CU Buffs Soccer Team Loses Overtime Heartbreaker To Washington
Sep 29th
Boulder – In a blink of the eye, the University of Colorado soccer team tied up their Pac-12 Conference home opener against Washington. And in another blink in overtime, the Buffs fell 2-1 to the Huskies.
CU freshman Emily Paxton tied the game at 1-1 with just over eight minutes left in regulation. Less than 30 seconds into overtime, Washington claimed their first Pac-12 win of the season.
CU freshman Emily Paxton tied the game at 1-1 with just over eight minutes left in regulation. Less than 30 seconds into overtime, Washington claimed their first Pac-12 win of the season.
“I thought we played with a lot of heart, and it felt so good to get that goal, but then I thought all the emotion after we scored caused us to let down a little bit,” Paxton said. 
Colorado outshot Washington 18-15, but the Huskies had twice as many corner kicks (eight to four). With 11 shutouts between the two teams this season, defense was key.
CU’s stellar goalkeeper Annie Brunner had four saves in the loss. The Buffs couldn’t find the answer to netting balls against the Pac-12’s leading saver Kari Davidson, who had five saves in Friday’s game.
The Buffs had a hard time reaching the net in the first half, but came back strong after the break, making Davidson earn all her saves in the second half.
In just their second loss of the season, the Buffs fall to 6-2-3 overall (0-1-1 Pac-12). Washington improves to 8-2-1 (1-1).
Washington and Colorado fought for possession throughout the first half, with the Huskies grabbing the upper hand in the 20th minute.
With 30 minutes remaining, Hayley Hughes crossed the ball to Anne Stuller who was blocked, something the UW defense would do multiple times before halftime.
Just minutes later, from midfield, Quinn Krier found Hughes open near the net, but once again Washington’s defense stopped the Buffs.
The Huskies began to dominate on offense, culminating in a goal at the 19:05 mark. Allie Beahan shot one into the far post too fast for Brunner to get the stop.
Washington kept attacking, and with less than 16 remaining took another shot. Christina Archer hit one high, and Brunner tipped it away, grabbing her first save of the game.
Stuller took five shots in the first half alone (eight total in the game), but had another blocked with 13 minutes remaining in the half. Davidson struggled to keep control of the ball, but no Buffs were able to capitalize.
UW took a pair of corners in the closing minutes, but the Buffs defense kept the game at 1-0 going into the break.
The Buffs came out hot after halftime. Less than two minutes in, Madison Krauser rushed to the net and sent one just wide. Minutes later, Stuller faced the same fate.
“We played well in the second half, I thought,” head coach Danny Sanchez said. “In the first half we came out kind of tentative. But, in the second half I’m not sure if they [Washington] had a lot of quality looks at the goal and we had about two or three, and we scored on one of them.”
Stuller showed her strength in free kicks, getting one right at the goal, and forcing Davidson’s first save of the game.
The Huskies took five corners in the second half, but Brunner and the CU defense were quick on saves and blocks. With less than 25 minutes remaining in the half, Beahan tried to get her second goal of the game, but was shut down by freshman Heather Ward.
CU picked up momentum in the final 20 minutes of regulation. A couple free kicks for the Buffs helped catch Davidson off guard in the following plays. There were 13 minutes on the clock when Darcy Jerman got it to Krauser who made Davidson work hard for another save. A minute later, Jerman took a shot of her own.
This helped the Buffs build up necessary steam, and at the 81:22 mark, they tied things up. Colorado worked the pitch, with Jerman crossing the ball to captain Amy Barczuk. Barczuk sent one at the keeper, and while Davidson was still recovering, Emily Paxton took advantage of the situation to score her first goal as a Buff.
“I saw that it was a great ball,” Paxton said. “Amy (Barczuk) came into the box real aggressive. I thought she was going to score at first but then I saw the rebound, and I was right in front of the goal. So, I took a shot.”
The game stayed tight in the closing minutes of regulation, but it wasn’t until overtime that the Huskies proved dominant. Just 28 seconds into extra time, UW’s leading scorer Lindsay Elston won the game. With Washington rapidly attacking, the Buffs couldn’t stop the Huskies and Elston got one past Brunner on the right edge of the net.
“I think what it was the service came in, and a player kind of whiffed at it,” Sanchez said. “I think everyone was ready for that shot and didn’t expect the ball to kind of trickle to the far post. A player was there, so I think at the end of the day it was more of, they put the ball in a dangerous spot and when you do that, things happen for you.”
