Three Unanswered Goals Lifts Buffs over Utah

Friday, November 3

Salt Lake City, Utah

2:00 PM

Colorado

Utah

Photo by: Tony Harman

November 03, 2023 | Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Colorado tacks on three in the second half to complete comeback

By: Seth Pringle, Athletic Communications

SALT LAKE CITY – It ain't over till it's over.

That was exactly the case for the Colorado Buffaloes in Friday afternoon's regular-season finale. Utah got two first-half goals and led for the first 55 minutes before the Buffs got on the comeback trail and scored three-second half goals, with the winner coming from Shyra James in the 89th minute, to secure the win at Ute Field.

Colorado (13-4-3, 5-3-3 Pac-12) entered the day with an RPI rating of 59 and on the bubble of the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Friday's win helps keep CU's postseason hopes afloat as the selection show approaches on Monday.

"We knew we had to get a win for the NCAA Tournament," head coach Danny Sanchez noted after the match. "Even when we were tied, we felt like we had to keep pressing to find the game-winner. There was never a moment that we felt comfortable in the second half. It would have been good to get that goal earlier, but sometimes you get that goal super later and it doesn't leave your opponent time to equalize. It couldn't have played out any better in the second half."

The win was the first for the Buffs when trailing by two or more goals since a double-overtime thriller against No. 14 USC in the COIVD season played out in the spring of 2021.

Senior Lawson Willis got the Buffs back on track with her first career goal to cut the Utah lead in half. James picked up goals No. 14 & 15 on the season to continue to add to her stellar season and career numbers. With two goals on Friday, James moved past Taylor Kornieck for second all-time in career scoring and became just the second CU player to hit 40 career goals. James now only trails Nikki Marshall and her 42 career goals.

How it happened
Colorado opened the afternoon pressuring the Utes early on. CU had three shots in the first 16 minutes of action with Juliauna Hayward and James getting two looks on net from distance.

Utah started to pick up momentum toward the midway point of the half. A Utah corner kick led to a wide-open header attempt by Lillah Blum on the near post that she directed just wide. The Utes registered six of the game's next seven shots.

Jordan Nytes' first save of the day came off a dive to her left, tipping the ball wide of the net and out of play for a Utah corner kick. The Utes played the ball across the box to an awaiting Kaela Standish and she made a move past the CU defender and put the ball inside the near post for the eventual game-winner.

James and Priest had chances as the first half continued but neither could get the equalizer. The Utes drew a foul inside the penalty area as the half was winding down and Courntey Brown put home the penalty kick in the 45th minute to take the two-goal advantage into the break.

"It wasn't our best start, obviously," Sanchez added. "I thought we played a little tight and you can see [that] with our performance. At halftime, we really challenged the team to be committed to each other, be committed to our standard as a team. What a response by the Buffs."

The Buffs' response didn't take long. CU cut the lead to one in the 54th minute, finishing off a play that started with Ava Priest driving forward and finding Hayward. Hayward dropped the ball off for Willis at the far corner of the box and Willis dropped the defender and cut back into the box, firing a shot across into the opposite corner of the net.
"We had to change the momentum," Sanchez expressed. "The coaching staff really challenged the group at halftime to be committed to what they've done all year. To find that first goal – it was a very good time for Lawson Willis to get her first career goal. You could really see the momentum shift after that."

125 seconds later the Buffs tied the game with James' first goal of the day. Willis sent the ball into the box after Utah tried to clear the zone and found Priest just off the end line. Priest fed James, who was unmarked in the box, and she cut into the middle hitting a shot in stride past Utah's Kasey Wardle.

Colorado's chances kept coming after getting back to even with free kicks in the 60th and 85th minutes. CU had four of its five second-half corner kicks come after the game-tying goal.

Utah was looking to get the late winner in the final minutes, but the Buffs won the ball back just as the clock hit 88:00. Ally Clark played the ball up to Hope Leyba at the midfield logo and hit a sprinting Clark crossing midfield. Clark took two touches and played the ball to an open James, who took one touch at the top of the 18-yard line, stepped back, and put a left-footed shot into the back of the net for the winner.

"We kept competing and Shyra does what Shyra does. She scores goals when we need them," Sanchez exclaimed. "We needed it today. She got that third goal to push it over the top."

Upcoming
The Buffs will learn their postseason fate during Monday's NCAA selection show. The show will be streamed on NCAA.com at 2 p.m. MT.

Notes
CU's 13 wins this season are the most since going 13-4-3 in 2018…It's just the seventh time CU has hit 13 wins in 28 seasons…With four points on Friday, James moved past Fran Munnelly (84) for third on the all-time points list with 86…James now has 32 points this season (15 G, 2 A) moving into second all-time in single-season points behind Nikki Marshall's 37 in the 2006 season…Nytes made two saves to record her 13th win of the season, marking the most wins by a CU keeper since Kate Scheele's 14 in 2014…Utah had just one shot attempt in the second half...Willis' first career goal came in her 70th career game…Willis became CU's 14th different goal scorer of the season and is the 17th different player to record a point this season…The team had nine points on the day (3 G, 3 A) which was good for its second-highest point total of the season along with nine at Oregon…CU also tied a season-high with nine corner kicks.

Quotes
Head coach Danny Sanchez
On the history of close games with Utah – "I think credit to Utah. They didn't have a lot to play for, but it's a good team. All you have to do is look at the results throughout the year. They played very well. I thought our depth really took over in the second half. Even though the first half was disappointing, our depth in the second half really took over. Especially, the last 15 minutes when we were pushing for the winner. I thought we would create some really good chances and fortunately for us, we got the one we needed."

On the second half – "Shyra gets that second goal and now we're tied. I think at that point it took the pressure off us. I thought the second half was some of the best soccer we've played all year. We just couldn't find that third goal but we kept competing."