Colorado University Athletics
Photo by: Annie Brunner
Sanchez Looks For Improvement From Buffs In Spring Season
March 21, 2017 | Soccer
CU opens spring schedule with 2-2 draw at Air Force
BOULDER - Colorado's soccer team completed perhaps its best season in school history in November, going 15-6-1 overall and finishing tied for second in the Pac-12 with national champion Southern California during the 2016 campaign. The Buffs also reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament, surrendering a late penalty kick to be eliminated 1-0 by third-ranked South Carolina.
Head coach Danny Sanchez is looking for his team to build off that success this spring as the team prepares for the 2017 season, which will certainly feature higher expectations than last year when CU was coming off a last-place finish in the Pac-12.
Colorado is about a month into its spring training season, a two-month stretch that consists of five total exhibition games and about four practices per week. This past Sunday, the Buffs played their first exhibition of the spring, rallying for a 2-2 draw at the Air Force Academy.
The Falcons twice took the lead, but both times the Buffs leveled the score. Early-enrolled freshman Martine Puketapu scored early in the second half to bring the score even at 1-1 and Sarah Kinzner netted a goal late to make the final 2-2 score. It was three-point day for Kinzner, who also assisted on Puketapu's goal.
"It was great to get out [and play a game]," Sanchez said. "We're a little bit limited in our numbers this spring so that was the first time playing 11 on a side. Against a good team, on a big field, I thought we played well, especially in the first half. Although it was scoreless [in the first half], I thought we played well and created a lot of good chances. We gave up a goal right at the beginning of the second half, but bounced back and scored again."
After Puketapu's goal, CU goalkeeper Scout Watson suffered a minor injury and was pulled from the lineup for precautionary reasons, leaving the Buffs without a healthy goalkeeper in uniform.
"Unfortunately our goalkeeper got a little dinged [about 20 minutes into the second half] so we had to put a field player in there and gave up a goal, but Sarah scored a great goal. For a spring game, it's really about the individual performances and I feel that we had a lot of players that really performed well, and for some players, that was the most minutes they've played as a Buff."
Sanchez noted performances by Puketapu, Kinzner, and reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Taylor Kornieck. He was also impressed with newcomers Becca Rasmussen and Cassie Phillips, both of whom transferred in at the semester break. Brooklyn Varnadore, who missed last spring and fall with an injury, returned to game action on Sunday. Sanchez was also pleased with her performance.
"I thought that for Marty to get a goal, I thought she worked hard," Sanchez said. "For her first time playing in a college game, she showed some good things. Brooklyn Varnadore had been out for a year after missing the fall. It was great to get her back and I thought she showed some really good things. Taylor and Sarah played very well. Our other two new players, Becca Rasmussen and Cassie, integrated themselves well within the team and it was good to get a game under their belt."
Despite taking a tie in the result column, Sanchez was more interested in his team's individual performances.
"Like I tell the team, anytime we put the uniform on and we're keeping score, we want to win. But it's not the number one thing. We spread the minutes around everybody evenly in the spring. [We're] really looking for individual performances, players that can be versatile and play in different roles."
Outside of the games, the spring is important for development in training and in the weight room. The coaching staff is able to try new schemes, mix up the lineup and fine-tune the skills on the field, while the players grow off the field with the sports performance coaches. Strength and conditioning coach Karim Derqaoui and athletic trainer Kari Kebach have been key in the team's improvement in those areas.
"All of the work they've been doing with Karim has been first class and we've seen a lot of improvement on our numbers, even in a short, couple-month period," Sanchez said. "We're looking at those numbers to continue to go in the right direction. The players that are rehabbing with Kari are working hard and will be back sooner, [rather] than later. We're pleased with that. Really, the whole vibe around the team has been very positive and there's good leadership and good energy.
"We want [the players] to put themselves in the position [to get better], whether it's to be a starter, or a key reserve, or to improve their position from the fall...It's really about those individual performances, but really we put a lot into the sports medicine piece of it and the sports performance. We really want to see improvement in their strength, their explosiveness, their fitness, their recovery and all of that. It's been a great opportunity to see. We have a great setup here. We want to continue to see movement in those areas. Obviously if we're going to kick the ball and play 90 minutes against someone, we want to win. But it's not the number one [goal for the spring]."
Heading into a stretch of four games in three-and-a-half weeks, Sanchez saw some areas his team needs to improve on from Sunday.
"We want to work on our shape in the back [defensive line]. I thought we got a little bit disjointed in the second half. I think a lot of it was a little bit of a fitness issue, being the first time out. They've been working hard, but it's different playing in a game than running on a track or running around on the treadmill. I think that's one piece. The connecting and finishing piece is always the most difficult piece, especially in the spring. It's one thing to do it in training and one thing to do in a game. I thought we connected well and created a lot of opportunities on Sunday so hopefully we finish more of those."
CU will be back in exhibition action on Sunday, April 9, with a game at Folsom Field against Northern Colorado at 7 p.m.
