Kotschau’s Late Goal Sends CU To Semifinals - University of Colorado Athletics

Monday, November 9

Mansfield, Texas

10:30 a.m.

Colorado

Kansas

November 09, 2026 | Soccer

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By: Iseck Hurtado, Athletic Communications Associate

MANSFIELD, Texas — Reagan Kotschau scored in the final 2 minutes to lift the No. 18 Colorado Buffaloes soccer team to a 2-1 comeback victory over No. 18 Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals Monday at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium.

The fourth-seeded Buffs (15-4-1) erased a second-half deficit with goals from Hope Leyba and Kotschau, extending their winning streak to six matches and advancing to Wednesday's semifinals. Fifth-seeded Kansas fell to 13-5-2.

"I thought we made some really good adjustments at halftime," head coach Danny Sanchez said. "First half wasn't our best half of soccer this year, but I thought the second half we played much better."

Leyba brought Colorado level with 18 minutes remaining before Kotschau delivered the deciding goal in the closing moments. Both seniors scored their 11th goals of the season.

"We really stuck together, and even though we were down a goal, we still stuck together and kept our composure together and worked together, and it paid off," Kotschau said.

The victory came against the last team to defeat Colorado. Kansas won the regular-season meeting 1-0 in Boulder on Oct. 11 and eliminated the Buffs in last season's Big 12 semifinals.

Leyba's equalizer was the 43rd goal of her Colorado career, moving her past Nikki Marshall into sole possession of second in program history. The goal also pushed her to 94 career points, passing Marshall for third on CU's all-time list.

"I think we're able to be more consistent and stick to our game plans, and we all just stick together and work really hard to win," Leyba said. "And I think a lot of it is attitude and willingness to work hard, and we're getting better at that. Just staying mentally locked in the full 90."

Kotschau's winner gave her 34 points this season, breaking the Colorado senior-class record of 32 set by Shyra James in 2023. She now owns the third-highest single-season point total in program history, behind Leyba's 45 in 2025 and Marshall's 37 in 2006.

Colorado reached 15 wins for the fifth time in program history and secured consecutive 15-win seasons for the first time since 2003-04. The Buffs will make their seventh appearance in the Big 12 semifinals.

HOW IT HAPPENED
In the opening minutes, little action was seen from either side, as both defenses held firm and limited opportunities in the attacking third. After 15 minutes, both teams recorded one corner kick but struggled to break through the defensive lines.

Goerish made her first save in the 15th minute, stopping a long-distance strike from Kansas forward Kate Langfelder.

The Jayhawks proceeded to control possession, but CU's backline did not allow them any chances at goal.

The Buffaloes' first shot came in the 28th minute when Kotschau headed a corner kick toward goal, forcing Kansas goalkeeper Sophie Dawe to make the save. Leyba later beat two defenders to create a clear look, but Dawe stopped her low-driven attempt.

As both teams found their rhythm, the Jayhawks kept creating attacking opportunities. Goerish recorded two more saves as the first half wound down.

Kansas held a 7-3 advantage in shots at the break, including a 3-2 edge in shots on goal, and led 5-3 in corner kicks.

Coming out of the tunnel, CU recorded two more shots in the first 10 minutes as the team searched for its first goal.

In the 60th minute, Kansas drove the ball to the top of the box, where forward Jocelyn Herrema fired a perfectly placed rocket into the upper-right corner, just beyond Goerish's reach, giving the Jayhawks a 1-0 lead.

The Buffs tried to swing the momentum by applying pressure in the following moments, with Kotschau unleashing a strike from outside the box that sailed to the right.

With 18 minutes to go, the pressure paid off. Forward Kaia Santomarco-King led a quick counterattack and found Leyba. The senior forward raced a defender toward goal before sending a shot to the top right corner. The ball ricocheted off the left post and crossed the goal line, leveling the score 1-1.

CU kept its foot on the gas after the goal, with midfielder Hannah Healy firing a rocket from outside the box that rattled off the crossbar with 12 minutes to go in regulation.

Kansas searched for a goal in the waning minutes, with forward Jordan Rowan shooting toward the center of the goal, drawing another Goerish save.

Leyba added another attempt with four minutes remaining, but her shot missed the target. Two minutes later, Michaela McGowan nearly found the go-ahead goal with a low-driven strike, but Dawe made the save to keep the score level.

In the final two minutes, Kotschau supplied the breakthrough with about a minute to play. Faith Leyba sent a long ball into the box from beyond midfield, and Kotschau struck it after a bounce to give Colorado a 2-1 victory.

"Both teams had a chance to win this match, but special players make special plays at the end of the game," Sanchez said. "She scores in big moments, so really pleased with the win and excited to advance to the semis on Wednesday."

UP NEXT: Colorado will face the winner of top-seeded BYU and eighth-seeded West Virginia in the Big 12 semifinals Wednesday, Nov. 11, at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. MT on ESPN+.

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.