Buffs' Leyba Emerging on National Scene

BOULDER – Colorado forward Hope Leyba would rather let her game speak for itself.

The Phoenix, Ariz., native, along with her twin sister Faith Leyba, has been constant in the Buffaloes' lineup since arriving in Boulder in 2023. Faith, an all-conference defender, edged her twin in goals, 3-2, as freshmen, but Hope emerged as one of CU's top goal-scoring threats last season with a team-high eight tallies in 22 games.

Hope needed just the first five matches to start the 2025 season to reach the eight-goal mark, scoring nine – including three multi-goal efforts. She picked up Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors, her first accolade of any kind, following her five goals in matches against Fordham and UNC Greensboro.

Despite the lack of national recognition, Leyba has not only cemented her status as one of the most dangerous strikers on the pitch for the Buffs, but also in the NCAA. She moved back into the national lead in goals (12) and points (24) following her second hat-trick of the season against Iowa State on Thursday.

So, what's to credit for her explosive numbers this season?

"We always talk about it at the end of the day, if you're going to be a better program, your better players have to do better," head coach Danny Sanchez explained. "Everyone is going to get better just by being in the environment, being in the culture. But what's going to separate players is the good players becoming great players. When you talk about [Hope's] effort, it's been there since day one. She scored two goals as a freshman, but her effort, focus, and work rate on both sides of the ball were impressive. Nothing's been different. It's just she's coachable and she's buying into the coaching."

Leyba has put up these impressive numbers despite going into the match against Iowa State having not scored in the four previous matches.

"I was frustrated," Leyba mentioned. "I want to score every game."

"I think she got a little frustrated last Thursday," Sanchez echoed. "I think the whole team did, and I think it affected her. We talked a lot about this week, that, at the end of the day, the hardest thing to do in soccer is score. That's why those players are paid the most. That's why they're bought for the most. That's why they're the most famous. You can be 89 minutes of nothing and one minute of brilliance, and you're the hero. I think as a striker, you have to understand that."

Leyba's numbers are starting to enter historical territory in terms of the CU record book. She's already tied for the most goals by a junior in a season, matching Katie Griffin's junior season in 2005. She's just the sixth player in Buffs' history to score 12 goals in a season, moving into a five-way tie with names like Taylor Kornieck and Jorian Baucom for the third-most goals in a single season. Leyba has also moved into the top-10 in career goals, tying Anne Stuller for seventh on the list with 22 career tallies.

Her three goals against Iowa State marked a feat that no Buff has ever accomplished – recording multiple hat tricks in the same season. And only Nikki Marshall had scored multiple hat tricks in her career before Thursday night.

"I'm just so blessed," Leyba said of accomplishments. "It's really awesome. I just couldn't be happier."

Colorado has eight matches remaining on its regular-season slate, starting with Houston on Sunday (1 p.m. MT).

With Leyba's NCAA-leading 1.20 goals per game, Nikki Marshall's single-season record of 17 goals is certainly within range.

For more information on Colorado Soccer, please visit cubuffs.com/soccer. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffssoccer on Instagram, X, TikTok and Facebook.

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Players Mentioned

Faith Leyba

Hope Leyba