Buffs Host Two Top 25 Opponents
BOULDER – After nearly a month on the road, the University of Colorado women’s soccer team returns home this weekend to face No. 24 Washington State and No. 18 Washington at Prentup Field.
The Buffaloes (10-5, 3-3 Pac-12) finished their five-match road trip 3-2 and will now play their final five contests of the season on their home turf. CU has won six of eight matches at Prentup Field and has recorded five shutouts.
Colorado’s first match is slated for Friday, Oct. 24 at 3 p.m. MT against the 24th-ranked Washington State Cougars. Washington State (8-2-3, 3-2-1 Pac-12) has only allowed three goals on the road this season, while posting a 5-1-1 record. Friday’s match will be the fifth time CU has faced the Cougars. WSU leads the series 3-1.
On Sunday, Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. MT, the Buffs battle No. 18 Washington to close out the weekend. Colorado will look to make it two straight wins over the Huskies after defeating them 1-0 in overtime last season in Seattle, Wash. Washington is 11-4 overall and 4-2 in Pac-12 play, and have a match against the Utah Utes on Friday before visiting Boulder.
The Buffs will wear pink on Friday in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Help CU lace up in the fight against breast cancer as the first 300 fans to the match will receive a free pair of pink CU shoelaces.
Kids in eighth grade or under are encouraged to attend a free soccer clinic prior to Sunday’s match. The clinic is open to the first 100 who register. Please contact Laiah Walsh at laiah.walsh@colorado.edu to sign-up.
QUICKLY: Colorado (10-5, 3-3 Pac-12) returns to Prentup Field for the first time in nearly a month to face two top 25 teams. The Buffs host No. 24 Washington State on Friday, Oct. 24 at 3 p.m. MT and then battle No. 18 Washington on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. MT. CU has won six of eight matches at home and have five shutouts on its home pitch this season.
DON’T MISS A MINUTE: Friday’s match will be televised on Pac-12 Networks. J.B. Long and Krista Blunk have the call. A free livestream of Sunday’s match is available on cubuffs.com. Live stats for both matches can also be found by visiting cubuffs.com.
INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES: For those members of the media wishing to interview the women’s soccer team during the season, please contact Assistant Sports Information Director/Soccer Contact Ashley Braun at (303) 492-7525 or ashley.braun@colorado.edu.
COLORADO VS. WASHINGTON STATE: The Buffs and Cougars have met four times prior. Washington State leads the series 3-1. Colorado will look to pick up its first victory over WSU at home. The last time CU hosted the Cougars at Prentup Field was 2012 and the Buffs fell 1-0. Last season, the Buffs faced the Cougars in Pullman, Wash. and dropped the match 3-0. Colorado’s only win in the series came in 2010, one season before the Buffs joined the Pac-12 Conference. In a neutral site match held in Spokane, Wash., CU defeated WSU 2-1 in overtime.
SCOUTING THE COUGARS: Washington State enters Friday’s match 8-2-3 overall and 3-2-1 in Pac-12 play. The Cougars are coming off a 1-0 double-overtime victory against Oregon. WSU is a solid 5-1-1 away from home and has only allowed three goals on the road this season. The Cougars have the third most shutouts among Pac-12 Conference opponents this year with nine and senior goalkeeper Clair Gurveen has only surrendered seven goals and is ranked third in the Pac-12 with a 0.50 goals against average. Forward Beau Bremer and defender Kailiana Johnson lead the team with three goals each. Forward Kara Wegner is the team leader in assists with five.
COLORADO VS. WASHINGTON: The Buffs and Huskies have faced each other three times, once every season dating back to 2011. Washington leads the series 2-1. Colorado defeated the Huskies 1-0 in overtime last year in Seattle, Wash. to record its first victory in the series. Neither team has scored more than two goals in each match and Sunday’s contest will only be the second time the Huskies have traveled to Boulder, Colo. In 2012, Washington edged CU 2-1 (OT) at Prentup Field.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES: Washington is 11-4-0 overall and 4-2-0 in the Pac-12. The Huskies have won four straight and seven of their last nine matches. Washington holds sole possession of third place in the Pac-12 Conference. The Huskies No. 18 ranking in the NSCAA poll is their highest mark of the season, moving up two spots from last week. Washington is one of five Pac-12 teams in the NCAA RPI top 20 at No. 11.
LAST WEEK: Colorado played its last road match of the season in Stanford, Calif. and fell to the fourth-ranked Cardinal 3-0. The Buffs’ defense held Stanford to only four shots on goal, but allowed three goals. Colorado fought hard, but were limited to four shots and one on goal.
PINK POWER: The Buffs will wear pink in Friday’s match against No. 24 Washington State in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Help the Buffs lace up in the fight against breast cancer as the first 300 fans to the match will receive a free pair of pink CU shoelaces.
SUNDAY SOCCER CLINIC: There will be a free soccer clinic prior to Sunday’s match when the Buffs face No. 18 Washington. The clinic is open to the first 100 kids, eighth grade or under. Preregistration is required. Please contact Laiah Walsh at laiah.walsh@colorado.edu to sign-up.
HOOKS IN THE LEAD: Sophomore Brie Hooks leads the team with five goals and 14 points, one goal and two points ahead of senior Kahlia Hogg. Hooks’ five goals is already more than half the number she tallied last season (8) when she played in 19 matches during her freshman year.
JERMAN’S CAREER YEAR: Senior Darcy Jerman has tied her single-season career-high with three goals and has set a new personal record with three assists this season, more than doubling her previous best (1).
NEARING 300: CU head coach Danny Sanchez is only one victory away from reaching 300 career wins. Sanchez’s coaching career spans 20 seasons where he holds an impressive 299-80-29 record. He is in his third season at Colorado and has led the team to a 32-20-6 record, including an appearance in last year’s NCAA Sweet 16.
SHARING THE BALL: Colorado is tied for fourth in the Pac-12 Conference with 25 assists, averaging 1.67 per match. Brie Hooks and Kahlia Hogg lead the squad with four each, while Darcy Jerman and Joss Orejel are tied in second, each having three.
PAC-12 PRESEASON POLL: The Buffs were predicted to finish fifth in the Pac-12 Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. UCLA, last year’s NCAA Champion, was picked to finish first. Stanford was second, followed by Cal, USC, CU, Washington State and Utah. Arizona State and Washington tied for eighth, Arizona, Oregon and Oregon State rounded out the list.
PAC-12 NETWORKS: In its third year, the Pac-12 Networks will air 69 women’s soccer games, including nine of the Buffs’ matchups. Women’s soccer is the marquee event on the Networks’ telecast schedule Friday and Sunday afternoons during the fall with additional primetime matchups on Monday and Thursday.
NEXT WEEK: Colorado continues its five-match homestand with contests against Arizona State on Friday, Oct. 31 and Arizona on Sunday, Nov. 2.
Home.....................................................................6-2
Away......................................................................4-2
Neutral...................................................................0-1
Leading at halftime.............................................5-0
Tied at halftime....................................................4-3
Trailing at halftime..............................................1-2
In overtime............................................................0-1
Against ranked opponents................................1-3
Scoring first...........................................................9-0
Opponent scores first..........................................1-5
Carly Bolyard
UNLV Nike Invitational All-Tournament Team
Tori Cooper
Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week
UNLV Nike Invitational All-Tournament Team
Kahlia Hogg
CU Athlete of the Week
Brie Hooks
UNLV Nike Invitational All-Tournament Team
Darcy Jerman
CU Athlete of the Week
UNLV Nike Invitational All-Tournament Team