Thursday, October 22
Tucson, Ariz.
8 p.m.
Colorado
at
Arizona
October 21, 2026 | Soccer
BOULDER — The Colorado Buffaloes soccer team continues its three-match road stretch Thursday, Oct. 22, visiting Arizona at Murphey Field at Mulcahy Stadium in Tucson, Ariz. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. MT, with the match streaming on ESPN+.
The Buffaloes (10-4-1, 4-3-0 Big 12) will pursue their second consecutive road victory against an Arizona squad (5-5-5, 2-1-4 Big 12) unbeaten in its last four matches. Colorado enters with 12 conference points, two ahead of the Wildcats, with four matches remaining in its regular season.
CU opened the trip with a 3-2 victory at Kansas State on Friday, responding after the Wildcats twice erased one-goal deficits. The Buffs will look to build on that response as they head into their final two road matches of the regular season.
"We gutted it on the road, which is what you have to do," Head Coach Danny Sanchez said.
Arizona has built momentum of its own, following a 3-3 draw at Oklahoma State with home victories over Houston and Iowa State before playing Utah to a scoreless draw Friday. The Wildcats are 4-2-1 at home, including a 2-0-1 mark in conference matches.
"They're a hard match," Sanchez said. "They've been getting great results. Went on the road and got a draw in the league at Utah their last game."
Forward Lainey Swanson leads Arizona with eight points on three goals and two assists. Kyleigh Johnson and Mireya Stephenson have each added three goals and an assist, giving the trio nine of the Wildcats' 17 goals. Stephenson also leads the team with 21 shots and 13 shots on goal.
Arizona has scored 13 of its 17 goals after halftime. That second-half production suggests Colorado will need to stay organized defensively and maintain its focus through the final whistle Thursday.
The Wildcats have tightened up defensively during their recent run, allowing one goal across their last three matches. Goalkeepers Sofia Cortes-Browne and Laurynn Ziller split the match at Utah, with Ziller making four second-half saves. Her penalty-kick stop with 25 seconds remaining preserved Arizona's fourth team shutout of the season.
Colorado leads the all-time series 7-2-5, including a 4-2-1 record in Tucson. The Buffs have won the last two meetings, but Thursday marks their first visit to Arizona since a 2-0 loss in 2022.
RECORDS WITHIN REACH
Colorado brings several scoring options into a matchup with Arizona's improving defense, led by senior midfielder Reagan Kotschau. Her eight goals and nine assists have produced a team-leading 25 points, with all three totals surpassing her marks from last season.
Kotschau enters Thursday one assist from tying Colorado's single-season record of 10, shared by Taylor Kornieck, Shanade Hopcroft and Emerson Layne. Her fourth successful penalty kick of the season at Kansas State also tied Kornieck's school record set in 2019.
Senior forward Hope Leyba leads the Buffs with nine goals and has another career milestone within reach. Her 41 career goals rank third in program history, one behind Nikki Marshall for second. Leyba scored the lone goal in Colorado's 1-0 victory over Arizona last season, finishing a chance assisted by Faith Leyba and Caley Swierenga.
The Buffs have also received timely contributions beyond their leading scorers. Defenders Emma Thielbahr and Lilian Zamorano supplied two of Colorado's three goals at Kansas State, with freshman Sloane Phillips providing her fourth assist of the season on Zamorano's winner. Michaela McGowan adds another threat up front with five goals and 11 points.
At the other end, freshman goalkeeper Brooke Goerish matched her career high with eight saves Friday, including six after halftime. She enters Thursday with 54 saves, a 0.83 goals-against average and a .844 save percentage. Colorado's defense has recorded eight team shutouts through 15 matches, providing a foundation the Buffs will look to carry into the final stretch of conference play.
The trip also brings Sanchez back to his home state, where he expects to see family during the Buffs' visits to Tucson and Tempe. The familiar surroundings come with important conference points still to secure.
