Leyba, Buffs Calm Cyclones

BOULDER — Hope Leyba accounted for all three goals Thursday night for Colorado, as the Buffaloes defeated the Iowa State Cyclones 3-1 in front of 1,229 fans at Prentup Field.

Colorado (7-1-2, 1-0-1) struck early with two first-half goals and secured the win with Leyba's third of the night in the early goings of the second half. Iowa State managed one goal in the latter period, but the Buffs' defense limited their chances.

Leyba exploded on Thursday for her second three-goal effort of the season and her fourth multi-goal game this season, after having not scored in CU's last four games. The junior from Phoenix, Ariz., joined Nikki Marshall as the only Buff to record multiple hat tricks in a career, and became the first CU striker to have a pair of hat tricks in the same season.

"I was frustrated," Leyba said about the scoring slump. "I want to score every game. I'm so blessed. It's really awesome. I couldn't be happier."

Leyba finished the night scoring on three of her four shots. Jordan Nytes continued to play a crucial role in net, recording three saves while allowing one goal in 90 minutes to secure the win.

"It was a good performance tonight," head coach Danny Sanchez expressed. "I thought we were very good going forward. You know, scored three really good goals. Credit to Iowa State. I thought they created some good chances. A little disappointed to give up the free-kick goal at the end, but overall, a great performance for the Buffs tonight."

How it Happened

The first half began with Colorado establishing early momentum, highlighted by Leyba's goal in the 16th minute, assisted by Ava Priest, putting the team ahead 1-0. The Buffs maintained offensive pressure, with goalkeeper Jordan Nytes making three saves in the half to keep Iowa State off the scoreboard.

Leyba's second of the night came on an effort play, poking the ball past ISU keeper Kasey Cannistraro to further increase the lead in the 36th minute, assisted by Ruby Hayward.

"I thought they bought into the game plan," Sanchez said of the performance. "They moved the ball well, and like [assistant coach] Dave Morgan said after the game, when we were talking to the team, I thought the players that came in really changed the tempo and kept the level high. The second half was some of the best soccer we played this year."

The second half began with Colorado maintaining its dominance from the first half. Leyba extended the lead to 3-0 with a goal in the 52nd minute, assisted by Caley Swierenga and Greer Maguire. It was her 12th goal of the season and 22nd of her career.

The Buffaloes continued to apply pressure, generating multiple shots on goal, but Cannistraro made several saves to limit further scoring.

Iowa State responded in the 82nd minute with a free-kick goal by Morgan Goodman from right outside the penalty area, narrowing the deficit to 3-1.

Up Next
Looking ahead, the Buffs will take the field at Prentup Field to host Houston on Sunday, Sept. 28. The match is set to begin at 1 p.m. as Colorado seeks to capitalize on their home advantage.

Notes
Leyba's hat trick was the ninth all-time at CU…She is now in a five-way tie for 3rd in CU history with her 12 goals this season…Her 22 career goals are tied with Anne Stuller for 7th most in program history…Her 12 goals this season are also tied for the most by a junior in program history (Katie Griffin, 2005)…Her 24 points this season are 4th most by a junior in CU history…Leyba now has 47 career points, moving into 9th in program history…the Buffs have now scored 31 goals this season, matching their 2024 total.

For more information on Colorado Soccer, please visit cubuffs.com/soccer. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffssoccer on Instagram, X, TikTok and Facebook.

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Team Stats

Hope Leyba

Ava Priest

Caley Swierenga

Ruby Hayward

Players Mentioned

Ruby Hayward

Hope Leyba

Greer Maguire

Jordan Nytes

Ava Priest

Caley Swierenga

Players Mentioned

Ruby Hayward

Hope Leyba

Greer Maguire

Jordan Nytes

Ava Priest

Caley Swierenga