The University of Colorado women’s soccer team closed out a five-game home stand Sunday afternoon with a 1-0 win over Oregon.
On a Family Day that had Ralphie running the field before the game and a ceremony at halftime honoring the 10th anniversary of the 2003 Big 12 Champion team, the Buffs were able to hold off the Ducks and secure a victory in front of a sizable home crowd at Prentup FIeld.
Both teams had scoring opportunities in the first half, but solid goalkeeping from both sides kept the game scoreless. The Buffs did well possessing the ball early, with exceptional play in transition from midfielders Darcy Jerman and Olivia Pappalardo.
It was in the 62nd minute that defender Hayley Hughes was able to put the Buffs on the board, with a gorgeous strike from distance that found its way to the top right corner and just out of the reach of Ducks keeper Abby Steele.
Oregon refused to let up, still managing to take nine shots in the second half and keep the Buffs on alert to protect the one-goal lead. Buffs forward Annie Stuller held the ball well in the waning minutes, creating chances late for CU.
“When you see the clock ticking down you don’t want to make mistakes,” CU head coach Danny Sanchez said. “I felt Stuller really battled up top to hold the ball for us.”
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Buffs keeper Annie Brunner racked up four saves in her seventh clean sheet of the season.
The Ducks were physical, tallying nine fouls in the first half and 16 in total. Oregon defender Gabbie Lindeman received a yellow card in the 50th minute.
CU completes a weekend sweep of Oregon teams with the victory, adding to their first-ever Pac-12 home win against Oregon State on Friday. This win also moved the Buffs to 2-1 in conference play so far this season.
“There’s always room for improvement,” Sanchez said. “But in the big picture, we’re real happy. We gutted out that win.”
The Buffs are now 10-2, while Oregon fell to 2-7-3 on the season. CU hits the road this week, starting a three-game road trip at Washington State this Friday.
Contact CUIndependent staff writer Sam Routhier at Samuel.routhier@colorado.edu.