Despite the home field loss, Sanchez said his team has to move forward and keep games tight against Pac-12 opponents.
“Every game is going to be competitive, hopefully,” Sanchez said. “Washington State, last Thursday, tied UCLA. UCLA is one of the top two or three programs in the country. So, we can’t feel sorry for ourselves right now. We have to get back at it tomorrow, talk about Washington State, and come out strong on Sunday.”
To finish up the weekend the Buffs will face Washington State on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Be sure to stick around after Sunday’s game for a special autograph session with the team! Remember general admission and parking are FREE for CU Soccer games.
—
Fifth annual Lighten Up Boulder safety campaign offers discounts for bike lights
Sep 28th
As fall sets in and the days get shorter, the City of Boulder, Community Cycles, the University of Colorado (CU) and local businesses are teaming up for the fifth annual Lighten Up Boulder safety campaign to encourage the use of bike lights for nighttime riding. The campaign offers 10 to 20 percent discounts on select bike light accessories at participating Boulder businesses.
Bike light coupons can be printed from the GOBoulder.net website or picked up during business hours at the following locations:
- the GO Boulder office at 1739 Broadway, second floor,
- the Community Cycles shop at 2805 Wilderness Place, Suite 1000; or
- the CU Bike Station on campus at the University Memorial Center (UMC).
The coupons can be redeemed at any of the eight different retailers listed on the coupon and are valid through Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012.
The campaign also reminds cyclists that biking at night without proper lighting is both illegal and unsafe. Without bike lights, cyclists cannot see what’s ahead and drivers cannot see cyclists. The Boulder Revised Code requires all cyclists traveling between sunset and sunrise to equip their bikes with both a mounted white light on the front and a red reflector on the back (B.R.C. 7-5-11: Bicycle Headlight and Reflector Required).
“Riding your bike at night without adequate lighting can result in dangerous situations for you and others, as well as a $50 fine,” said Bicycle/Pedestrian Transportation Planner Marni Ratzel. “We hope that this campaign will encourage more cyclists to mount lights on their bikes, making nighttime travel in Boulder safer for cyclists, drivers and pedestrians.”
For access to bike light coupons, bike maps and safety tips, visit www.goboulder.net.
CU Buff sports (not so) briefs
Sep 28th
Buffs Return To Prentup For Pac-12 Play
QUICKLY: The CU soccer team begins its home Pac-12 Conference schedule at Prentup Field this weekend. The Buffs are unbeaten through four games, losing only once so far this season. CU (6-1-3) takes on Washington and Wash ington State to begin a five-game homestand. The Buffs open against the 7-2-1 Huskies on Friday at 3 p.m. The weekend ends on Sunday as the Buffs take on the Cougars (6-2-1) at 2:30 p.m. Be sure to stick around after Sunday’s game for a special autograph session with the team!
COLORADO VS. WASHINGTON: This will be just the second meeting for the Buffs and Huskies. In their first season in the Pac-12, the Buffs fell 2-1 at Husky Soccer Complex. Anne Stuller scored an unassisted goal to put CU on the board in last year’s defeat.SCOUTING THE HUSKIES: The Huskies have lost two straight. They fell 3-1 to then-ranked No. 17 BYU and were upset by USC in their conference opener. Junior Lindsay Elston, who has six goals and four assists, is one of eight Huskies to score this season. Goalkeeper Kari Davidson leads the Pac-12 in saves.
COLORADO VS. WASHINGTON STATE: This will be the third time the Buffs and Cougars have met. In their first meeting in 2010, CU claimed a 2-1 overtime win. Last season, the Buffs fell 4-0 at Lowe Soccer Field in Pullman, Wash.
SCOUTING THE COUGARS: The Cougars shut out then-ranked No. 2 UCLA last Friday in a scoreless tie, but fell to Santa Clara on Sunday. In their two losses, the Cougars have been blanked 7-0. WSU is an offensive presence, scoring 21 goals this season, including eight by Micaela Castain.
LAST WEEK: CU opened Pac-12 Conference play last Friday at Oregon. Both teams went into the match-up un beaten through their previous three games, and a scoreless double overtime tie extended their streaks. CU goalkeeper Annie Brunner had four saves in her third straight shutout. BUFF BRIGADE: CU fans help give the Buffs a real home field advantage at Prentup. Colorado ranks third in the Pac-12 in attendance, averaging 1,117 fans per game. The Buffs are undefeated in three home games this season.