Colorado will conclude its road trip at Arizona State on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 2 p.m. MT before returning home for its final two regular-season matches against Cincinnati and Oklahoma State.
Tickets for Colorado's return to Prentup Field against Cincinnati on Friday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. MT 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.
The Buffaloes (10-4-1, 4-3-0 Big 12) will pursue their second consecutive road victory against an Arizona squad (5-5-5, 2-1-4 Big 12) unbeaten in its last four matches. Colorado enters with 12 conference points, two ahead of the Wildcats, with four matches remaining in its regular season.
CU opened the trip with a 3-2 victory at Kansas State on Friday, responding after the Wildcats twice erased one-goal deficits. The Buffs will look to build on that response as they head into their final two road matches of the regular season.
"We gutted it on the road, which is what you have to do," Head Coach Danny Sanchez said.
Arizona has built momentum of its own, following a 3-3 draw at Oklahoma State with home victories over Houston and Iowa State before playing Utah to a scoreless draw Friday. The Wildcats are 4-2-1 at home, including a 2-0-1 mark in conference matches.
"They're a hard match," Sanchez said. "They've been getting great results. Went on the road and got a draw in the league at Utah their last game."
Forward Lainey Swanson leads Arizona with eight points on three goals and two assists. Kyleigh Johnson and Mireya Stephenson have each added three goals and an assist, giving the trio nine of the Wildcats' 17 goals. Stephenson also leads the team with 21 shots and 13 shots on goal.
Arizona has scored 13 of its 17 goals after halftime. That second-half production suggests Colorado will need to stay organized defensively and maintain its focus through the final whistle Thursday.
The Wildcats have tightened up defensively during their recent run, allowing one goal across their last three matches. Goalkeepers Sofia Cortes-Browne and Laurynn Ziller split the match at Utah, with Ziller making four second-half saves. Her penalty-kick stop with 25 seconds remaining preserved Arizona's fourth team shutout of the season.
Colorado leads the all-time series 7-2-5, including a 4-2-1 record in Tucson. The Buffs have won the last two meetings, but Thursday marks their first visit to Arizona since a 2-0 loss in 2022.
RECORDS WITHIN REACH
Colorado brings several scoring options into a matchup with Arizona's improving defense, led by senior midfielder Reagan Kotschau. Her eight goals and nine assists have produced a team-leading 25 points, with all three totals surpassing her marks from last season.
Kotschau enters Thursday one assist from tying Colorado's single-season record of 10, shared by Taylor Kornieck, Shanade Hopcroft and Emerson Layne. Her fourth successful penalty kick of the season at Kansas State also tied Kornieck's school record set in 2019.
Senior forward Hope Leyba leads the Buffs with nine goals and has another career milestone within reach. Her 41 career goals rank third in program history, one behind Nikki Marshall for second. Leyba scored the lone goal in Colorado's 1-0 victory over Arizona last season, finishing a chance assisted by Faith Leyba and Caley Swierenga.
The Buffs have also received timely contributions beyond their leading scorers. Defenders Emma Thielbahr and Lilian Zamorano supplied two of Colorado's three goals at Kansas State, with freshman Sloane Phillips providing her fourth assist of the season on Zamorano's winner. Michaela McGowan adds another threat up front with five goals and 11 points.
At the other end, freshman goalkeeper Brooke Goerish matched her career high with eight saves Friday, including six after halftime. She enters Thursday with 54 saves, a 0.83 goals-against average and a .844 save percentage. Colorado's defense has recorded eight team shutouts through 15 matches, providing a foundation the Buffs will look to carry into the final stretch of conference play.
The trip also brings Sanchez back to his home state, where he expects to see family during the Buffs' visits to Tucson and Tempe. The familiar surroundings come with important conference points still to secure.
Colorado will conclude its road trip at Arizona State on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 2 p.m. MT before returning home for its final two regular-season matches against Cincinnati and Oklahoma State.
Tickets for Colorado's return to Prentup Field against Cincinnati on Friday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. MT 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.
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