Soccer Set for NCAA Tournament

BOULDER – Colorado soccer makes its 11th NCAA Tournament appearance, taking on Northern Colorado at Prentup Field on Saturday. Kickoff is set for noon MT and the match will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.

The Buffaloes learned of their selection on Monday after narrowly missing out on last year's tournament. Since then it has been business as usual.

"It's been a great week of practice," head coach Danny Sanchez explained. "Last Thursday against Utah was disappointing. We trained through the weekend. This week of training has been very sharp. I think the players are excited about the opportunity to be in the NCAA tournament. I think to play a local rival, at home, just kind of adds a little extra spice to the match."

The Buffs played with a chip on their should the entire season, wanting to prove that last season's snub was just that. Colorado finished the year 11-7-2 but totaled big wins over No. 24 Texas and No. 21 Washington to help pave their path to the tournament.

"Last year was obviously disappointing," senior Jalen Tompkins recalled. "It's hard to describe the feeling the auditorium when it all happened [on Monday]. There were a lot of goosebumps, emotions and some tears. It was awesome. I think everybody's just kind of taking it in. It's like a new season. The season restarts when the NCAA Tournament happens. It kind of feels like it's preseason all over again. We're excited and really pumped."

This year's tournament bid is the team's fifth since 2013. But as the team learned last season, nothing is ever guaranteed.

"We say it all the time," Sanchez continued. "Your best moment might be the first moment of your freshman year. You never know when your moments are going to happen. You can't dwell on the seniors. Our freshmen are just as important. We need everybody on board tomorrow. We have a great group. We have great leadership. That's what kind of willed us to this point of the season. You don't want to put too much pressure on them, but you want to be sharp. You want the emphasis to be that you never know when your moment is going to come."

Colorado has hosted the first round of the NCAA Tournament in each of its last three appearances. CU is 6-1 all-time in home NCAA matches.

"It feels like Senior Day all over again," Tompkins said about playing at home again. "The fans have been amazing all season long. It's great to come back and play one more game, especially since it will be perfect [weather]. It's always nice to wake up in your own bed and then go play."

Northern Colorado (9-10-4) earned its spot in the NCAA Tournament with three straight wins in the Big Sky Conference Tournament. The Bears clinched the conference's automatic bid with a 1-0 win over Eastern Washington. Colorado and UNC played earlier this season, resulting in a 4-0 win for the Buffs.

Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets ahead of time at CUBuffs.com/tickets

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Players Mentioned

Jalen Tompkins

Colorado University Athletics