Thursday, August 17
Boulder, Colo.
7:00 PM
Colorado
1-0-0, 0-0-0
3
vs
0
Northern Colorado
0-1-0, 0-0-0
1
2
F
Northern Colo.
0
0
0
Colorado
2
1
3
Photo by: Tyler Davis
Buffs Turn the Lights off on UNC
August 17, 2023 | Soccer
Colorado opens the season with a 3-0 win
BOULDER—The inaugural night game at Prentup Field was a success for the Colorado soccer team on Thursday night. The Buffaloes led open to close, putting away the visiting Northern Colorado Bears 3-0 to open the 2023 campaign.
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 "It was a beautiful evening," head coach Danny Sanchez commented about the night's atmosphere. "We want to thank everybody that had a hand in making this happen. As far as the game, I thought we started really well and scored a couple of good goals. I think in the second half we lost a bit of rhythm. Having said that, give credit to Northern Colorado. I thought they were dangerous going forward and on set pieces [in the second half]."
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The Buffaloes improved to 10-0-2 under Sanchez in season-openers and 17-6-5 all-time. Thursday's win marked the 12th consecutive against the Bears. Colorado has yet to concede a goal to UNC in the all-time series.
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Colorado led 2-0 at the half and tacked one on midway through the second to put the finishing touches on the night. The Buffs held the decisive 20-5 advantage in shots on the night.
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"We got everybody in the game which is important early in the year," Sanchez added. "I thought there were some good individual performances. We got a 3-0 win at home. It was a beautiful evening for our first game under the lights. I was very pleased."
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Newcomer in net Jordan Nytes picked up her seventh career shutout with three saves in her CU debut.
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All 22 available field players got into the action in the opener. The Buffs are mixing in 14 newcomers with the 14 returners.
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"It's the first game under the lights and if you have or haven't played [a night game] before it's going to be exciting and a little nerve-wracking," Sanchez explained of his group. "This was UNC's third game, having two scrimmages before tonight. They've been able to iron out some of the kinks. We were looking at the team performance, but we're also looking at the individual performance. I thought the team played well and I thought there were some really good individual performances as well."
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How it happened
Colorado controlled the first 45 minutes under the lights, outshooting the Bears 10-1 in the half.
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Phoenix Dawn Miranda got the season's scoring started with her first career tally in the 12th minute. She headed home a corner kick from Amaya Gonzalez from the near corner to notch the eventual game-winner.
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"It felt great [to finally score]," Miranda expressed. "It was a great serve from Amaya and I just felt that it was coming to me."
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Moments later Shyra James looked to add to the advantage, heading a shot off the crossbar and then finding the net off a rebound but it was whistled an offside play.
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James didn't have to wait much longer to open her account for the season. She put in her 26th career goal in the 26th minute, burying a shot from 10 yards out off the feed from Juliauna Hayward.
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The Buffs added 10 more shots in the second half but landed just four of them on target. Senior Lila Dere put two of those shots on net in the same sequence in her debut. Jade Babcock-Chi sprung Dere open down the middle of the field and fired the first shot on UNC goalkeeper Kaya Lindberg. Lindberg made the save on the breakaway attempts but Dere would follow the shot up and put the rebound in the net.
Upcoming
Colorado continues at home to start the season, taking on Marquette on Sunday. The game is set for a 1 p.m. MT start and will be on Pac-12 Mountain.
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Notes
The win was No. 122 all-time at Prentup Field…Colorado is now 20-22-6 under Sanchez at night…Colorado picked up 14 fouls to UNC's one, but the Bears had the only caution with a yellow card in the 51st minute…The shutout was the first for the Buffs since Oct. 9, 2022…James' first career goal also came against Northern Colorado in 2020…James led the team with four shots...Colorado had three freshman in the starting lineup to start the season (Ava Priest, Faith Leyba & Hope Leyba) for the first time since the 2020 opener when Rachel Rosen, Lawson Willis and James started.Â
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 "It was a beautiful evening," head coach Danny Sanchez commented about the night's atmosphere. "We want to thank everybody that had a hand in making this happen. As far as the game, I thought we started really well and scored a couple of good goals. I think in the second half we lost a bit of rhythm. Having said that, give credit to Northern Colorado. I thought they were dangerous going forward and on set pieces [in the second half]."
