Colorado
6-1-0, 0-0-0
Weber State
0-5-3, 0-0-0
Colorado Extends Win Streak to Five
September 08, 2024 | Soccer
Goals from Ava Priest and Hope Leyba help put away Weber State on Sunday
BOULDER — Sophomores Ava Priest and Hope Leyba found the net, helping No. 18 Colorado close the non-conference schedule with a 2-0 win over Weber State at Prentup Field on Sunday. The win was the Buffaloes' second consecutive shutout and their fifth consecutive victory.
Colorado improves to 6-1-0 on the season as the team looks forward to the start of Big 12 play next week.
The Buffs followed up their season-high 26-shot performance against Denver on Thursday with 25 shots on Sunday. Juliauna Hayward led the team with her six attempts. Hayward and H. Leyba each had four shots on target.
"I thought we played well," head coach Danny Sanchez expressed. "We created a ton of chances. They didn't all fall for us today, but I'm really pleased with how we played, attacked and our mentality. It was a good win for us. Obviously, we would like to have maybe made it a little easier on ourselves, but at the end of the day, 2-0 is a great result."
The teams went into the half scoreless, but the Buffs turned up the heat on the Wildcats in the second half, totaling 14 shots in the final frame. Priest got the Buffs on the board with her second goal in as many contests, and Leyba added a late goal to secure the win.
"We know this team [Weber State] would come to play," H. Leyba said after the win. "We knew they were athletic and we had to match it. It's hard on Sunday sometimes to get yourself going, but the hard work we put in really matters. We had good soccer as a team, and ultimately, we scored two goals and won the game."
Colorado keeper Jordan Nytes continued her shutout streak, making four saves in the win. Colorado hasn't conceded a goal in four consecutive games, with Nytes having not given up a goal since the Aug. 18 match against North Carolina.
Weber State falls to 0-5-3 this season.
How It Happened
Colorado had its chances in the first half but wasn't able to punch through.
Laura Gouvin stepped to the penalty spot in the 16th minute after H. Leyba got tripped in the box. WSU's Hadley Harris stopped Gouvin's penalty shot, and she collected the rebound before it could spin across the goal line.
Hayward kept the heat on in the 17th minute, cutting inside the far side of the box to put a shot on target.
Rachel Rosen nearly got the Buffs on the board in the 39th minute, nearly completing an Olympico, serving the ball off the near post from the Buffs' fourth corner kick of the half. Lola Stanely headed the ball over the open net on the rebound attempt.
The opportunities continued for Colorado right out of the halftime break. Emerson Layne drew a foul in the opening seconds of the second half, giving the Buffs a free-kick opportunity in the 46th minute. H. Leyba ran down a long pass from her sister Faith Leyba, getting a shot off at the top of the box. Harris charged out of her net to make the stop, and Priest attempted a long shot on the rebound but put the ball wide of the empty net.
"We talked at halftime and made some tactical adjustments," Sanchez added. "I thought the team really bought into it and we created a ton of chances."
The Buffs finally broke through in the 57th minute, with Priest slotting home the game-winner off a pair of tic-tack passes from Hayward and Michaela Rosenbaum. For Priest, it was her second game-winner of the season, having scored the lone goal against Denver on Thursday.
Leyba added an effort goal to win the final minutes to kill off the game. Claire Curran sent a long volley over the top and Leyba and Harris converged on a 50/50 ball. Much like the goal that did the Buffs in against Texas A&M in last season's NCAA Tournament, the ball bounced off Leyba and into the open WSU net.
"The first goal was quality," Sanchez expressed. "Juliauna, Micky and Ava, that's just a great goal. Like I told the team, the second goal from Hope is just legit, just effort, laying it all on the line. We see it every day in training, and I'm pleased that she got rewarded for all the work she put in today."
Up Next
The Buffs open the Big 12 schedule with three straight matches away from Prentup Field. Colorado will open at Kansas State next Thursday and then wrap up the stretch at Oklahoma State (Sept 19) and Iowa State (Sept. 22).
Notes
Rosenbaum and Curran became the 12th and 13th different Buffs to record a point this season…Priest is now tied with Shyra James for the team lead in game-winning goals with two…H. Leyba's goal was her fourth of the season...Nytes now has 13 total shutouts at CU and 19 in her career…She's played 429:11 consecutive minutes of shutout soccer dating back to Aug. 22 vs Wyoming…Nytes now has four consecutive shutout wins, tying her for the second-longest streak in a season…Sunday was her 19th win as a Buff…Colorado has now outscored opponents 16-4 this season…Sunday was the first match of the year the Buffs did not score off a set piece…James missed the match due to injury.
QUOTES
Head Coach Danny Sanchez
On the continued push in the second half – "They [Weber State] had kind of one-half chance and Greer [Maguire] did a good job of dealing with it. For the most part, their shots were from distance. We had to find that second goal. We probably left it a little too late, but it was a great result at the end of the day."
Sophomore Hope Leyba
On Ava Priest – "I think she's done great. She's so in shape. She runs all over the field. She's such a good teammate. She passes to everyone and gets so many assists and scores. She's really helping the team out."
On her goal – "I just tackled the goalkeeper and watched the ball roll. I was like, 'Please go in.' It just rolled slowly and I scored. I was really happy."
Team Stats
Ava Priest (2)
Assisted By: Michaela Rosenbaum , Juliauna Hayward
GOAL by CU Priest, Ava Assist by Rosenbaum, Michaela and Hayward, Juliauna.
56:14
Hope Leyba (4)
Assisted By: Claire Curran
GOAL by CU Leyba, Hope Assist by Curran, Claire.
86:54
