In the winter of 2013, the United States national soccer team defeated Costa Rica in the snow to take control of their destiny in the 2014 World Cup qualifying round. On November 15, 2014, the University of Colorado women’s soccer team did just the same.
In the driving snow, the Buffaloes won the first round of the NCAA women’s soccer tournament, defeating No. 15 Brigham Young University 2-0. In the final three games of the season CU went undefeated, scoring at least two goals a game.
“If we’re not peaking, we’re heading towards the peaking area,” joked head coach Danny Sanchez after the game. “We’re playing well, we’re playing smart. Everyone’s buying into what we’re doing.”
The Buffs opened up hot, controlling the ball for large chunks of time in BYU’s third of the field. In the sixth minute, the deadlock broke. Sophomore forward Brie Hooks played a ball to junior midfielder Olivia Pappalardo just above the 18-yard box, who shook one defender and took a shot that soared over BYU goalie Katherine Snyder and into the back of the net.
Even with a one-goal lead, CU never slowed down, playing high balls over the top of the defense and looking for a second goal to really put the game out of reach. It came in the 52nd minute, when junior forward Madison Krauser slotted one by Snyder to double the lead.
The team looked totally in sync throughout the game, containing West Coast Conference player of the year Ashley Hatch and making the match a nightmare for WCC defender of the year Annie Amos. Both goals were an emotional high for both girls, who had battled back from injuries this season. Pappalardo was coming back from an ACL injury sustained in the 2013-14 season, while Krauser was battling other leg injuries between August and October.
“The team has been so supportive in getting back to the swing of things,” said Krauser. “I couldn’t be happier to score in the first round of the NCAA tournament.”
Both girls added an extra attacking dimension as the season wore on, and Krauser in particular has played as a great complementary striker to sophomore forward Brie Hooks. Though she didn’t score today, Hooks was the linchpin of the Buffaloes offensive game. Her runs between defenders and up the wings set up multiple shots on goal, including Pappalardo’s sixth minute golazo. The sophomore barely left the field, playing 83 minutes, and was everywhere in the attacking third of the field.
As time started to wind down at Prentup Field, the Cougars got more aggressive, having multiple chances in the final ten minutes. But the Colorado defense never broke, clearing dangerous crosses and stopping any players trying to slot one past junior goalkeeper Kate Scheele.
BYU never managed to put one in the back of the net, giving Scheele her 11th clean sheet of the season. The ten that she earned during the regular season put her at second on the all-time shutout leaders list, but the shutout honor didn’t solely belong to her. The back four, which consisted of, by Sanchez’ account, “two converted forwards and a converted midfielder,” played masterfully, denying on the most potent offenses this side of the Mississippi.
What comes next is a second round tournament game against the University of North Carolina. The Tar Heels are a perennial power and one of the top two seeds in Colorado’s bracket. But Sanchez isn’t fazed, knowing that his team absolutely can make waves in the tournament.
“I think we’re a good team and that’s what I told the players,” said Sanchez. “I said don’t be surprised if we’re in this position. Once you get to this next round, there’s no easy teams. We’ll go into the game with confidence and with the mentality that we want to get a result.”
Contact CU Independent Assistant Sports Editor Andrew Haubner at andrew.haubner@colorado.edu.
