Colorado University Athletics
Camilla Shymka is one of the top candidates to start at forward this season.
Photo by: Andy Schlichting
Position Preview: Forwards
August 16, 2017 | Soccer
BOULDER – Colorado returns eight starters overall in 2017, but two of the three positions that need to be filled are at forward after the graduation of Danica Evans and Emily Bruder. The duo combined for 15 goals, helping CU to 15 wins and the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and the Buffs will have to look elsewhere for that production this fall.
Bruder transferred in from North Carolina in July last summer and came on strong at the end of the season. Evans transferred in 2015 from Portland and proved to be one of the best transfers the Buffs have ever received. She went on to earn first-team All-Pac-12 and was the 22nd overall pick in the NWSL Draft in January. She is currently playing for the Orlando Pride.
"Emily played her best soccer at the end of the season in Pac-12 play and the NCAA Tournament," head coach Danny Sanchez said. "She was a great pickup for us late [in the summer]. And Danica had a fantastic senior year. Like we talked about this time [last year], we hadn't seen the best of her. Last year she was fantastic, not only with her goal scoring, but with her setup and playmaking. Those are two huge losses for us."
CU has a host of players that will attempt to fill the void left by Bruder and Evans. The leading candidates were on the roster in the spring season, including sophomore Camilla Shymka. The Canadian striker made two starts last fall and was coming on strong near the middle of the season, scoring her first career goal against Iowa and adding one of her two assists on the year against Washington. But she suffered a season-ending injury against Washington that sidelined her through the spring. However, she has bounced back this fall.
"She's looking pretty good," Sanchez said. "It'll take a little bit of time to get her going this fall, but we're pleased to have her back in the fold."
Martine Puketapu is a freshman who enrolled at CU in January and competed with CU throughout the spring semester. She tied with midfielder Taylor Kornieck for the team lead with three goals during the spring season in five games. A member of the New Zealand Women's National Team, she has plenty of experience playing at a high level from international competition. With her club team Three Kings United in New Zealand, she had 27 goals in 18 games in 2016 to lead her team to the league championship.
Becca Rasmussen, who will also play in the midfield, could be an option for scoring. She transferred from Georgia and was also at CU in the spring. A native of Golden, she has one year of eligibility remaining after starting 45 matches and scoring two goals and adding four assists in three seasons in the SEC. There is no question she will be among CU's starting 11, but where she plays is still up in the air.
"Becca Rasmussen will play every game up top, or out wide, or in the midfield," Sanchez said. "It'll depend on the game and the personnel and what the game is giving us."
A handful of other newcomers will also be in the mix for a starting spot and roles off the bench. Freshman Libby Geraghty has had an excellent fall camp. A native of Greenwood Village, she scored 21 goals and was named first-team all-state at Cherry Creek High School this past spring.
Tatum Barton joins the Buffs after one season at Texas Tech, where she appeared in 18 matches and started eight times as a freshman in 2016. A native of Littleton, she is returning home to play her final three collegiate seasons. She was named first-team all-state three times and was the Colorado Class 5A Player of the Year as a sophomore.
Katie Joella is another local product from Highlands Ranch and was a first-team all-state honoree as a senior this past spring with 14 goals.
Finally, Hannah Scheid could also play up top at times this season. A senior from Germany, Scheid will likely see action on all three lines this season as she is a naturally left-footed player with a wide range of abilities, including the ability to take people 1v1.
But the starting forwards have not yet been determined and will likely change throughout the first several weeks of the season as Sanchez tries different lineup combinations.
"It's a work-in-progress in the attack on who those players are going to be," Sanchez said. "Everyone is going to get a chance to play, especially early in the season, and at some point, we'll settle into a rhythm and into a substitution pattern. I think early, right now, I don't think anybody has locked themselves into anything. Losing two good senior starters is a big loss, but I think we have a lot of people in-house that are capable of filling in."
The group of forwards will face its first test on Friday when the Buffs head to Fort Collins to take on Colorado State at 5 p.m. They return home on Sunday to host Colorado College at 3:30 p.m. at Prentup Field.
Bruder transferred in from North Carolina in July last summer and came on strong at the end of the season. Evans transferred in 2015 from Portland and proved to be one of the best transfers the Buffs have ever received. She went on to earn first-team All-Pac-12 and was the 22nd overall pick in the NWSL Draft in January. She is currently playing for the Orlando Pride.
"Emily played her best soccer at the end of the season in Pac-12 play and the NCAA Tournament," head coach Danny Sanchez said. "She was a great pickup for us late [in the summer]. And Danica had a fantastic senior year. Like we talked about this time [last year], we hadn't seen the best of her. Last year she was fantastic, not only with her goal scoring, but with her setup and playmaking. Those are two huge losses for us."
CU has a host of players that will attempt to fill the void left by Bruder and Evans. The leading candidates were on the roster in the spring season, including sophomore Camilla Shymka. The Canadian striker made two starts last fall and was coming on strong near the middle of the season, scoring her first career goal against Iowa and adding one of her two assists on the year against Washington. But she suffered a season-ending injury against Washington that sidelined her through the spring. However, she has bounced back this fall.
"She's looking pretty good," Sanchez said. "It'll take a little bit of time to get her going this fall, but we're pleased to have her back in the fold."
Martine Puketapu is a freshman who enrolled at CU in January and competed with CU throughout the spring semester. She tied with midfielder Taylor Kornieck for the team lead with three goals during the spring season in five games. A member of the New Zealand Women's National Team, she has plenty of experience playing at a high level from international competition. With her club team Three Kings United in New Zealand, she had 27 goals in 18 games in 2016 to lead her team to the league championship.
Becca Rasmussen, who will also play in the midfield, could be an option for scoring. She transferred from Georgia and was also at CU in the spring. A native of Golden, she has one year of eligibility remaining after starting 45 matches and scoring two goals and adding four assists in three seasons in the SEC. There is no question she will be among CU's starting 11, but where she plays is still up in the air.
"Becca Rasmussen will play every game up top, or out wide, or in the midfield," Sanchez said. "It'll depend on the game and the personnel and what the game is giving us."
A handful of other newcomers will also be in the mix for a starting spot and roles off the bench. Freshman Libby Geraghty has had an excellent fall camp. A native of Greenwood Village, she scored 21 goals and was named first-team all-state at Cherry Creek High School this past spring.
Tatum Barton joins the Buffs after one season at Texas Tech, where she appeared in 18 matches and started eight times as a freshman in 2016. A native of Littleton, she is returning home to play her final three collegiate seasons. She was named first-team all-state three times and was the Colorado Class 5A Player of the Year as a sophomore.
Katie Joella is another local product from Highlands Ranch and was a first-team all-state honoree as a senior this past spring with 14 goals.
Finally, Hannah Scheid could also play up top at times this season. A senior from Germany, Scheid will likely see action on all three lines this season as she is a naturally left-footed player with a wide range of abilities, including the ability to take people 1v1.
But the starting forwards have not yet been determined and will likely change throughout the first several weeks of the season as Sanchez tries different lineup combinations.
"It's a work-in-progress in the attack on who those players are going to be," Sanchez said. "Everyone is going to get a chance to play, especially early in the season, and at some point, we'll settle into a rhythm and into a substitution pattern. I think early, right now, I don't think anybody has locked themselves into anything. Losing two good senior starters is a big loss, but I think we have a lot of people in-house that are capable of filling in."
The group of forwards will face its first test on Friday when the Buffs head to Fort Collins to take on Colorado State at 5 p.m. They return home on Sunday to host Colorado College at 3:30 p.m. at Prentup Field.
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