.78 per contest and ranks fifth in points with 12 total.
SCHEELE SHINING: Senior goalkeeper Kate Scheele recorded her third shutout of the season against Villanova and it was the 14th clean sheet of her career. In just her second season at CU, her 14 shutouts already ranks fourth on the all-time list.
ASSIST, KRAUSER: 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 is only two assists away from moving into third place.
HOME SWEET HOME: Colorado has remained dominant at Prentup Field this season, posting a 5-1 record thus far. Since joining the Pac-12 Conference in 2011, CU holds a 27-17-3 record playing on its own pitch.
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.
LEADING THE WAY: As a team, the Buffs rank among the top five in the Pac-12 Conference in several categories. Colorado is tied for first with Cal, tallying five shutouts and 17 assists, and CU is fourth in shots (142) and points (47), averaging 5.22 per game.
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.
GAME PROMOTIONS: Fans arriving early to the match will receive a free CU soccer t-shirt.
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.
UP NEXT: Colorado hits the road next weekend. The Buffs face Oregon on Friday, Oct 2 and then conclude their trip on Sunday, Oct. 4 at Oregon State.
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.