Sunday's Result:
Goals: Puketapu (Kinzner), Kinzner (Massey)
Starting XI: Watson (GK), Greening, Vidger, Orejel, Fedor, Kinzner, Massey, Kornieck, Rasmussen, Puketapu, Varnadore
Head coach Danny Sanchez is looking for his team to build off that success this spring as the team prepares for the 2017 season, which will certainly feature higher expectations than last year when CU was coming off a last-place finish in the Pac-12.
Colorado is about a month into its spring training season, a two-month stretch that consists of five total exhibition games and about four practices per week. This past Sunday, the Buffs played their first exhibition of the spring, rallying for a 2-2 draw at the Air Force Academy.
The Falcons twice took the lead, but both times the Buffs leveled the score. Early-enrolled freshman Martine Puketapu scored early in the second half to bring the score even at 1-1 and Sarah Kinzner netted a goal late to make the final 2-2 score. It was three-point day for Kinzner, who also assisted on Puketapu's goal.
"It was great to get out [and play a game]," Sanchez said. "We're a little bit limited in our numbers this spring so that was the first time playing 11 on a side. Against a good team, on a big field, I thought we played well, especially in the first half. Although it was scoreless [in the first half], I thought we played well and created a lot of good chances. We gave up a goal right at the beginning of the second half, but bounced back and scored again."
After Puketapu's goal, CU goalkeeper Scout Watson suffered a minor injury and was pulled from the lineup for precautionary reasons, leaving the Buffs without a healthy goalkeeper in uniform.
"Unfortunately our goalkeeper got a little dinged [about 20 minutes into the second half] so we had to put a field player in there and gave up a goal, but Sarah scored a great goal. For a spring game, it's really about the individual performances and I feel that we had a lot of players that really performed well, and for some players, that was the most minutes they've played as a Buff."
Sanchez noted performances by Puketapu, Kinzner, and reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Taylor Kornieck. He was also impressed with newcomers Becca Rasmussen and Cassie Phillips, both of whom transferred in at the semester break. Brooklyn Varnadore, who missed last spring and fall with an injury, returned to game action on Sunday. Sanchez was also pleased with her performance.
"I thought that for Marty to get a goal, I thought she worked hard," Sanchez said. "For her first time playing in a college game, she showed some good things. Brooklyn Varnadore had been out for a year after missing the fall. It was great to get her back and I thought she showed some really good things. Taylor and Sarah played very well. Our other two new players, Becca Rasmussen and Cassie, integrated themselves well within the team and it was good to get a game under their belt."
Despite taking a tie in the result column, Sanchez was more interested in his team's individual performances.
"Like I tell the team, anytime we put the uniform on and we're keeping score, we want to win. But it's not the number one thing. We spread the minutes around everybody evenly in the spring. [We're] really looking for individual performances, players that can be versatile and play in different roles."
Outside of the games, the spring is important for development in training and in the weight room. The coaching staff is able to try new schemes, mix up the lineup and fine-tune the skills on the field, while the players grow off the field with the sports performance coaches. Strength and conditioning coach Karim Derqaoui and athletic trainer Kari Kebach have been key in the team's improvement in those areas.
"All of the work they've been doing with Karim has been first class and we've seen a lot of improvement on our numbers, even in a short, couple-month period," Sanchez said. "We're looking at those numbers to continue to go in the right direction. The players that are rehabbing with Kari are working hard and will be back sooner, [rather] than later. We're pleased with that. Really, the whole vibe around the team has been very positive and there's good leadership and good energy.
"We want [the players] to put themselves in the position [to get better], whether it's to be a starter, or a key reserve, or to improve their position from the fall...It's really about those individual performances, but really we put a lot into the sports medicine piece of it and the sports performance. We really want to see improvement in their strength, their explosiveness, their fitness, their recovery and all of that. It's been a great opportunity to see. We have a great setup here. We want to continue to see movement in those areas. Obviously if we're going to kick the ball and play 90 minutes against someone, we want to win. But it's not the number one [goal for the spring]."
Heading into a stretch of four games in three-and-a-half weeks, Sanchez saw some areas his team needs to improve on from Sunday.
"We want to work on our shape in the back [defensive line]. I thought we got a little bit disjointed in the second half. I think a lot of it was a little bit of a fitness issue, being the first time out. They've been working hard, but it's different playing in a game than running on a track or running around on the treadmill. I think that's one piece. The connecting and finishing piece is always the most difficult piece, especially in the spring. It's one thing to do it in training and one thing to do in a game. I thought we connected well and created a lot of opportunities on Sunday so hopefully we finish more of those."
CU will be back in exhibition action on Sunday, April 9, with a game at Folsom Field against Northern Colorado at 7 p.m.
Sunday's Result:
| Colorado | 0 | 2 | - | 2 |
| Air Force | 0 | 2 | - | 2 |
Starting XI: Watson (GK), Greening, Vidger, Orejel, Fedor, Kinzner, Massey, Kornieck, Rasmussen, Puketapu, Varnadore
Players Mentioned
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GK
/ SoccerMonday, April 06
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Thursday, November 20
Thursday, November 20