Sophomore defender Chaynee Kingsbury follows the ball in order to stop it from advancing at Prentup Field on Oct. 24, 2019. (Kara Wagenknecht/CU Independent)
The University of Colorado women’s soccer team lost to No. 2 Stanford Cardinal 4-0 Thursday afternoon at Prentup Field. The game was the first of two final regular season home games for CU.
Stanford controlled the ball throughout the first ten minutes. A penalty committed in the box by Colorado’s senior goalkeeper Jalen Tompkins gave the Cardinal a penalty kick in the 11th minute. As Tompkins dove right, junior Cardinal forward Catarina Macario sent the ball soaring left, finding the back of the net.
Senior midfielder Taylor Kornieck chases Stanford’s sophomore midfielder Naomi Girma for the ball during the first half at Prentup Field on Oct. 24, 2019. (Kara Wagenknecht/CU Independent)
The Buffs found more opportunities after the goal, eventually launching a shot at the 29th minute. Stanford’s redshirt freshman goalkeeper Katie Meyer barely pushed senior Taylor Kornieck’s shot out of the top right corner of the net. The Buffs found two more shots in the half, but both were sent out of bounds.
CU started the second half well, controlling possession and finding two shots within the first 10 minutes. However, Stanford took over the rest of the half and dominated control of the ball. Head coach Danny Sanchez thought Stanford’s high time of possession helped keep the Buffs scoreless.
“They had the ball most of the time,” Sanchez said. “I think it’s the nature of how they play, when they have the ball it’s tough for the other team to score.”
After the Buffs started the second half well, Stanford went on quite a run, finding three goals to finish the game. Junior forward Madison Haley put Stanford up 2-0 in the 66th minute. A short pass from Macario assisted the shot, which sailed just left of Tompkins and into the net. Then a pass inside from redshirt freshman Sierra Enge to senior Beattie Goad gave way to a short goal in the 77th minute. Finally, a pass from deep midfield by senior Carly Malatskey found junior Jojo Harber at the net. Harber headed the ball just above Tompkins’ rising arms in the 88th minute for Stanford’s fourth and final goal.
Though an 0-4 loss is doubtlessly disappointing for CU, Stanford is a tough opponent. Sanchez wants the team to take away good things from the match and move forward.
Stanford’s sophomore forward Sophia Smith passes the ball back to a teammate during the first half at Prentup Field on Oct. 24, 2019. (Kara Wagenknecht/CU Independent)
“We’re going to choose to look at the positives,” Sanchez said. “I thought there were some really good positives today, Stanford is a good team so there’s no shame, it is what it is, we got to get ready for Cal.”
The Buffs will move forward quickly with a home match against California on Sunday at 1 p.m. MST. The match will be Senior Day, marking the last home game for the team’s six seniors.
“We just got to get ready to play,” Sanchez said. “Hopefully on Sunday, for senior day, no matter what the weather is, we can get a good crowd out here to support our seniors and we can get a good result.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer George Hakala at george.hakala@colorado.edu.
