Kotschau Makes History On Senior Night - University of Colorado Athletics

Thursday, November 5

Boulder, Colo.

7 p.m.

Colorado

14-4-1, 8-3-0

Oklahoma State

7-8-4, 3-6-2

Team	1	2	Final F
Oklahoma St.	0	0	0
Colorado	3	2	5

November 05, 2026 | Soccer

Box Score Donate To Soccer Game Book Highlights Postgame Press Conference

By: Marcelo Brant, Athletic Communications Student Assistant

BOULDER – Reagan Kotschau rewrote the record book, and five different Buffaloes scored as the Colorado soccer team rolled to a 5-0 Senior Night victory over Oklahoma State Thursday night at Prentup Field.

Kotschau scored once and assisted on goals by Jace Holley and Faith Leyba, breaking CU's single-season assist record and becoming the first Buff to reach double figures in goals and assists in the same season. The senior midfielder finished the regular season with 10 goals and 12 assists.

"It feels pretty great. It's not really something that I was really expecting coming into the season, but I'll take it. It's really exciting," Kotschau said.

"She was fantastic tonight, and she's been great all year," Head Coach Danny Sanchez said. "I think she still has even more in her."

With the win, the Buffs secured the fourth seed in the Big 12 Tournament. Colorado closed the regular season with five consecutive victories, improving to 14-4-1 overall and 8-3-0 in Big 12 play. CU outscored its opponents 15-2 during that stretch and finished with four straight shutouts. Oklahoma State fell to 7-8-4 overall and 3-6-2 in the conference.

Freshman Sloane Phillips had a hand in all three first-half goals, scoring once and assisting on finishes by Jace Holley and Kaia Santomarco-King. Her career-high four points included her sixth and seventh assists of the season, tying Colorado's freshman record shared by Kate Russell and Emily Groark.

"It felt really good," Phillips said. "The team played really well, and so it just created those opportunities for me. And I think it was just a really fun night."

Santomarco-King's header marked her first career goal, while Faith Leyba and Kotschau added second-half scores to complete the win in front of the Senior Night crowd.

"I was very happy," Santomarco-King said. "It was a long wait for the goal, so I was very excited for it."

The win capped a special night for the Buffs, as CU recognized Caley Swierenga, Hope Leyba, Faith Leyba, Emma Thielbahr, Berkley Mensik, Sami Fisher, Kotschau, Jamie Campbell and Kenzi Gillispie alongside their families in its senior night ceremony.

"We came out sharp," Sanchez said. "Got the two early goals, and got the third goal before halftime, which really kind of killed the game off. In the second half, we didn't miss a beat, got everybody in the match, and the level didn't drop at all. So, a great performance from the Buffs tonight as we get ready for the Big 12 Tournament."

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Buffaloes pressured the Cowgirls out of the gate, earning four corner kicks in the first seven minutes.

CU broke through in the 15th minute when Phillips lobbed a cross into a crowded box. The ball found Holley, who nudged it home with her right foot to give Colorado a 1-0 lead.

The Buffs kept up the intensity following the goal. In the 23rd minute, Swierenga sent a cross into the box that deflected off two OSU defenders. Phillips collected the loose ball and fired towards goal, where it ricocheted off the inside of the left post and into the back of the net, extending the Buffaloes' cushion to 2-0.

With two and a half minutes left in the first half, Ruby Hayward drove toward the box and drew a foul just outside it. Phillips lofted the ensuing free kick to Santomarco-King, who headed it into the bottom-right corner to put the Buffs ahead 3-0.

Colorado dominated the first-half stat sheet, holding a 5-0 edge in shots on goal and a 7-0 advantage in corner kicks.

The Prentup crowd saw more action early in the second half. Four minutes after the break, Kotschau floated a corner kick into the box, where Faith Leyba headed it into the top-left corner to give CU a 4-0 lead.

An OSU handball in the box gave Colorado a penalty kick in the 62nd minute. Hope Leyba fired toward the bottom-left corner, but OSU goalkeeper Logan Marks made the save.

With 21 minutes remaining, Santomarco-King found Hayward at the top of the box. Hayward returned the pass, but Cowgirl defenders knocked the ball away from Santomarco-King. It fell to Kotschau, who rifled a shot into the top-left corner to make it 5-0.

In the waning minutes, Colorado's substitutes helped control possession to finish off the shutout 5-0 win.

"[The players] should enjoy tonight and they should enjoy this season," Sanchez said. "But it's a whole new season starting Monday."

UP NEXT: The fourth-seeded Buffaloes will face fifth-seeded Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals Monday, Nov. 9, at 10:30 a.m. MT at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium in Mansfield, Texas.

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.