Colorado
9-1-1, 3-0-1
Baylor
6-4-2, 1-2-1
Buffs Draw with the Bears in Return to Prentup Field
September 26, 2024 | Soccer
No. 16 Colorado picks up the point with its first draw of the season
BOULDER — No. 16 Colorado played to a 1-1 draw in its return to Prentup Field Thursday night against Baylor. The result extends the Buffaloes' unbeaten streak to nine games.
The Buffs keep pace with the top tier of the Big 12 with 10 points in conference play.
"I thought we played really well," head coach Danny Sanchez expressed. "We responded great after they scored their goal. The last 30 minutes was one-way traffic. We created a lot of good opportunities. We got into good spots. It just didn't fall our way."
Colorado (9-1-1, 3-0-1 Big 12) opened the scoring right before halftime, with Shyra James returning to the lineup after being sidelined the previous two matches. She recorded CU's lone tally, her sixth of the season and 46th career. The goal moves her just three points behind Taylor Korneick's school-record 102 career points.
Baylor (6-4-2, 1-2-1 Big 12) got back to even midway through the second half off an own goal.
The Buffs pushed the rest of the night, firing off 12 of their 14 shots after the Baylor goal. Their efforts almost paid off in the form of a corner kick in the final seconds that Jace Holley headed on net as time expired.
CU recorded its sixth game of 20 or more shots, closing the night matching its season-high of 26.
"At the end of the day, we had 26 shots but only eight on goal," Sanchez continued. "I think we need to be a little more efficient that way. But it wasn't from a lack of effort or a lack of commitment to get forward. It just didn't fall for us tonight."
Colorado goalkeeper Jordan Nytes, having not faced a shot on goal last time out at Iowa State, made five saves on Thursday.
How it Happened
Colorado's first attempt of the night came in the opening minute, with Hope Leyba putting a ball on net just 19 seconds into the contest.
Nytes' first save of the night was a leaping stab, deflecting the ball over the net to keep the game scoreless in the 11th minute. Nytes made three of her five saves in the night's first frame.
Sophomore Claire Curran just missed getting her first goal of the season in the 31st minute. She broke in across the 18-yard line and crossed up a Baylor defender before firing a hard left-footed shot off the crossbar.
James, who subbed into the contest in the 30th minute, got the Buffs on the board right before the half. Ava Priest fed the ball to Jenny Beyer, who sprinted down the near sideline to the goal line. Beyer centered the ball to the middle of the box for James, who one-timed the ball past Baylor's Azul Alvarez in the 42nd minute.
"It was a great finish from her," Sanchez added. "It was unfortunate to take that knock early in the second half, but we had other players that did well. Once again, we couldn't find that second goal."
Baylor came out on the attack in the second half and almost tied the game up in the 51st minute. Natalie Vatter sprinted down the far sideline and centered a ball in the middle of the box. A sliding Greer Maguire got just enough of the ball, and Nytes jumped on it to keep the Buffs' one-goal lead intact.
It was a second scramble in front of the Buffs' net that resulted in Baylor's equalizer. Skye Leach put a point-blank shot on Nytes, who made the save initial save, but the rebound off her hands hit the CU defender tracking back and bounced into the empty net in the 61st minute.
The Buffs mounted a late barrage, with Alvarez and Co. making five saves in the second half. Header chances from Priest and Holley at the finish were both saved off the line by the Baylor defense.
"This is what you're going to get [in the Big 12]," Sanchez commented. "They're [Baylor] happy to come on the road and get a point. For us, we have to bounce back tomorrow morning and be ready for Sunday against Kansas."
Up Next
Sunday marks the second leg of the Buffs' current three-game home stand. Kansas will come to town for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
Notes
The nine-game unbeaten streak the fourth third longest in program history… Beyer's assist was her first point of the season and her first since Nov. 4, 2022… CU's four-game unbeaten streak to Big 12 play (3-0-1) is its best conference start since going 4-0-2 to start the 2018 Pac-12 season…The Buffs now have 15 different players with a point this season.
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Team Stats
Shyra James (6)
Assisted By: Jenny Beyer , Ava Priest
GOAL by COL James, Shyra Assist by Beyer, Jenny and Priest, Ava.
41:33
0
GOAL by BU TEAM.
60:03
