Finding a Way Home

BOULDER— Colorado goes for a perfect 3-0-0 record vs. in-state rivals with a 7 p.m. MT showdown at Denver on Friday night.

The No. 22 Buffaloes (7-1-0) have eight Centennial State natives on the roster this season. That marks the most representation since the 2013 season. Two of the team's natives, Jordan Nytes and Greer Maguire, transferred back home this year, after starting their college careers elsewhere.

Bringing back in-state talent is nothing new for Danny Sanchez and his staff. Danica Evans, Morgan Stanton, Megan Massey, Tatum Barton, Sofia Weiner, Gabbi Chapa, Dani Hansen and Civana Kuhlmann are just a few of the names that stand out on the long list.

"There's a lot of talent in the state," Sanchez noted. "We start there and work our way out. Sometimes recruits look at it like the grass is a little green in other places – so they want to be away from home. But you don't have to look any farther than the last 11 years of rosters [at CU] and see they come back home. We work hard, we push, we try to get the best players on the front range to visit and show them everything CU has to offer. Sometimes we get them, sometimes we don't. But we never burn the bridge and we always welcome them back with open arms."

That was the case with both Nytes (Oklahoma State) and Maguire (Arkansas).

"When I was getting recruited I talked to CU a little bit," Nytes explained. "I committed to Oklahoma State and went there for a semester. It was a great time and the team was great, but the town just never really felt like home to me. When I was going through the transfer portal process and began talking to CU – that was the first place that was really on my mind. [Danny] was the first coach I talked to and I talked to Juliauna [Hayward] and other people that I knew. I just wanted to come home and be back with my family. It just seemed like a great fit that felt more like home."

"One of my big factors in the recruiting process was that I wanted to be able to leave [Colorado]," Maguire recalled. "Only because I wanted to experience something that gave me a reason to come back. My sister had stayed in Colorado and then immediately left. I want to raise kids here so I wanted to be able to leave and return, and that's exactly what I did."

Both Maguire and Nytes played club for Real Colorado and previously knew players like Juliauna Hayward, Lawson Willis (Centennial, Colo.) and Emerson Layne (Fort Collins, Colo.). Ava Priest (Boulder, Colo.) played for Colorado Rush and Lila Dere and Kylah Celayeta are both from the Grand Junction.

"I cam from Real," Magurie added. "In my opinion, that's the top club in Colorado. Every person goes to really great schools and top DI programs. We have like four girls from Real on this team. I think that speaks volumes to how great the competition and chemistry were that we all want to come back and play together again."

Nytes, a Grandview High School graduate, didn't know much about the CU program before jumping aboard in the spring of 2022. Instead, it was the lure to play in the Pac-12 that was a big factor in her return to Colorado.

"Going to the Pac-12 was a big deal," Nytes continued. I didn't know much about the program at all until I had a few more conversations with people."

Maguire, on the other hand, had a few more personal ties to the Buffs. The Arapahoe High School graduate was familiar with Massey and her story. Maguire, as it turns out, is also cousins with former Buff Orly (Ripmaster) Tufts, who is also a Colorado native who started her collegiate career away from home.

"My Real team was the ball girls for a game [at Prentup Field]," Maguire remembered. "Megan Massey is the older sister of one of my closest friends from club. So, I knew her a little growing up. My second cousin [Orly] used to play here after she transferred from Harvard. She's like 30 so she's old."

The state of Colorado is certainly been a hotbed for talent over the years with the likes of Lindsey Horan, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith all representing on the national team level.

"If you look at the Mt. Rushmore of CU soccer players, if you take out Taylor Kornieck who is from Nevada, you have Nikki Marshall, Amy Barczuk, Fran and Laura Munnelly and so on. They are all Colorado products," Sanchez concluded.

Friday night's match at DU concludes the Buffs' non-conference slate. Colorado has won 11 consecutive matches against Denver and 19 wins in the series history.

The match will be televised on Altitude TV and streamed on CUBuffs.com/WatchSoc.

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Players Mentioned

Kylah Celayeta

Lila Dere

Dani Hansen

Juliauna Hayward

Civana Kuhlmann

Emerson Layne

Greer Maguire

Jordan Nytes

Ava Priest

Lawson Willis