Thursday, September 17
Ames, Iowa
5 p.m.
Colorado
at
Iowa State
Buffs Open Big 12 Play At Iowa State
September 16, 2026 | Soccer
BOULDER — The Colorado Buffaloes soccer team opens Big 12 play on Thursday, traveling to Ames to take on Iowa State at 5 p.m. MT. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.Â
Colorado enters conference play at 6-1-1 after closing out its nonconference schedule with three consecutive wins – all shutouts. The Buffs opened the season with victories over Colorado State, Army and Cal State Fullerton before playing Western Michigan to a scoreless draw in their first road match. CU suffered its lone loss of the season at then-No. 3 Michigan State, 3-2, before responding with three straight victories at Prentup Field.Â
Colorado has been dominant during its current three-match winning streak, outscoring New Mexico, Utah State and Denver by a combined 11-0. The stretch improved the Buffs to a perfect 6-0-0 at Prentup Field this season and extended their home unbeaten streak to 21 matches.Â
The Buffs closed nonconference play with a 6-0 victory over Denver on Friday. Hope Leyba recorded her third career hat trick, while Michaela McGowan, Berkley Mensik and Hannah Healy also found the back of the net. Leyba's six-point night moved her to 83 career points, placing her fifth in Colorado history and just one point behind Fran Munnelly for fourth.Â
Leyba leads Colorado with six goals on the season, while McGowan and Reagan Kotschau have scored five apiece. The Buffs have totaled 24 goals through eight matches, averaging three goals per contest while allowing just six.Â
Colorado's defense has also settled into form entering Big 12 play. The Buffs have posted five shutouts this season, including three consecutive clean sheets to close the nonconference schedule.Â
"Coming off a weekend like last one, you didn't really know what you were going to get, but it was super sharp this morning," head coach Danny Sanchez said of the Buffs' preparation. "We're excited to get out on the road, and we have 11 conference games and every one of them is just as important as the other one."Â
Iowa State enters Thursday at 4-2-2 after finishing its nonconference slate with a 1-1 draw at Loyola Maryland. Sophie Forrester answered Loyola's opening goal just 20 seconds later for the Cyclones, who enter conference play unbeaten in their last three matches.Â
The Cyclones have scored 13 goals while allowing just five through eight matches and have recorded five shutouts.Â
"They've been stingy defensively," Sanchez said. "We went there a couple years ago, and it was 1-0. Emerson Layne scored a great goal, and that was really our only good chance."Â
Morgan Goodman leads Iowa State with six points on one goal and four assists, while Forrester, Alaina Villa and Megan Walters share the team lead with two goals apiece.Â
Thursday marks the 20th all-time meeting between Colorado and Iowa State. The Buffs lead the series 16-2-1 and have won six consecutive meetings. Colorado is 4-2-1 all-time in Ames and has gone 9-0-1 in the last 10 matchups between the programs.Â
The teams met last season at Prentup Field, with Colorado earning a 3-1 victory over the Cyclones. CU also won its most recent trip to Ames, defeating Iowa State 1-0 in 2024.Â
Thursday begins an 11-match Big 12 schedule for the Buffs. Colorado returns to Prentup Field following the conference opener to host West Virginia on Sept. 24 before heading back on the road to face Texas Tech on Sept. 27.Â
Tickets for Colorado's return to Prentup Field against West Virginia on Sept. 24 are available here.Â
Socials:Â For more information on Colorado Soccer, please visit cubuffs.com/soccer. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffssoccer on Instagram, X, TikTok and Facebook.
Colorado enters conference play at 6-1-1 after closing out its nonconference schedule with three consecutive wins – all shutouts. The Buffs opened the season with victories over Colorado State, Army and Cal State Fullerton before playing Western Michigan to a scoreless draw in their first road match. CU suffered its lone loss of the season at then-No. 3 Michigan State, 3-2, before responding with three straight victories at Prentup Field.Â
Colorado has been dominant during its current three-match winning streak, outscoring New Mexico, Utah State and Denver by a combined 11-0. The stretch improved the Buffs to a perfect 6-0-0 at Prentup Field this season and extended their home unbeaten streak to 21 matches.Â
The Buffs closed nonconference play with a 6-0 victory over Denver on Friday. Hope Leyba recorded her third career hat trick, while Michaela McGowan, Berkley Mensik and Hannah Healy also found the back of the net. Leyba's six-point night moved her to 83 career points, placing her fifth in Colorado history and just one point behind Fran Munnelly for fourth.Â
Leyba leads Colorado with six goals on the season, while McGowan and Reagan Kotschau have scored five apiece. The Buffs have totaled 24 goals through eight matches, averaging three goals per contest while allowing just six.Â
Colorado's defense has also settled into form entering Big 12 play. The Buffs have posted five shutouts this season, including three consecutive clean sheets to close the nonconference schedule.Â
"Coming off a weekend like last one, you didn't really know what you were going to get, but it was super sharp this morning," head coach Danny Sanchez said of the Buffs' preparation. "We're excited to get out on the road, and we have 11 conference games and every one of them is just as important as the other one."Â
Iowa State enters Thursday at 4-2-2 after finishing its nonconference slate with a 1-1 draw at Loyola Maryland. Sophie Forrester answered Loyola's opening goal just 20 seconds later for the Cyclones, who enter conference play unbeaten in their last three matches.Â
The Cyclones have scored 13 goals while allowing just five through eight matches and have recorded five shutouts.Â
"They've been stingy defensively," Sanchez said. "We went there a couple years ago, and it was 1-0. Emerson Layne scored a great goal, and that was really our only good chance."Â
Morgan Goodman leads Iowa State with six points on one goal and four assists, while Forrester, Alaina Villa and Megan Walters share the team lead with two goals apiece.Â
Thursday marks the 20th all-time meeting between Colorado and Iowa State. The Buffs lead the series 16-2-1 and have won six consecutive meetings. Colorado is 4-2-1 all-time in Ames and has gone 9-0-1 in the last 10 matchups between the programs.Â
The teams met last season at Prentup Field, with Colorado earning a 3-1 victory over the Cyclones. CU also won its most recent trip to Ames, defeating Iowa State 1-0 in 2024.Â
Thursday begins an 11-match Big 12 schedule for the Buffs. Colorado returns to Prentup Field following the conference opener to host West Virginia on Sept. 24 before heading back on the road to face Texas Tech on Sept. 27.Â
Tickets for Colorado's return to Prentup Field against West Virginia on Sept. 24 are available here.Â
Socials:Â 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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