Buffs Earn Shutout Victory With Near Perfect Defense

Friday, August 25

Boulder, Colo.

4:30 PM

Colorado

2-0-1

TCU

2-1-0

TCU

Colorado

Photo by: Brendan Mackey

August 25, 2017 | Soccer

Box Score

Kornieck scored in the 33rd minute, but CU held TCU without a shot on goal

By: Andy Schlichting, Assistant SID

BOULDER - Taylor Kornieck scored a header in the 33rd minute to lift Colorado to a 1-0 victory over TCU on Friday at Prentup Field. The win was the second in a row for the Buffs, who improved to 2-0-1. TCU was handed its first loss of the season, dropping to 2-1.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Kornieck's goal was the only offense in the match as the Buffs held TCU without a shot on goal.

The score was set up by Kelsey Aaknes, who played a ball from the left wing to Joss Orejel in the left corner. Orejel's centering cross found Kornieck near the far post and she headed it in towards the left post.

The only other serious threat for either side came 86th minute when Becca Rasmussen's shot was stopped point-blank by TCU's Katie Lund. Lund had come off her goal line to make the save.

KEY STATISTICS: The Horned Frogs managed 14 shot attempts, but none were on goal. The CU defense kept the majority of the shots from long distance and few were dangerous. Jalen Tompkins earned the shutout in goal for the Buffs, her eighth career clean sheet.

NOTES: Aaknes's assist was her first career point ... Orejel picked up her 10th career assist on the goal as well and she ranked in the top 10 in CU history in assists/game ... it was the first time since Sept. 20, 2013, that CU has held an opponent without a shot on goal, and the first time the Buffs have held a Power 5 opponent without a shot on goal since Baylor in 2008 ... CU improved to 3-2 against Big 12 schools since leaving that conference after the 2010 season ... it is the fourth time CU has opened a season with three consecutive clean sheets--all have been under head coach Danny Sanchez (2012, 2013, 2014 and 2017) ... the Buffs had five consecutive shutouts to open the 2013 season.

UP NEXT: The Buffs host UC Riverside at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Prentup Field. It will be Touch-A-Truck Day at CU as several large trucks, including first-responder vehicles will be on hand prior to kickoff for fans and kids to explore.

POSTGAME QUOTES:
Danny Sanchez, head coach
On TCU having no shots on goal and the CU defense's role in that

"Obviously, I think they key to the match was our back four. I will even include Courtney Fedor in that, I thought she was fantastic off the bench; she gave Erin and Joss a break. There were some chances, but no clear-cut chances, no shots on goal like you said. A lot of half chances that they dealt with and obviously [Jalen Tompkins] communication was key for a lot of that. I thought [Alex] Vidger and Cassie [Phillips] in the holding mid and our back four were pretty solid."

On Joss Orejel's contribution to the offense with her assist today
"I think there is something to that, especially when you're under pressure to be able to serve a ball. I mean that was a great look. Great ball from Kelsey [Aaknes] to find Joss [Orejel] to find Taylor [Kornieck]. I thought it was a very good, well manufactured goal. She has an element of composure to her game. We're glad that she's back."

On his strategy for starting the second half with a lead
"I felt we had to get through the first fifteen minutes. I think as all games in Boulder at altitude, teams are going to fade even if they sub a lot. We felt that they would be fresh, they rushed their stars in during the first half so we felt like we had to get through that during the first fifteen minutes. We did okay, we didn't do great. I think if there is something we're really going to be critical of, I felt that in those last 25 to 30 minutes we had more time on the ball to make better decisions and we panicked a little bit. But, having said that, safety first. Obviously, we'll take the result. I felt that, especially in the second half, being that tired and that stretched we needed to be better on the counter and I thought we gave it away too easily at times."

On leaving Jalen Tompkins at goalie for the entire game
"Like I said, I think it's just going to be an every game decision. I felt that we were playing well, the communication for the back four was good. We have the utmost confidence in both [goalkeepers] like I've said a hundred times, but this was a game for JJ to hopefully get the shutout she did. But really the credit goes to the back four or five players."

On their upcoming opponent, UC Riverside
"Well they play in a very good conference in the Big West, it usually gets multiple bids to the NCAA tournament. They're playing Denver tonight so hopefully we'll get a peek at that to see what they have. They're very well coached and all these California schools have talent. So, we need to be ready to play on Sunday. Hopefully we get a good crowd, I think this is an exciting team to watch and this is only going to get better. So hopefully a good crowd on Sunday, we'll get another win and keep the momentum going into next weekend."

On his starting lineup
"I think it's a work in progress. I think that we have more players that we feel are capable of starting than the eleven spots. That's not just in goal that's on the field as well. I think part of this player rotation is the matchups and that's why we changed things up a bit and then on a Sunday we have some fatigue. Versus last year when it was a pretty set lineup for the majority of the season, I think this year you're going to see a little bit more interchanging and so forth. It's a positive group and they get it, they put the team first. So, expect to see more of that. And then obviously at one point we'll settle in, but we feel we have more players than starting spots and that's a good problem to have."

Taylor Kornieck, sophomore midfielder
On the scoring play
"I know that every time Joss [Orejel] crosses it she's going to look for me, so I spun out and two defends came with up me, and I just jumped a little higher and headed it to the back post."

On the difference of scoring in the first half vs. scoring late in the game
"I feel like we dropped off a little bit, but we still needed to attack in the final third. Me with the new players, I feel like we connected really well and we got a lot of great chances."

On the offensive boost from Orejel after she missed the CSU match
"She's a really important player. When she wasn't there we kind of lost the ability to play me the final ball, we do have a lot of players that can find it but she was definitely a key player in that."

On playing another close match
"I feel like we do well (in close games). It would be nice to have a lead, but I feel like we adjusted well and kept the ball in front of us the whole game."

On the play of the back four
"I think they had really good shape in the back. We didn't allow any shots on goal so they had a really good game this game."