Thielbahr Scores As Buffs Fall In Lubbock

Sunday, September 27

Lubbock, Texas

12 p.m.

Colorado

8-2-1, 2-1-0

Texas Tech

6-0-4, 2-0-1

Team	1	2	Final F
Colorado	1	0	1
Texas Tech	0	3	3

September 27, 2026 | Soccer

Box Score Donate To Soccer Buy Soccer Tickets Game Book

By: Iseck Hurtado, Athletic Communications Associate

LUBBOCK, Texas — The No. 13 Colorado Buffaloes soccer team (8-2-1, 2-1-0 Big 12) fell 3-1 to No. 25 Texas Tech (6-0-4, 2-0-1 Big 12) Sunday afternoon at the John Walker Soccer Complex.

Emma Thielbahr's left-footed strike gave the Buffs a 1-0 halftime lead, but three second-half goals lifted the Red Raiders. Colorado continued to create opportunities through the closing minutes, finishing with an 18-15 advantage in shots and earning a late penalty kick.

Thielbahr's unassisted goal marked her second of the season, finding the upper-left corner in the 37th minute.

"I thought we created some good chances," head coach Danny Sanchez said during his halftime interview. "You know, a centerback hitting a shot with her foot, we'll take it. We will take them as we go."

Freshman goalkeeper Brooke Goerish recorded five saves, including three in the opening half. Hope Leyba led Colorado with five shots, putting four on target, while Reagan Kotschau added four attempts.

The Buffs generated 12 shots after halftime and finished with a 7-5 edge in corner kicks. The result ended Colorado's five-match winning streak.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Colorado and Texas Tech traded early opportunities, with Hope Leyba testing goalkeeper Addie Todd in the eighth minute. Goerish answered at the other end, denying Emma Torres and Taylor Zdrojewski before collecting her third save of the half on Storie Sexton's attempt with 16:40 remaining.

The Buffs broke through late in the half. Hannah Healy fired a shot from the top of the box that deflected off a Texas Tech defender and fell to Thielbahr. The center back followed with a picture-perfect left-footed strike into the upper-left corner at 36:49, giving Colorado a 1-0 lead.

Both teams finished the opening half with six shots, while CU held a 4-3 advantage in shots on goal.

Texas Tech equalized just over two minutes after the restart. Raleigh Greason finished a pass from Torres at 47:08, sending a low shot into the bottom-left corner.

The Red Raiders continued to threaten down the right side. Zdrojewski sent an attempt off target in the 49th minute before Faith Leyba intervened on another chance. With Millie Elwood finding open space on the right side of the box, Faith raced across from the left and slid in to block her right-footed shot.

Colorado nearly regained the lead through Hope Leyba, whose bicycle-kick attempt was saved by Todd at 53:33. Just 39 seconds later, Texas Tech moved ahead when Zdrojewski finished a pass from Elwood with a shot to the back of the net for the Raiders' 2-1 lead.

The Buffs responded with opportunities of their own. Ruby Hayward forced a save in the 59th minute, and CU continued to generate attempts as it pursued an equalizer.

Texas Tech benefited from an unfortunate deflection in the 70th minute to extend its lead to 3-1. Sophie Neves played a ball back toward the center of the box from the left goal line. The cross glanced off the left foot of a Buffaloes defender, positioned roughly five feet from the left post, and changed direction into the bottom-right corner of the net.

Colorado kept pressing through the closing stages. Kotschau forced a save in the 78th minute, while Goerish kept the Buffs within two in the 83rd, sprawling to her right and reaching out with her right hand to turn away Zdrojewski's shot.

A late opportunity came when Michaela McGowan's throw-in from the left sideline led to Hope drawing a foul inside the box. The penalty was upheld following a review requested by Texas Tech's head coach. Kotschau stepped to the spot with 2:22 remaining, but Todd dove to her left, reaching the ball in midair to make the save.

CU earned two more corner kicks in the final two minutes, but the score remained 3-1.

UP NEXT: The Buffaloes continue their road stretch Friday, Oct. 2, visiting UCF in Orlando, Fla. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. MT on ESPN+. Tickets for Colorado's return to Prentup Field against Baylor on Thursday, Oct. 8, 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.