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August 31, 2024 | Soccer
CU goalkeeper Jordan Nytes continues to develop her game
RALEIGH – Almost a year ago, ESPN's College GameDay rolled into town for Colorado's Sept. 16 gridiron matchup against Colorado State. With all the national attention on Boulder, the soccer team issued a challenge. Jordan Nytes and Juliauna Hayward called out ESPN's Pat McAfee and he accepted, taking on the CU duo in a crossbar challenge before the team's Thursday night match at Denver.
Nytes impressed McAfee and the gathering crowd at the CU Indoor Practice Facility by drilling the crossbar on her first and only warm-up attempt. It took Nytes no less than three attempts to hit the bar when the challenge commenced, leaving McAfee stunned.
"Are you like the greatest on Earth at doing this?" McAfee asked Nytes afterward. "I think you are. I feel like I walked into a bamboozle. That was awesome…No. 22 now. Get up to No. 1 by the end of this thing. You [Nytes] taking every free kick."
Enter 2024, and that's exactly what has happened. If the ball is placed anywhere close to midfield, Nytes has taken the majority of those free kicks.
"I think the coaches being confident in me doing it is a big part of it," Nytes noted about her offensive development. "I've never really done that before, even when I was playing back at Oklahoma State. That was never something I really did. I think they've instilled that I can get the ball that far, and it's an opportunity we can actually get a goal off of. I think it definitely adds a lot."
Nytes nearly scored on a free kick in CU's opening win over Marquette, sending the ball just over the crossbar. Thursday at UNC Greensboro, she played a perfect ball to the far post that was headed home by Shyra James for the lone goal of the night, marking her first career assist.
"Looking at the assist on Thursday, I think if you scoot the ball back 10 more yards, I feel like I'm still in a range where I can make a play and make something happen for us offensively," Nytes added."
Becoming a contributor on offense is just another wrinkle to the newly-elected captain's arsenal.
"I feel like it's something I have in the toolbox," Nytes continued. "I think being here [at CU], I've actually been able to utilize that. My distribution is obviously one of the strong points of my game. I think that is something I've wanted to do, and I'm glad I'm starting to capitalize on it now."
Her assist on Thursday was the first by a CU keeper since the 2018 season. No Colorado goalkeeper has ever scored.
"I guess the next goal is to get a goal," Nytes laughed. "I mean, hopefully. The assists are more important, though. If I can keep doing that and giving us chances to win games, then absolutely."
Nytes had a fulfilling first season in net for the Buffaloes in 2023 and has continued to build on that success early in 2024.
The Centennial, Colo., native was the goalkeeper of record in all of Colorado's 13 wins last season. Her win total in her first season placed her seventh in single-season history and was ninth-most in career wins. She recorded eight shutouts last season and was named the Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week twice.
Nytes, already known by coaches around the Big 12, was voted Preseason All-Conference and is the reigning Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week following her 160 minutes of shutout play vs Wyoming and Michigan. She is second in the Big 12 with 26 saves heading into Sunday's match against NC State and is fourth in the NCAA with three shutouts.
"There's always things to work on, but I definitely think over the offseason and this preseason Jason [Green} and I worked on some of the things I was not as strong in," Nytes explained. "It just makes me more well-rounded, like with my feet and without my feet, and kind of everywhere in between."
Nytes heads up the Buffs' goalkeeper trio, which also includes Lindsey Smith and Jamie Campbell. The three keepers have been together since last season and live together this season. The group has coined themselves the GKU, or Goalkeeper Union.
"We are really good friends," Nytes said of the GKU. It means a lot to always have people who are pushing you and are such good friends. There's nothing better than our little trio.
"You can feel it every day. We have fun, laugh and talk, but when things get serious or it's time to train, we push each other. We all want the best out of one another. I think being that close and having that trust makes it better on and off the field."
Nyes and the No. 22 Buffs (4-1-0) wrap up the road trip at No. 25 NC State (2-2-1) on Sunday (5 p.m. MT/ACC Network).
Nytes impressed McAfee and the gathering crowd at the CU Indoor Practice Facility by drilling the crossbar on her first and only warm-up attempt. It took Nytes no less than three attempts to hit the bar when the challenge commenced, leaving McAfee stunned.
"Are you like the greatest on Earth at doing this?" McAfee asked Nytes afterward. "I think you are. I feel like I walked into a bamboozle. That was awesome…No. 22 now. Get up to No. 1 by the end of this thing. You [Nytes] taking every free kick."
Enter 2024, and that's exactly what has happened. If the ball is placed anywhere close to midfield, Nytes has taken the majority of those free kicks.
"I think the coaches being confident in me doing it is a big part of it," Nytes noted about her offensive development. "I've never really done that before, even when I was playing back at Oklahoma State. That was never something I really did. I think they've instilled that I can get the ball that far, and it's an opportunity we can actually get a goal off of. I think it definitely adds a lot."
Nytes nearly scored on a free kick in CU's opening win over Marquette, sending the ball just over the crossbar. Thursday at UNC Greensboro, she played a perfect ball to the far post that was headed home by Shyra James for the lone goal of the night, marking her first career assist.
"Looking at the assist on Thursday, I think if you scoot the ball back 10 more yards, I feel like I'm still in a range where I can make a play and make something happen for us offensively," Nytes added."
Becoming a contributor on offense is just another wrinkle to the newly-elected captain's arsenal.
"I feel like it's something I have in the toolbox," Nytes continued. "I think being here [at CU], I've actually been able to utilize that. My distribution is obviously one of the strong points of my game. I think that is something I've wanted to do, and I'm glad I'm starting to capitalize on it now."
Her assist on Thursday was the first by a CU keeper since the 2018 season. No Colorado goalkeeper has ever scored.
"I guess the next goal is to get a goal," Nytes laughed. "I mean, hopefully. The assists are more important, though. If I can keep doing that and giving us chances to win games, then absolutely."
Nytes had a fulfilling first season in net for the Buffaloes in 2023 and has continued to build on that success early in 2024.
The Centennial, Colo., native was the goalkeeper of record in all of Colorado's 13 wins last season. Her win total in her first season placed her seventh in single-season history and was ninth-most in career wins. She recorded eight shutouts last season and was named the Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week twice.
Nytes, already known by coaches around the Big 12, was voted Preseason All-Conference and is the reigning Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week following her 160 minutes of shutout play vs Wyoming and Michigan. She is second in the Big 12 with 26 saves heading into Sunday's match against NC State and is fourth in the NCAA with three shutouts.
"There's always things to work on, but I definitely think over the offseason and this preseason Jason [Green} and I worked on some of the things I was not as strong in," Nytes explained. "It just makes me more well-rounded, like with my feet and without my feet, and kind of everywhere in between."
Nytes heads up the Buffs' goalkeeper trio, which also includes Lindsey Smith and Jamie Campbell. The three keepers have been together since last season and live together this season. The group has coined themselves the GKU, or Goalkeeper Union.
"We are really good friends," Nytes said of the GKU. It means a lot to always have people who are pushing you and are such good friends. There's nothing better than our little trio.
"You can feel it every day. We have fun, laugh and talk, but when things get serious or it's time to train, we push each other. We all want the best out of one another. I think being that close and having that trust makes it better on and off the field."
Nyes and the No. 22 Buffs (4-1-0) wrap up the road trip at No. 25 NC State (2-2-1) on Sunday (5 p.m. MT/ACC Network).
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