Buffaloes soccer stampede Big 12 awards
Seven athletes on Colorado’s women's soccer team were awarded All-Big 12 honors. Faith Leyba took home Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Brooke Goerish earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year and Regan Kotschau was awarded Midfielder of the Year.
Three players earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors: Faith and Hope Leyba, as well as Kotschau. Three earned Second-Team honors: Caley Swierenga, Goerish, and Michaela McGowan. Goerish also earned All-Freshman first team alongside forward Sloane Phillips.
Goerish, the freshman goalkeeper, went 13-3-1, missing two starts during the season. She had 63 saves and a save percentage of .863, allowing only ten goals over her 17 starts.
Faith Leyba led the team in minutes played with over 100. She also scored three goals and recorded three assists.
The Leyba twins combined for 13 goals, ten for Hope and three for Faith. They also assisted on six goals, four for Hope and three for Faith.
Kotschau led the team in points with ten goals, tied with Hope Leyba, and twelve assists.
The other two members of the squad joining Goerish on the second team are Swierenga and McGowan. Swierenga is a defensive presence who started in 18 games and was fifth in total minutes played.
McGowan, a forward for the Buffaloes, was third on the team in goals, scoring seven, including two game-winners.
Last but not least is freshman forward Phillips. In her initial season for the Buffs, she registered two goals and seven assists to round off her regular season.
This Buffs group finished No. 18 in national rankings and fifth in the Big 12 behind Texas Tech, BYU, Baylor and Houston. They finished 14-4-1 overall and 8-3 in conference play.
Colorado began their Big 12 tournament run against No. 5-ranked Kansas, winning 2-1. It continues in the semifinals against top-seeded and reigning Big 12 Champions BYU.
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