Thursday, October 2
Fort Worth, TX
6 p.m.
Colorado
9-1-2, 3-0-1
3
at
1
TCU
9-2-0, 3-1-0
1
2
F
Colorado
1
2
3
TCU
1
0
1
Photo by: CUBuffs.com
Colorado Lassos No. 7 TCU
October 02, 2025 | Soccer
Buffs pick up first ranked win of the year
FORT WORTH — Colorado scored three unanswered goals on its way to upsetting No. 7 TCU 3-1 at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium on Thursday. The win was the Buffaloes' first against a ranked opponent this season and the first against a top 10 opponent since 2021.
The Buffs improve to 9-1-2 and 3-0-1 in Big 12 play, picking up their second win of the year when going down 1-0 to start.
"It was a great night for the Buffs," head coach Danny Sanchez expressed after the win. "TCU came out on the front foot and scored a good goal, and we were on our heels. I told the team after [the game] I was really pleased with how we responded to that early adversity. To go on the road against a top-five RPI team, you're going to face some adversity, and I was really pleased with how we responded."
Colorado's offense was efficient, tying the game on its first shot of the night and finishing with three goals on nine shots. Despite TCU's 26 shot attempts, the Buffs' defense held strong, with Jordan Nytes recording nine saves.
"I don't want to go without saying, but Jordi was unbelievable tonight and showed why she's an All-American," Sanchez added.
Jace Holley got the Buffs back to even in the first half, and Emerson Layne and Hope Leyba each found the back of the net in the second half to complete the comeback.
"I think the key was getting that goal by Jace with a great effort from Hope," Sanchez continued. "Now, we're 1-1 at half and it can go either way."
Despite being in hostile territory, the Buffs had a significant representation among the 1,121 fans in attendance on Thursday. Athletic Director Rick George and many friends and family made the trip down for the game.
"It was unbelievable," Sanchez said of the support. "Obviously, having [senior associate AD] Leon Jackson and Rick George here – I mean, he celebrates more than I do. His passion for CU is off the charts. So to have them all and all these family and friends here really helped push us over the finish line."
How it Happened
The first half began with Colorado and TCU testing each other's defenses. Despite allowing the goal to Emma Yolinsky in the 16th minute, Nytes stood tall in goal with three key saves.
The Buffaloes responded in the 35th minute when Holley pounced on the loose ball inside the penalty area after Leyba made a hard cut into the box, leveling the match at 1-1. The shot was CU's only one on target in the first half as four different Buffs recorded a shot in the period.
The second half began with Nytes making two more saves in the 49th and 56th minutes to keep things square. Lilian Zamorano, who started as a second-half substitute, led a rush down into the box in the 58th minute, bringing the defense with her. She played back to Reagan Kotschau, who fired the ball off the near post from distance, and Layne headed it in to take the 2-1 lead.
"We talked before the game about there being some adversity, and credit to TCU, they scored the first goal and could have had one or two before the half," Sanchez noted. "I like how we responded and got ourselves back in the game. You go on the road, you're going to have to catch some breaks. I thought that getting that [second] goal kind of gave us some belief, and I was really pleased with how we played the rest of the second half."
Shortly after, Leyba extended the lead with a header in the 65th minute, with assists from Caley Swierenga and Lexi Meyer, making it 3-1 in favor of Colorado. The goal was her 14th of the season, putting her one behind Shyra James for second on CU's single-season scoring list.
TCU applied pressure with multiple attempts, late in the contest, but Nytes shutout the Horned Frogs in the second half with six more saves to maintain Colorado's two-goal advantage.
Up Next
The Buffs head to Waco, Texas, to face No. 20 Baylor on October 5. The match is set for a noon kickoff.
For more information on Colorado Soccer, please visit cubuffs.com/soccer. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffssoccer on Instagram, X, TikTok and Facebook.
The Buffs improve to 9-1-2 and 3-0-1 in Big 12 play, picking up their second win of the year when going down 1-0 to start.
"It was a great night for the Buffs," head coach Danny Sanchez expressed after the win. "TCU came out on the front foot and scored a good goal, and we were on our heels. I told the team after [the game] I was really pleased with how we responded to that early adversity. To go on the road against a top-five RPI team, you're going to face some adversity, and I was really pleased with how we responded."
