With the Colorado Cup on the line, the CU women’s soccer team is heading into an auspicious rivalry game this Friday.
The Lady Buffs face off against the University of Denver Pioneers in what could be the decisive game of the fourth annual Colorado Cup. If CU wins, they will host the trophy and finish the series between the two teams with a perfect three wins. A loss will make the race increasingly difficult for the Buffs, who will have to wait on the results of the other five Colorado teams involved in the tournament.
Last weekend, head coach Danny Sanchez’s team first suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime loss against the University of Kansas, only to come back to dominate the University of Detroit, 3-0.
And this weekend?
On paper, the Buffs doesn’t need to worry too much, as the Pioneers have struggled this season, albeit against some tough opposition. A proper way to judge these two teams would be to look at a mutual opponent: the University of Kansas. While the Jayhawks defeated both CU and DU, the Buffs managed to at least put a goal on the board. Denver lost 2-0 on two plays that were direct results of poor defensive play. Colorado, on the other hand, played KU to a second overtime period, only losing 2-1 off of a piece of spectacular individual play by Kansas midfielder Liana Salazar.
Despite the comparative result giving CU the advantage, Denver will come to play. Freshman midfielder Jocelyn Loomis and junior forward Taylor Ivins lead the Pioneers, who have a combined five goals in six games. But while they can score goals, they let in quite a few themselves. This season, DU has allowed nine goals over six games, scoring seven. A pretty even stat, until one reads between the lines: Denver has been outscored 6-2 in the second half.
Conversely, CU has been stout defensively, allowing three goals over half a dozen games, and scoring seven times. The Buffs also have an incredibly balanced offensive attack, led by senior midfielder Carly Bolyard and sophomore forward Brie Hooks. Each of them have two goals on the season, but five players on the roster have scored at least once. The absence of graduated standout Anne Stuller has actually allowed the team to rely on each other more, as opposed to feeding Stuller, who was usually dominant in front of the net.
Expect Kate Scheele to be back between the sticks for CU, and don’t be surprised if Coach Sanchez pulls out another “goalie free kick” like the team did last week. Sanchez expressed the desire to be more effective on set pieces, especially corner kicks. The Buffs have yet to score that way this year, and they will get another shot on Friday.
Home-field advantage will be especially important for the Buffs, who average about 500 fans per game. Kick off is at 4:30 p.m. on Friday at Prentup Field.
With a win, the Colorado Cup all but belongs to CU.
Contact CU Independent Assistant Sports Editor Andrew Haubner at andrew.haubner@colorado.edu.