Â
The Buffaloes improved to 10-0-2 under Sanchez in season-openers and 17-6-5 all-time. Thursday's win marked the 12th consecutive against the Bears. Colorado has yet to concede a goal to UNC in the all-time series.
Â
Colorado led 2-0 at the half and tacked one on midway through the second to put the finishing touches on the night. The Buffs held the decisive 20-5 advantage in shots on the night.
Â
"We got everybody in the game which is important early in the year," Sanchez added. "I thought there were some good individual performances. We got a 3-0 win at home. It was a beautiful evening for our first game under the lights. I was very pleased."
Â
Newcomer in net Jordan Nytes picked up her seventh career shutout with three saves in her CU debut.
Â
All 22 available field players got into the action in the opener. The Buffs are mixing in 14 newcomers with the 14 returners.
Â
"It's the first game under the lights and if you have or haven't played [a night game] before it's going to be exciting and a little nerve-wracking," Sanchez explained of his group. "This was UNC's third game, having two scrimmages before tonight. They've been able to iron out some of the kinks. We were looking at the team performance, but we're also looking at the individual performance. I thought the team played well and I thought there were some really good individual performances as well."
Â
How it happened
Colorado controlled the first 45 minutes under the lights, outshooting the Bears 10-1 in the half.
Â
Phoenix Dawn Miranda got the season's scoring started with her first career tally in the 12th minute. She headed home a corner kick from Amaya Gonzalez from the near corner to notch the eventual game-winner.
Â
"It felt great [to finally score]," Miranda expressed. "It was a great serve from Amaya and I just felt that it was coming to me."
Â
Moments later Shyra James looked to add to the advantage, heading a shot off the crossbar and then finding the net off a rebound but it was whistled an offside play.
Â
James didn't have to wait much longer to open her account for the season. She put in her 26th career goal in the 26th minute, burying a shot from 10 yards out off the feed from Juliauna Hayward.
Â
The Buffs added 10 more shots in the second half but landed just four of them on target. Senior Lila Dere put two of those shots on net in the same sequence in her debut. Jade Babcock-Chi sprung Dere open down the middle of the field and fired the first shot on UNC goalkeeper Kaya Lindberg. Lindberg made the save on the breakaway attempts but Dere would follow the shot up and put the rebound in the net.
Upcoming
Colorado continues at home to start the season, taking on Marquette on Sunday. The game is set for a 1 p.m. MT start and will be on Pac-12 Mountain.
Â
Notes
The win was No. 122 all-time at Prentup Field…Colorado is now 20-22-6 under Sanchez at night…Colorado picked up 14 fouls to UNC's one, but the Bears had the only caution with a yellow card in the 51st minute…The shutout was the first for the Buffs since Oct. 9, 2022…James' first career goal also came against Northern Colorado in 2020…James led the team with four shots...Colorado had three freshman in the starting lineup to start the season (Ava Priest, Faith Leyba & Hope Leyba) for the first time since the 2020 opener when Rachel Rosen, Lawson Willis and James started.Â
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Team Stats
UNC
COLO
Goals
0
3
Shots
5
20
Shots on Goal
3
12
Saves
9
3
Corners
2
3
Fouls
1
14
Scoring Plays
Phoenix Dawn Miranda (1)
Assisted By: Amaya Gonzalez
GOAL by COLO Miranda, Phoenix Dawn Assist by Gonzalez, Amaya.
11:45
Shyra James (1)
Assisted By: Juliauna Hayward
GOAL by COLO James, Shyra Assist by Hayward, Juliauna.
25:35
Lila Dere (1)
GOAL by COLO Dere, Lila.
69:35
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
4
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
/ Soccer
M
/ SoccerM
/ SoccerF
/ Soccer
D
/ Soccer
F
/ SoccerD
/ Soccer
GK
/ Soccer
D
/ Soccer
F
/ Soccer
D
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