Colorado's offense was efficient, tying the game on its first shot of the night and finishing with three goals on nine shots. Despite TCU's 26 shot attempts, the Buffs' defense held strong, with Jordan Nytes recording nine saves.
"I don't want to go without saying, but Jordi was unbelievable tonight and showed why she's an All-American," Sanchez added.
Jace Holley got the Buffs back to even in the first half, and Emerson Layne and Hope Leyba each found the back of the net in the second half to complete the comeback.
"I think the key was getting that goal by Jace with a great effort from Hope," Sanchez continued. "Now, we're 1-1 at half and it can go either way."
Despite being in hostile territory, the Buffs had a significant representation among the 1,121 fans in attendance on Thursday. Athletic Director Rick George and many friends and family made the trip down for the game.
"It was unbelievable," Sanchez said of the support. "Obviously, having [senior associate AD] Leon Jackson and Rick George here – I mean, he celebrates more than I do. His passion for CU is off the charts. So to have them all and all these family and friends here really helped push us over the finish line."
How it Happened
The first half began with Colorado and TCU testing each other's defenses. Despite allowing the goal to Emma Yolinsky in the 16th minute, Nytes stood tall in goal with three key saves.
The Buffaloes responded in the 35th minute when Holley pounced on the loose ball inside the penalty area after Leyba made a hard cut into the box, leveling the match at 1-1. The shot was CU's only one on target in the first half as four different Buffs recorded a shot in the period.
The second half began with Nytes making two more saves in the 49th and 56th minutes to keep things square. Lilian Zamorano, who started as a second-half substitute, led a rush down into the box in the 58th minute, bringing the defense with her. She played back to Reagan Kotschau, who fired the ball off the near post from distance, and Layne headed it in to take the 2-1 lead.
"We talked before the game about there being some adversity, and credit to TCU, they scored the first goal and could have had one or two before the half," Sanchez noted. "I like how we responded and got ourselves back in the game. You go on the road, you're going to have to catch some breaks. I thought that getting that [second] goal kind of gave us some belief, and I was really pleased with how we played the rest of the second half."
Shortly after, Leyba extended the lead with a header in the 65th minute, with assists from Caley Swierenga and Lexi Meyer, making it 3-1 in favor of Colorado. The goal was her 14th of the season, putting her one behind Shyra James for second on CU's single-season scoring list.
TCU applied pressure with multiple attempts, late in the contest, but Nytes shutout the Horned Frogs in the second half with six more saves to maintain Colorado's two-goal advantage.
Up Next
The Buffs head to Waco, Texas, to face No. 20 Baylor on October 5. The match is set for a noon kickoff.
For more information on Colorado Soccer, please visit cubuffs.com/soccer. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffssoccer on Instagram, X, TikTok and Facebook.
Team Stats
COL
TCU
Goals
3
1
Shots
9
26
Shots on Goal
3
10
Saves
9
0
Corners
1
8
Fouls
6
10
Scoring Plays
Emma Yolinsky (3)
Assisted By: Sydney Becerra , Grace Coppinger
GOAL by TCU Yolinsky, Emma Assist by Becerra, Sydney and Coppinger, Grace.
15:37
Jace Holley (9)
Assisted By: Hope Leyba , Ruby Hayward
GOAL by COL Holley, Jace Assist by Leyba, Hope and Hayward, Ruby.
34:54
Emerson Layne (4)
Assisted By: Reagan Kotschau , Lilian Zamorano
GOAL by COL Layne, Emerson Assist by Kotschau, Reagan and Zamorano, Lilian.
57:04
Hope Leyba (14)
Assisted By: Caley Swierenga , Lexi Meyer
GOAL by COL Leyba, Hope Assist by Swierenga, Caley and Meyer, Lexi.
64:42
Game Leaders
fwd
Shots
3
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
1
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
fwd
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
0
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
Players Mentioned
F
/ Soccer
F
/ Soccer
M
/ SoccerM
/ SoccerF
/ Soccer
M
/ Soccer
GK
/ SoccerD
/ Soccer
D
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