Buffs storm back to beat Wyoming, stay unbeaten in milestone win

Colorado Buffaloes soccer celebrates after a dramatic second-half goal against Wyoming on Sunday. (Photo by Paxton Haines/Sko Buffs Sports)

For the first time this season, Colorado Buffaloes women’s soccer found itself trailing. Though the Buffs (5-0-1) answered to rally past Wyoming (2-1-1) 2-1 on Sunday, closing their season-opening homestand unbeaten. 

Colorado stretched its winning streak to five matches and secured the program’s 300th all-time win in the process. It also marked head coach Danny Sanchez’s 150th victory in Boulder, and fittingly came against the program where he first made his name as the 2011 Mountain West Coach of the Year.

“Facing some adversity was good for us,” Sanchez said after the match. “To be tested in that way, I think it’s a positive. We didn’t start well, but I’m proud of how we responded.”

The adversity came instantly. Straight off the opening kickoff, Wyoming stunned the Buffaloes just 25 seconds in. Alyssa Glover ripped a shot from the top of the box that found the back of the net before many of the 1,311 in attendance had settled into their seats.

“It wasn’t the start we were looking for,” Sanchez admitted. “Credit to Wyoming. They came out sharp, and we weren’t ready.”

Colorado responded by dominating possession and creating chances from set pieces. The Buffs outshot Wyoming 10-3 in the first half, forcing goalkeeper Haley Bartel into four saves.

Colorado midfielder Emerson Layne battles for possession with Wyoming's Raegan Richardson on Sunday. (Paxton Haines/Sko Buffs Sports)

Still, Wyoming held firm, threatening on the counter. Hadley Linder nearly doubled the Cowgirls’ lead after the halftime break, but CU keeper Jordan Nytes dove right to make a critical save. Nytes finished with four saves, including a key stop in the dying moments when Wyoming desperately sought an equalizer.

In the 60th minute, Colorado found its breakthrough. Sophomore forward Jace Holley pounced on a loose ball, dribbled inside and finished past Bartel into the bottom corner. It was Holley’s seventh goal of the season, tying teammate Hope Leyba for the team lead in points with 18. 

Colorado kept pressing, and the winning moment came in the 82nd minute. Off a long cross into the box, Washington State transfer Reagan Kotschau slotted home the decisive goal. The team celebrated in sync with the afternoon’s game promotion, an “In-N-Out Day” theme, as the Buffs donned their infamous chef hats on the byline.

“We were getting wide, creating corners, getting more urgency in the second half,” Sanchez said. “That’s what set up both goals. It wasn’t fancy, but it was effective.”

CU now keeps the momentum rolling as they hit the road for the first time this season. The Buffs travel to face the Wisconsin Badgers next Sunday (11 a.m. MT, BTN+) for their second Power Four matchup, following a season-opening draw versus Michigan State.