Contact CU Independent Sports Writer Alex Aiello at alexandra.aiello@colorado.edu.
The University of Colorado women’s soccer team has seen its fair share of tough match play over the past couple weeks. Closing out their homestretch against Pac-12 foes No. 21 Arizona and Arizona State, the urgency to win was high with the uncertainty of a bid to the NCAA tournament looming.
The Buffs’ goal of a successful weekend wasn’t matched with a 3-3 tie against Arizona on Friday and with a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Arizona State on senior day, Sunday.
With Friday’s match featuring thrilling offensive play by the Buffs—CU saw goals from Sarah Kinzner, Danica Evans and Brie Hooks—the stakes were high going into the Sunday match against Arizona State.
With seven seniors preparing to close out historical careers as Buffs, Sunday’s match against Arizona State was an emotional one.
“It’s definitely an emotional time and an emotional experience, all of us seniors know we’re really feeling it right now because this has been our home for the past four years and it’s all we’ve known,” said senior Heather Ward, who scored the lone goal against the Sun Devils on Sunday.
An early goal made by Jessica Raybe for the Sun Devils set the tone for the remainder of the match Sunday. Raybe, assisted by Aly Moon, placed the ball in the top left corner, diving it past goalkeeper Kate Scheele.
The Buffs went scoreless in the first half. Scheele, who played her last home game as a Buff, had a total of five saves in the first period. The Buffs only put nine shots on the net in the first period, with the Sun Devils keeper, Chandler Morris, having three saves in the first half.
Going into the second period, ASU started playing quickly and offensively. McKenzie Berryhill made a goal in the 58th minute, with Moon’s second assist of the afternoon.
Down 2-0, the Buffs began to pick up their pace offensively late in the second period. In the 73rd minute, senior defender Heather Ward picked up her second goal of the season. Assisted by junior Alex Huynh, Ward got a free kick from Huynh about 40 yards out, and headed it in by 1 yard in front of the net.
“I don’t get many opportunities to score so going out like that, that’s definitely a high note for me and I’m really excited I was able to go out and get that goal today,” Ward said.
Unfortunately Ward’s solo goal of the afternoon would not be enough for the Buffs as they fell 2-1 to the Sun Devils.
“It was disappointing to give up the early goal,” Head Coach Danny Sanchez said. “Sometimes on senior day it is a little emotional, and I think we lost a little bit of focus.”
With the loss, the Buffs fall 7-9-3 overall for the season and 1-7-2 in the Pac-12.
“It’s hard,” Scheele said on the past tough weeks. “Being a goalkeeper especially, you have the weight of the goals and the team on your shoulders and feeling that kind of dread that you just got scored on is hard.”
CU now has dropped to a .500 team for the season, and the odds of making the NCAA Tournament have become slim.
“We’re giving ourselves a chance, but it’s tough playing from all of the time,” Sanchez said. “We’ve dug ourselves holes, and in this league it’s tough to come back.”
The Buffs look to rebound from Sunday’s loss as they wrap up the 2015 season at Utah on Friday, Nov. 6 at 2 p.m.
