BOULDER —Colorado Soccer opened its 2024 campaign with a three-goal effort to pick up its first win, a 3-0 decision over Marquette, under the lights at Prentup Field on Thursday Night.
The Buffaloes' youth took the spotlight in the opener. CU got a pair of goals for players making their collegiate debuts inJace HolleyandSami Fisher. Sophom*oreHope Leybapicked up the third tally of the evening to put the game out of reach.
"I thought we started slow," head coachDanny Sanchezexpressed postgame. "We didn't come out with the energy I was hoping for. But then Ava [Priest] made a great serve and great finish, very brave, Jace Holley finish. Then we settled the rest of the half, but we talked at halftime and I felt we had more to give. I thought in the second half, especially when we subbed, I thought the energy went up."
Thursday's win avenges last season's early loss to the Golden Eagles. Colorado improves to 18-6-5 all-time in season-openers, having won on opening night for the 21st consecutive season.
The Buffs led 1-0 at the half and tacked on two more in the final 45 minutes. CU held a 14-10 shot advantage, putting 10 shots on target.
Junior keeperJordan Nytesrecorded her ninth shutout as Buff, making a key save to keep the game scoreless in the opening minutes.
"It's positioning and being in the right spots," Sanchez added. "Shots from distance, they're only going to beat her on the top. She's athletic and dealt with what she need to. She made a similar save in the second half as well. She dealt with what she needed. I thought the backs were solid. I think, once again, going forward, it was a little disjointed at times. Some passes that maybe led to counters for them when we could have done better with them. But it's only our second game and really our first game. So we know that that'll get better as the season goes on."
Colorado got 22 players into action, with Holley, Fisher, andHannah Puffall making their college debuts. Holley got the starting nod, while Fisher and Puff came in as subs.
"We were planning on playing a lot of players early in the year," Sanchez commented. "It's going to be nice and warm on Sunday. Nice and Sunny. We need those legs, so it's nice to give some of our players that maybe typically play 90 minutes a break today."
How it Happened
The first scoring chance came off the foot of Marquette's Tess O'Connell. She fired a long-distance shot that Nytes punched away with her outstretched arm in the game's 5th minute.
Juliauna Haywardpicked up CU's first shot in the 7th minute, putting a ball off target, but the Buffs got on the board just four minutes later.
Ava Priestdrove the ball down the right side of the box, centering it at the top of the six-yard mark. The ball could have been played byShyra James, who was in the vicinity, but it was Holley who took charge with a flying header that found the back of the net for her first career goal.
"It was amazing because it was my first game. I was starting, and there's a lot of nervous energy," Holley said after the game. "When I'm nervous, I'm just a little bit timid. It's hard to get out there with new players in your first college game, but once I made that run and connected with that ball, it went in, and all the nervousness went away. It was all just positive energy from there. It really carried me and the team."
The Buffs carried the one-goal lead into the half and almost added to the lead with a scoring chance from Hope Leyba minutes into the second half.
James, who trails former Buff Nikki Marshall by two goals for the all-time career record, almost got her first of the season in the 56th minute. She headed a ball into the back of the net but the offside flag went up. James and H. Leyba both finished the night with a team-high three shots.
Colorado got back on the scoreboard in the 71st minute after juniorEmerson Laynewas tackled in the penalty area, drawing a penalty kick.Faith Leybawas elected to take the try, and was stopped by MU keeper Elise Krone. The ball got away from Krone, and Fisher won the race to the rebound, slotting the ball under the crossbar for her first collegiate goal.
"Sami got that second goal by just being very smart and listening to coaching," Sanchez noted. "It was the key to the game. After that, like I said, we were able to get everybody in, all the field players, which was good. It's a good opening win, but we have a lot of work to do."
Nytes almost got in the scoring column herself in the 75th minute, putting a free-kick attempt over the net from just beyond the midfield line. It would have been the first goal by a CU keeper in program history.
H. Leyba put the game away in the 84th minute, scoring from right off the line on a corner kick.Angelina Moschettisent the ball in from the near corner and it bounced off a Marquette defender towards the net. Leyba dove feet first and put the ball across the line for good measure.
Upcoming
The Buffs will host No. 8 North Carolina on Sunday (Noon/ESPN+). Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets online and arrive early for Fan Fest.
Notes
The win was No. 130 all-time at Prentup Field…Colorado improved to 11-0-2 all-time in openers under Coach Sanchez….Holley became the first Buff to score in her collegiate debut since Hayward did so in the 2022 opener against Weber State (Aug. 18)…Holley and Fisher became the second CU duo in program history to score in their collegiate debuts, joining Hayward and Layne against Weber State (Aug. 18, 2022)…Nytes is now three shutouts from matching former Buff Dani Hansen (12) for seventh in program history...Thursday was Sanchez's 298th career NCAA victory.
