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Buffs head to Texas for two games
CU’s Mel Hicks, right, chases down Nebraska defender Carly Peetz in a game this season. The Buffs are heading to Texas for two games this weekened. (photo by Tom Auclair/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)
The University of Colorado soccer team will wrap up the regular season with three games in eight days, beginning with a road trip to the Lone Star State.
The Buffs, coming off a bye week with an overall record of 8-7 (5-2 in the Big 12), travel to Texas A&M on Friday and the University of Texas on Sunday. CU ends the season Oct. 30 at home against Texas Tech; game time is 3 p.m.
Prior to the bye, Colorado went 1-1 against Missouri and Kansas. The Buffs faced Missouri on Friday, Oct. 9 and dropped a 1-0 overtime decision to the Tigers. Colorado rebounded on Sunday against Kansas with a 1-0 win, thanks to freshman Erin Bricker’s first career goal. The win proved to be CU’s first true road win of the season, but the loss at Missouri helped the Tigers take over the top spot in the Big 12 standings.
Texas A&M (10-5-1, 4-2-1 Big 12) enters the weekend after a 1-0 win over Iowa State and a 2-1 loss to Nebraska last week. Nebraska used two goals from freshman Morgan Marlborough to hand the Aggies their second conference loss of the season.
The Aggies are led by Rachel Shipley, who has five goals and seven assists, while Whitney Hooper leads the team in goals scored, with seven. Historically, Texas A&M has proven to be a difficult matchup for the Buffs, owning a 1-16-1 all-time record against CU. Colorado is 0-6 in College Station, and the Buffs’ lone win over the Aggies came in 2006 in the second round of the Big 12 championships, thanks to a Nikki Marshall overtime goal. Texas A&M is just two points behind second-place Colorado in the Big 12 standings.
Texas (7-7-2, 3-2-2 Big 12) did the exact opposite of Texas A&M last weekend, beating Nebraska on Friday and losing to Iowa State on Sunday. Texas will face Texas Tech on Friday. The Longhorns are led by Kylie Doniak, who has netted five goals and dished out two assists. Texas has bounced back from a 3-5 start to a 4-2-2 record in the second half of the season. In its first nine matches, Texas allowed 15 goals, but the defense has since allowed only six. Texas owns the overall series over the Buffaloes 9-4-2, and CU’s only win in the past five meetings was a 1-0 thriller last year in Boulder.
With just three matches left to play, the Buffs are still in the hunt for their second regular-season title ever. CU is also looking to make its eighth-straight appearance in the Big 12 championships; only the top eight teams, based on points at the end of the season, qualify for conference tournament. In league play, three points are awarded for a win, one for a tie and none for a loss.
Marshall leads the Buffs in scoring with seven goals and one assist. Sophomore Kelly Butler follows Marshall, with four goals and two assists. Bricker leads the team with three assists, and senior goalkeeper Kara Linder owns a 1.15 goals-against average and five shutouts.
Colorado’s return to Boulder will be televised on FSN. CU will celebrate Senior Day and Kick or Treat at Prentup Field before the match. Kids and adults are invited to wear costumes and trick-or-treat with other student-athletes before the match. Everyone wearing a costume will have a chance to win prizes starting at 2 p.m., and the match will kick off at 3. The first 100 fans will receive a free poster autographed by the team’s five seniors.
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