Buffs Up to No. 15 in the Rankings

BERKELEY, Calif.—The Colorado women's soccer team moved up to No. 15 in the United Soccer Coaches poll on Tuesday. It is the highest the team has been ranked since the 2009 season.

Colorado tied its longest unbeaten streak, extending it to 15 games, with its 4-1 win over Oregon last week. The win puts Colorado at 12-0-3 on the season and 4-02 in the Pac-12 Conference. CU, along with No. 1 Stanford and No. 3 Georgetown, are the only three teams remaining in DI without a loss.

The Buffaloes put their streak on the line on the road this week. Colorado will be at California on Thursday and at Stanford on Sunday.

"We are excited to get back out on the road and take on two very good teams," head coach Danny Sanchez said. "It is really all about Cal on Thursday. They have had some mixed results, but we know they are quality."

The Buffs and Golden Bears played a memorable double-overtime match the last time the two teams met in Berkeley in 2016. CU got out to a 2-0 lead thanks to a pair of goals from Danica Evans. Cal tied the match with back-to-back goals in the final minutes of regulation. With two seconds left in the second overtime period, Taylor Kornieck headed in a free kick from Stephanie Zuniga to give Colorado the 3-2 win.

The trip concludes with one of the marquee matchups in the nation on Sunday. Stanford enters the weekend with a 35-game unbeaten streak. The Cardinal had an unexpected bye-week after their game at Arizona State was postponed last weekend. On paper, the game looks to feature plenty of scoring. CU is second in the nation with 2.87 goals per game, while Stanford is sixth with 2.54.

CU's ability to find the net this season has been uncanny. The Buffs' 43 goals this season are second in the NCAA. Colorado is just two goals away from tying the school record (45) with five games left to play in the regular season.

"Cal is our number one focus right now," Kornieck commented. "I am really excited for that one, but Stanford is No. 1 in the country. We have to just keep playing our game, stay confident and keep thinking that every game is the most important game."

A win at Stanford would mark Colorado's first over a No. 1 ranked opponent. CU has two previous meetings, in 2007 and 2011, with Stanford at No. 1. The last time Colorado beat a team ranked in the top-5 was an overtime win at Texas A&M in 2010.

Both matches this weekend are set for 1 p.m. MT starts. The games will be broadcast across the Pac-12 Networks.

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Players Mentioned

Danica Evans

Taylor Kornieck

Stephanie Zuniga