Sunday, October 29
Boulder, Colo.
12:00 PM
Colorado
12-4-3, 4-3-3
4
vs
0
Arizona State
10-5-4, 5-4-1
1
2
F
Arizona St.
0
0
0
Colorado
0
4
4
Team Stats
ARST
COLO
Goals
0
4
Shots
8
13
Shots on Goal
3
7
Saves
4
3
Corners
1
7
Fouls
6
7
Scoring Plays
0
GOAL by COLO TEAM.
68:30
Hope Leyba (2)
GOAL by COLO Leyba, Hope.
73:14
Ally Clark (4)
Assisted By: Angelina Moschetti
GOAL by COLO Clark, Ally Assist by Moschetti, Angelina.
75:14
Claire Curran (1)
Assisted By: Lila Dere
GOAL by COLO Curran, Claire Assist by Dere, Lila.
85:54
Game Leaders
Players
mid
Shots
5
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
0
fwd
Shots
3
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
1
Players Mentioned
M
/ SoccerF
/ Soccer
M
/ Soccer
F
/ SoccerF
/ Soccer
GK
/ Soccer
D
/ Soccer
F
/ Soccer
Photo by: CUBuffs.com
Colorado Scores Key Win Over No. 18 Arizona State
October 29, 2023 | Soccer
BOULDER – Four second-half goals ignite Colorado's 4-0 upset of No. 18 Arizona State on Senior Day at Prentup Field on Sunday.
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The Buffaloes and Sun Devils played 68 minutes of scoreless soccer in frigid conditions. An own goal opened the floodgates in the 69th minute and propelled the Buffs to their second ranked win of the season.
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"I want to give a huge shout-out to all of our grounds and facilities people, especially Jose and Alex, for getting here at the crack of dawn and making the field perfect to play," head coach Danny Sanchez acknowledged. "Their extra work and extra commitment were a big part of our success today.
Â
"I thought the first half we played well but we just didn't create enough so we challenged the team at halftime to get more shots on goal. Arizona State is down a couple of players so we knew as the game went on, especially at altitude, we were going to get more of the ball. That was the best 30 minutes we played all year."
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Colorado (12-4-3, 4-3-3 Pac-12) got goals from Hope Leyba, Ally Clark and Claire Curran following the own goal. The Buffs registered 9 of their 13 shots in the second half while keeping ASU to four shots per period.
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Sunday might have been Senior Day but it was the freshmen that provided much of the spark. Ava Priest created the own goal and the rookies accounted for five of the team's 10 points.
Â
"It's been coming [for the freshmen]," Sanchez continued. "Anybody that has been watching [could see it]. It was great to get Claire a good goal. I thought Angelina [Moschetti] was great off the bench with an assist and played with some good composure. Faith [Lebya] was rock solid and unbeatable as usual."
Â
Goalkeeper Jordan Nytes recorded three saves in her eighth shutout of the season. Sunday also marked her 12th win of the season, tying her with former JJ Tompkins for the seventh most in a single season.
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How it Happened
Colorado had a dangerous look on net in the opening moments of Sunday, getting a free kick just off the near corner of the penalty box. Juliauna Hayward floated a ball on net and ASU's goalkeeper Pauline Nelles made the save.
Â
The Buffs kept the pressure up in the first half with Shyra James and Rachel Rosen both forcing the issue, but getting flagged for offside.
Â
CU's luck turned in the 69th minute with Priest making a run down the near side of the field to the end-line. She tried to center the ball into the box for James but found an ASU defender's foot and then the back off the net for the 1-0 lead.
Â
"It was a great run from Ava," Sanchez expressed. "We really challenged her this weekend and what a great run. We got numbers in the box and when you throw a ball in there like that, they have to worry about Shyra. Good things happen."
Â
If there was any doubt about the Buffs' first goal, H. Leyba left zero doubt on the second. She ran down the middle of the field and used James as a decoy in the box. The ASU defender fell in the middle of the box, leaving Leyba alone against Nelles and beat her with a shot to the near post in the 74th minute.
Â
"I just want the ball and I want to win," H. Leyba said. "That's just the way I play. I play to win."
Â
Three minutes later the Buffs added a third goal with Clark launching a rocket from 28 yards out and beat Nelles' outstretched arm to cushion the lead.
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Colorado's fourth goal came in the 86th minute off the foot of Curran. She slotted the ball to the far post to beat Nelles for her first career goal.
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Upcoming
Colorado will head to Utah to close the regular season on Friday, Nov. 3.
Notes
Colorado picked up its 12th win, marking the most since the 2019 season…CU's four second-half goals tied for the 5th most for goals in a half…Moschetti's assist was her first career point…Lila Dere had the assist on Curran's goal for her fourth point of the season…It's the third time CU has had back-to-back shutouts this season…CU now has 16 players with a point this season
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Quotes
Head coach Danny Sanchez
On the team's postseason hopes – "We control what we can control. We can't control how the RPI numbers go. We know the quality of this team and anyone that watches around the country knows the quality of this team. We can control what we can control. The last game at Utah is always a challenge. We have to have the right mindset and the right focus to go there and get a result."
