Leyba's buzzer-beater kick lifts Buffs over Cougars

Hope Leyba scored a game-winning goal against the Houston Cougars. (Photo by Tripp Mauldin/Sko Buffs Sports)

The Colorado Buffaloes (8-1-2, 2-0-1) defeated the Houston Cougars (6-1-3, 1-1-1)  on Sunday at Prentup Field, securing the victory in the last five minutes of the game, 1-0. 

The Buffaloes had six shots on goal, three corner kicks and 13 shots, with the last attempt being the one that sealed the deal for the Buffs. They additionally had four saves and only six fouls compared to the Cougars' 13. 

The first half was a tug-of-war between the two teams. Both squads played defensively the entire game, with the Buffs’ goal keeper Jordan Nytes saving four shots against the Cougs throughout. 

"There was definitely more action than the last couple of games," Nytes said. "I just had to keep myself checked in, keep myself composed and just be that voice for everybody else to stay calm, because I made the saves I had to make, but my defense played really well. I'm proud of them."

The Cougs almost scored a goal, but it was invalidated and ruled offside at the 40-minute mark. It wasn’t until the 85th minute that there was finally a point on the scoreboard. 

The ball was first assisted by Jordan Whiteaker, who punted the ball towards the 18-yard box. Faith Leyba bumped it to her twin sister Hope Leyba, who crossed the ball where the Cougars' goalie, Lexi Gonzalez, couldn’t stop it from hitting the net. The Leyba sisters helped make the score 1-0.

Head coach Danny Sanchez was very passionate throughout the game. His passion caught the best of him at the 43rd-minute mark, when he caught a yellow card from the referee. Several contact interactions between the Buffs and Cougs caused the outburst. 

Sanchez was proud of his Buffs following the game.

“Houston's a good team," Sanchez discussed. "They're very dangerous going forward. I thought we dealt with their attacking players well, and I was really pleased about how we played in the second half. I felt it was a matter of time [before the goal].”

The Colorado Buffaloes' next game will be on the road against the Texas Christian Horned Frogs next Thursday at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.