Colorado
UCF
No. 17 Colorado Looks To Respond At UCF
October 01, 2026 | Soccer
ORLANDO, Fla. – No. 17 Colorado continues its Big 12 road swing Friday, Oct. 2, traveling to Orlando for the first time in program history to take on UCF at the UCF Soccer Complex. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. MT on ESPN+.
The Buffaloes (8-2-1, 2-1-0 Big 12) will look to bounce back after Sunday's 3-1 loss to Texas Tech, which snapped CU's five-match winning streak. Colorado enters Friday with six points through its first three conference matches after opening Big 12 play with wins over Iowa State and West Virginia.
Friday will also be another test away from Prentup Field for the Buffs. Colorado is 2-2-1 on the road this season, with both losses coming against nationally ranked opponents in Michigan State and Texas Tech.
"We're excited to get out to Florida," head coach Danny Sanchez said. "It's the first time that we'll be playing there. As we know, it's tough to get results on the road any time of the year, but especially in Big 12 play. We know that we're going to have to be on top of our game."
Colorado continued to create opportunities despite Sunday's result in Lubbock, finishing with 18 shots and nine on target. Emma Thielbahr provided the Buffs' lone goal in the 37th minute, sending Colorado into halftime even with the Red Raiders before Texas Tech pulled away in the second half.
The Buffs' attack has been spread throughout the lineup this season. Reagan Kotschau and Hope Leyba have paced Colorado with seven goals apiece, while Kotschau's six assists give her a team-best 20 points. Michaela McGowan has added five goals as part of a CU offense that has produced 28 goals through 11 matches.
Leyba also continues her climb through Colorado's career record book. The senior enters Friday with 39 career goals, tied with Taylor Kornieck for third in program history. Her next goal would move her into sole possession of third place, trailing only Nikki Marshall and Shyra James.
FIRST TRIP TO ORLANDO
UCF (5-3-1, 0-2-1 Big 12) returns home after dropping consecutive road matches at BYU and Utah. The Knights opened conference play with a 2-2 draw against Texas Tech before falling 3-1 to the Cougars and 2-0 to the Utes. UCF is 3-0-1 at the UCF Soccer Complex this season, making Friday another challenging road environment for Colorado.
"UCF is very well coached," Sanchez added. "They have some really dangerous attacking players. They play really good soccer, so we're going to have to really stick to our game plan to get a result on Friday."
Senior Naomi Clark leads the Knights' attack with eight goals and 18 points. The Parker, Colo., native scored UCF's lone goal at BYU and entered this week as the Big 12's leading goal scorer. Ainsley Moy has helped facilitate the offense with six assists, including the helper on Clark's goal against the Cougars.
The Knights are led by head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak, now in her 14th season at UCF. The former U.S. Women's National Team player has guided the program to six NCAA Tournament appearances and led UCF to a 12-4-5 record and the NCAA Tournament's second round last season.
Friday marks the third meeting between Colorado and UCF and the Buffs' first trip to Orlando. The teams played a scoreless draw at Prentup Field in 2024 before meeting again in last season's Big 12 Tournament.
That postseason matchup produced one of Colorado's most memorable comebacks of 2025. The Buffs trailed UCF 2-0 at halftime before scoring three unanswered goals in a 12-minute span to earn a 3-2 quarterfinal victory. Hope Leyba scored twice, including the game-winner, while Jace Holley supplied the equalizer.
The trip will also give Colorado another taste of the geographic reach of the Big 12, trading the altitude of Boulder for the Florida heat and humidity.
"The great part of the Big 12 is you get a little bit of everything," Sanchez said when asked about the change in environment. "We basically cover the whole country, so everybody gets the benefit of playing in all different environments. Like I said, we're just excited to get out there."
Friday's match is UCF's annual Space Game. The Knights will return home after playing their previous two matches in Utah, while Colorado will make the trip east following Sunday's visit to Lubbock.
UP NEXT: Colorado returns to Prentup Field next week for a two-match homestand, beginning against Baylor on Thursday, Oct. 8, where fans can watch Ralphie, lead the Buffs onto the field. Tickets for the return home are available here.
SOCIALS: For more information on Colorado Soccer, please visit cubuffs.com/soccer. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffssoccer on Instagram, X, TikTok, and Facebook.