CU KNOWS NO DEFEAT: CU is currently on a four-game unbeaten streak. The Buffs have shut out their three previous opponents, and six total. CU goalkeeper Annie Brunner leads the Pac-12 in shutouts and is in a four-way tie for third on CU’s single season shutouts list.
WINNING: The Buffs began the 2012 season with an unprecidented five-game unbeaten streak, including three straight shutouts in their opening games, both program firsts. CU has only lost once this season, 4-1 to Denver at the DU
Invitational. The 6-1-2 non-conference start marks just the the fifth time in program history that CU won at least six regular-season non-conference games. The most recent was a 7-1-1 start in 2008.
COLORADO CONNECTIONS: Washington and Washington State have a combined four players from Colorado. UW’s Berkley Gamble and CU’s Anne Stuller and Nikola Machalek are all Boulder natives who attended Fairview. WSU freshman Susie White attended Mountain Vista in Highlands Ranch, as did CU junior Hayley Hughes. Mesa Owsley and Kourtney Guetlein of WSU are from Fort Collins and Monument, respectively.
RECORD BREAKERS: Juniors Annie Brunner and Anne Stuller continue to make their names known in Pac-12 soccer. Brunner leads the Pac-12 with six shutouts and is tied for third with 34 saves this season. She is in a four-way tie for third on CU’s single season shutouts list, and with 13 shutouts in her career, holds down the third spot for most all-time by a Buff. It took Stuller just 106 shots (landing her in a three-way tie on CU’s career list) to also break into CU’s top 10 for shots on goal. She ties Gianna DeSaverio (2007-08) with 50 shots on goal. With seven goals this season, Stuller ties Melissa Cartmell (1999) for fifth on CU’s list of most goals by a junior.
ALL-STAR ATHLETES: Three Buffs have received major honors this season.
Sept. 10-16: Annie Brunner, CU Athlete of the Week
vs. Wyoming W 2-0 0 goals allowed 4 saves
vs. Air Force W 2-0 0 goals allowed 4 saves
Brunner has recorded 131 saves all-time, moving past Kara Linder (2006-09) for sixth most for the Buffs. She notched back-to-back shutouts to hold down the sixth spot twice with five shutouts in two different seasons (2010 was her first).
Aug. 27-Sept. 2: Madison Krauser, CU Athlete of the Week
vs. Northwestern T 2-2 3 shots 1 goal 2 points
Krauser’s first goal of the season came just minutes after captain Amy Barczuk scored in the second half. She is the only freshman to have started every game.
Aug. 20-27: Anne Stuller, Pac-12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week, CU Athlete of the Week, Soccer America Women’s Team of the Week
vs. LIU W 2-0 6 shots 2 goals 4 points
vs. Wright State W 2-1 5 shots 2 goals 4 points
Stuller joined Nikki Marshall (2006) and Katie Griffin (2005) to become only the third player in CU history to have three multiple goal games in a single season, with her other two-goal game happening at Northern Colorado.
Aug. 13-19: Annie Brunner, Pac-12 Conference Defensive Player of the Week
vs. Northern Colorado W 3-0 0 goals allowed 3 saves
vs. Colorado College T 0-0 0 goals allowed 5 saves
Brunner shut out both teams in the Colorado Cup and also shut out LIU in the Omni Hotels Colorado Women’s Soccer Classic. It was the first time in CU history the Buffs started their season with three shutouts and the first time since 2008 the team had three shutouts in a row.
Anne Stuller, CU Athlete of the Week
vs. Northern Colorado W 3-0 3 shots 2 goals 4 points
vs. Colorado College T 0-0 2 shots
PAC-12 COACHES POLL: Colorado was picked to finish 11th in this year’s Pac-12 Coaches Poll. Stanford, the reigning NCAA Champion, received nine out of 11 possible first-place votes. UCLA, Cal, Oregon State and Washington rounded out the top five. Arizona State and USC followed, with Utah and Washington State tied for eighth. Oregon and Arizona were chosen as 10th and 12th.
COMING UP: Remember the Buffs are also at home next weekend with two big conference matchups. On Friday, Oct. 5, the Buffs take on California at 4 p.m. Crocs will be hosting a shoe donation drop box at the game in conjunction with their Crocs Cares program. The first 100 fans who donate a pair of shoes will receive a $50 Crocs gift card! CU Soccer will play No. 2 Stanford on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. Make sure to arrive early for a special pregame appearance and run by Ralphie!
—
