Contact CU Independent Sports Staff Writer Chase Howell at chho2296@colorado.edu.
After coming off a 2-1 extra time loss to Missouri, the Buffs were looking for revenge Thursday night against the Michigan State Spartans. Although they had opportunities to win the match, Colorado finished the game with the same result Sunday, losing to the match 2-1 in overtime. The Buffs fall to 2-3 on the season.
After a lot of action on the MSU end of the field during the first half, the game remained scoreless. Despite the effort, it was Michigan State who got on the board first, just eight minutes into the second half on a penalty kick from senior midfielder Marisa Oleksiak.
The Spartans goal seemed to wake up the Lady Buffs, and they controlled the match for the rest of the tilt. It was in the 75th minute that CU finally got on the board. The Buffs scored off of a service from senior forward Danica Evans that found sophomore defender Alex Vidger’s foot. From there she was able to put it away.
The Buffs kept stampeding right through the Spartan’s defense, but were unable to get the goal that would’ve put them over the top by the end of the 90 minute regulation. The initial battle ended at 1-1 tie, forcing overtime.
Extra time was over quick. It only took Michigan State one and a half minutes to get the game winner off of a corner that sealed the deal for the Spartans.
“The other team makes mistakes and doesn’t get punished, we make a little mistake and it costs us a result,” Head Coach Danny Sanchez said about the game winning goal and game as a whole.
Missed opportunities is a theme that Sanchez has become too familiar with over the past few games.
“We had ample opportunities to win the game with a little bit more composure, and a little bit more sharpness,” Sanchez said.
In order to win their upcoming matches, CU must take away lessons from each of the previous.
“We have to be better in the final third and cleaner in the back, it’s as simple as it sounds,” said Sanchez following the game.
Colorado hits the pitch again this Sunday in Boulder to take on Drexel. The game is scheduled to begin at noon.
