Sunday, September 6
Boulder, Colo.
12 p.m.
Colorado
vs
Utah State
Buffs Saddle Up For Utah State
September 05, 2026 | Soccer
BOULDER — No. 24 Colorado returns to Prentup Field on Sunday, Sept. 6, to host Utah State at noon MT. The match will be streamed nationwide on ESPN+. Fans can arrive early for Mutton Bustin' at 11:15 a.m. on Potts Field before kickoff.
The Buffaloes enter Sunday at 4-1-1 after earning a 3-0 victory over New Mexico on Thursday.
Colorado wasted little time getting on the board against the Lobos, scoring twice in the opening 14 minutes. Ruby Hayward opened the scoring in the seventh minute, finding the bottom-right corner for her second goal of the season.
Emma Thielbahr followed in the 14th minute, heading home her first goal as a Buffalo to extend Colorado's advantage to 2-0. Hope Leyba, Faith Leyba, Caley Swierenga and Reagan Kotschau each recorded an assist on Colorado's two first-half goals.
Michaela McGowan capped the scoring in the 67th minute with her fourth goal of the season, moving her into a tie with Kotschau for the team lead.
The Buffs controlled much of the match offensively, outshooting New Mexico 21-10 while holding a 13-5 advantage in shots on goal and a 10-1 edge in corner kicks.
Freshman goalkeeper Brooke Goerish made five saves while playing the full 90 minutes for the first time in her collegiate career, helping Colorado record its third shutout of the season.
The victory marked Colorado's 150th all-time win at Prentup Field and extended its home unbeaten streak to 19 consecutive official matches. The Buffs are 15-0-4 during the streak and a perfect 4-0-0 at home this season, outscoring opponents 14-3.
Head coach Danny Sanchez highlighted Utah State earlier in the preseason as one of several accomplished programs on Colorado's non-conference schedule.
"Western Michigan won their league. Cal State Fullerton won their league. Utah State won their league," Sanchez said.
Sanchez noted that Colorado intentionally built a challenging non-conference schedule to prepare the Buffs for Big 12 play.
A Look at the Aggies
Sunday will mark the first meeting between Colorado and Utah State.
The Aggies enter Boulder at 4-1-1 and riding a four-match winning streak, most recently defeating Utah Tech 8-1 on Thursday.
Utah State scored four goals in each half against the Trailblazers and had seven different players find the net. Samantha Sellers led the Aggies with two goals, while Ellie Hendrix added a goal and three assists.
Hendrix's three assists tied Utah State's single-match record. She leads the Aggies with nine points on three goals and three assists, with all three of her goals serving as game-winners.
Utah State is competing in its first season as a member of the Pac-12 after spending the previous 13 seasons in the Mountain West. The Aggies were picked to win the conference in the Pac-12 preseason coaches' poll.
The Aggies enter 2026 following the most successful stretch in program history. Utah State has won three consecutive conference tournament championships and earned NCAA Tournament appearances in each of the past three seasons. The Aggies are one of five programs outside the Power Four and Big East to reach each of the past three NCAA Tournaments.
Sunday's matchup also carries a unique connection for Sanchez. His most recent meeting with Utah State came as Wyoming's head coach on Sept. 6, 2009 — exactly 17 years to the day before Sunday's match. Wyoming and Utah State played to a 1-1 double-overtime draw that afternoon in Logan.
Sunday's matchup also carries a unique connection for Sanchez. His most recent meeting with Utah State came as Wyoming's head coach on Sept. 6, 2009 — exactly 17 years to the day before Sunday's match. Wyoming and Utah State played to a 1-1 double-overtime draw that afternoon in Logan.
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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