Â
On getting a big result in the Pac-12 – "We told the team after Washington that we had to get three wins. You don't want to look ahead but it is what it is. These are smart young women who can handle them. I thought they had risen to the occasion this weekend. Going on the road is a whole different story. We have to get one more and control what we can control."
Â
Freshman Hope Leyba
On approaching the game like a "must win" – "We needed this game to get to the tournament. We knew we had to work hard for each other to get that far. I really wanted to do it for our seniors on Senior Day. They put so much for this team. I just wanted to make it special."
Â
On the team's offense – "We knew we had to take shots. When we keep the ball, we do good."
Â
On the homestand – "We just need to keep doing what we're doing and that's working hard for each other, sticking to the game plan, taking shots and just being there for each other."
Â
Â
The Buffaloes and Sun Devils played 68 minutes of scoreless soccer in frigid conditions. An own goal opened the floodgates in the 69th minute and propelled the Buffs to their second ranked win of the season.
Â
"I want to give a huge shout-out to all of our grounds and facilities people, especially Jose and Alex, for getting here at the crack of dawn and making the field perfect to play," head coach Danny Sanchez acknowledged. "Their extra work and extra commitment were a big part of our success today.
Â
"I thought the first half we played well but we just didn't create enough so we challenged the team at halftime to get more shots on goal. Arizona State is down a couple of players so we knew as the game went on, especially at altitude, we were going to get more of the ball. That was the best 30 minutes we played all year."
Â
Colorado (12-4-3, 4-3-3 Pac-12) got goals from Hope Leyba, Ally Clark and Claire Curran following the own goal. The Buffs registered 9 of their 13 shots in the second half while keeping ASU to four shots per period.
Â
Sunday might have been Senior Day but it was the freshmen that provided much of the spark. Ava Priest created the own goal and the rookies accounted for five of the team's 10 points.
Â
"It's been coming [for the freshmen]," Sanchez continued. "Anybody that has been watching [could see it]. It was great to get Claire a good goal. I thought Angelina [Moschetti] was great off the bench with an assist and played with some good composure. Faith [Lebya] was rock solid and unbeatable as usual."
Â
Goalkeeper Jordan Nytes recorded three saves in her eighth shutout of the season. Sunday also marked her 12th win of the season, tying her with former JJ Tompkins for the seventh most in a single season.
Â
How it Happened
Colorado had a dangerous look on net in the opening moments of Sunday, getting a free kick just off the near corner of the penalty box. Juliauna Hayward floated a ball on net and ASU's goalkeeper Pauline Nelles made the save.
Â
The Buffs kept the pressure up in the first half with Shyra James and Rachel Rosen both forcing the issue, but getting flagged for offside.
Â
CU's luck turned in the 69th minute with Priest making a run down the near side of the field to the end-line. She tried to center the ball into the box for James but found an ASU defender's foot and then the back off the net for the 1-0 lead.
Â
"It was a great run from Ava," Sanchez expressed. "We really challenged her this weekend and what a great run. We got numbers in the box and when you throw a ball in there like that, they have to worry about Shyra. Good things happen."
Â
If there was any doubt about the Buffs' first goal, H. Leyba left zero doubt on the second. She ran down the middle of the field and used James as a decoy in the box. The ASU defender fell in the middle of the box, leaving Leyba alone against Nelles and beat her with a shot to the near post in the 74th minute.
Â
"I just want the ball and I want to win," H. Leyba said. "That's just the way I play. I play to win."
Â
Three minutes later the Buffs added a third goal with Clark launching a rocket from 28 yards out and beat Nelles' outstretched arm to cushion the lead.
Â
Colorado's fourth goal came in the 86th minute off the foot of Curran. She slotted the ball to the far post to beat Nelles for her first career goal.
Â
Upcoming
Colorado will head to Utah to close the regular season on Friday, Nov. 3.
Notes
Colorado picked up its 12th win, marking the most since the 2019 season…CU's four second-half goals tied for the 5th most for goals in a half…Moschetti's assist was her first career point…Lila Dere had the assist on Curran's goal for her fourth point of the season…It's the third time CU has had back-to-back shutouts this season…CU now has 16 players with a point this season
Â
Quotes
Head coach Danny Sanchez
On the team's postseason hopes – "We control what we can control. We can't control how the RPI numbers go. We know the quality of this team and anyone that watches around the country knows the quality of this team. We can control what we can control. The last game at Utah is always a challenge. We have to have the right mindset and the right focus to go there and get a result."
Â
On getting a big result in the Pac-12 – "We told the team after Washington that we had to get three wins. You don't want to look ahead but it is what it is. These are smart young women who can handle them. I thought they had risen to the occasion this weekend. Going on the road is a whole different story. We have to get one more and control what we can control."
Â
Freshman Hope Leyba
On approaching the game like a "must win" – "We needed this game to get to the tournament. We knew we had to work hard for each other to get that far. I really wanted to do it for our seniors on Senior Day. They put so much for this team. I just wanted to make it special."
Â
On the team's offense – "We knew we had to take shots. When we keep the ball, we do good."
Â
On the homestand – "We just need to keep doing what we're doing and that's working hard for each other, sticking to the game plan, taking shots and just being there for each other."
Â
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