Top Competitions Countdown: No. 4, Soccer Solidifies NCAA Résumé With Washington Win
March 31, 2020 | Soccer
BOULDER - Despite a 13-4-3 record, a strong Pac-12 season, and several school records along the way, CU's soccer team was left on the outside looking in for the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
Heading into 2019, head coach Danny Sanchez beefed up the team's non-conference schedule in hopes of providing a stronger résumé to the NCAA selection committee, but the team was still on the bubble late in the season.
That all changed after a 1-0 win at Washington on Halloween Night, solidifying a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years. It earns the No. 4 spot on our countdown of top competitions from 2019-20.
The Huskies entered the game with the No. 10 RPI ranking in the nation and a road win over a team ranked that high late in the season was just the résumé builder the Buffs needed to add to their strong non-conference play.
As expected in a battle between two high-level teams, it was an even match in Seattle. The teams finished the night even on shots on goal with four apiece.
But the Buffs took a 1-0 lead in the 80th minute as sophomore Hannah Sharts found the net for her first career goal and the only score of the night. The goal came after a corner kick by Stephanie Zuniga was punched out by the U-Dub goalkeeper. The ball went straight to Sharts, whose initial shot from the center of the box was blocked, but she got her own rebound and blasted it into the net.
Jalen Tompkins made four saves, including one in the 86th minute, to preserve the clean sheet, as CU maintained possession for much of the final 10 minutes.
Colorado went on to host Northern Colorado in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and won 6-0, before losing a heartbreaker 1-0 on the road at No. 1 seed North Carolina. The Buffs finished the year 12-8-2, their fourth straight winning season.
Heading into 2019, head coach Danny Sanchez beefed up the team's non-conference schedule in hopes of providing a stronger résumé to the NCAA selection committee, but the team was still on the bubble late in the season.
That all changed after a 1-0 win at Washington on Halloween Night, solidifying a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years. It earns the No. 4 spot on our countdown of top competitions from 2019-20.
The Huskies entered the game with the No. 10 RPI ranking in the nation and a road win over a team ranked that high late in the season was just the résumé builder the Buffs needed to add to their strong non-conference play.
As expected in a battle between two high-level teams, it was an even match in Seattle. The teams finished the night even on shots on goal with four apiece.
But the Buffs took a 1-0 lead in the 80th minute as sophomore Hannah Sharts found the net for her first career goal and the only score of the night. The goal came after a corner kick by Stephanie Zuniga was punched out by the U-Dub goalkeeper. The ball went straight to Sharts, whose initial shot from the center of the box was blocked, but she got her own rebound and blasted it into the net.
Jalen Tompkins made four saves, including one in the 86th minute, to preserve the clean sheet, as CU maintained possession for much of the final 10 minutes.
Colorado went on to host Northern Colorado in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and won 6-0, before losing a heartbreaker 1-0 on the road at No. 1 seed North Carolina. The Buffs finished the year 12-8-2, their fourth straight winning season.
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