2017 Colorado Buffaloes

And Riverside ... they are 2-2-2 and other than the loss to us have outscored their other five opponents 6-5, including 2-2 at Denver. They are in the same conference as Northridge. They just had a 20-minute period where nobody on their team could handle Marty, who scored three and assisted on one. There was no way to expect such a lopsided win. They led at Texas A&M 1-0 at halftime last year, lost 2-1.

They also lost to Seattle last year 1-0 in overtime, goal scored by Brie Hooks.

I do wish we played a couple of Big 12 teams each year, and I REALLY wish I could make the game at Texas on Friday. The Longhorns are 5-0 but we will be the best team they've faced so far by a pretty wide margin. They have not been easy to score on, giving up only two goals. They held Western Kentucky to one shot, not on goal. I very much doubt that they will pack the box against us. Texas San Antonio will very likely do just that. They have been held to one shot on goal three times this year by TCU, Baylor and #19 Oklahoma State.

Any interesting Pac-12 games this weekend? A few ...

Kansas 2, #7 USC 1. The game winner was an own goal, and USC's goal was a PK.

Washington 1, #2 Florida 0. Not a fluke, shots and corner kicks were even. UW's goal came in the second minute.

Loyola Marymount 1, #17 Utah 0. LMU had one shot on goal.

Arizona 2, #24 Central Florida 1. The game was not that close.

#5 Stanford should move up in the ranking. Florida, Virginia and Penn State all lost.

 

Uh, my good friend, it would appear that you have the Arizona - Central Florida score reversed. I believe that Central Florida beat both Arizona and Arizona State by identical 2-1 scores. (At least that's what both the Arizona schools' websites say.)

Great to see you posting. I love your style and good will even as you are a partisan of the Buffs. (I believe that your attitude and skills are needed in Washington, but please don't go. Just continue on doing your thing and supporting the Buffs!)

 

Trying to decide whether this old retiree wants to pony-up $50 to re-up my Top Drawer Soccer Premier subscription. Think I'll probably pass. Really only use the Premier part for recruiting detective work, and these days I think I can do just as well by selectively following relevant Twitter and Instagram posts. Plus for CU, Allbuffs does a great job of reporting on recruiting and commitments for all the Olympic sports. Re our Forwards...don't forget Becca Rasmussen...she's a little energizer bunny/tiger out there with great speed, quickness and technical skills...she's going to get some goals this year if they keep playing her at Forward.

 

Partisan? Me? Well, OK, just a little bit (a lot).

Oops. I picked up the UA score from the Pac-12 Women's Soccer website where they have the score reversed in two places, but then it says very visibly



Late Goal Takes Down Wildcats versus No. 24 UCF 2-1

 

Watching Becca play forward would be a LOT of fun. She's not tall at all (poetry) but would wreak havoc near the goal. Besides, I sit next to her parents at the games. Fast? If she gets a step on the defenders, nobody will catch her.

 

And for the box score of UA & UCF, the Pac-12 website showed UA's win over UC Irvine, which was lopsided statistically. UCF outshot UA 16-2 in the second half, so the game was not that close but not in the way I thought it was.

 

Short and Sweet....Unbelievable team effort! Every single players needs to take a bow along with the coaches....and another kudos for the fans that came out. This is what Im talking about....play a more skilled team and you can see the beauty of the game!!!! Way to get on the board Barton!!! J.J was incredible as always!

 

Buffs 3, BYU 0

And BYU was very, very good. They spent a lot of time pounding on our door, especially in the final quarter, but our defense today reminds me of the immortal words from that ancient philosopher, Little Richard:

Keep a knockin' but you can't come in
Keep a knockin' but you can't come in (wooo)
Keep a knockin' but you can't come in
Come back tomorrow night and try again

So who is going to score on us? Texas? Maybe. UTSA? No way. Denver? Well, I suppose they could, but I'd bet against it. UCLA? It has to happen sometime.

We needed to keep BYU out of the goal for 34 minutes to break the team's all-time scoreless minutes streak. Did it.

Yesterday was a record high for the date of 97. A bit less warm this afternoon, very windy and hazy, The smoke is nothing like in California, where games plural were cancelled, but the mountains were visible as a faint outline only.

I've been called in to work. I'm a cashier at Target. Extra income is a requirement in my retirement so I can live in an apartment instead of my car.

Oops, almost forgot ... Taylor and Tatum and Tatum.

 

From the NCAA website, rankings as of today:

1. UCLA
2. Stanford ... and we get them both at home
12. USC
21. Utah
24. California
25. Colorado ... stupid ties !!
28. Texas, this Friday in Austin
33. BYU, they are better than that
38. Washington State
46. Washington


There is no RPI yet.

 

There's an RPI, they just haven't published it yet and won't for about three more weeks. Right now, Princeton is #1.

 

Texas 3, Buffs 0

Life is tough on the road, tougher when you play a good team and don't play well, which is exactly what happened to the Buffs. Texas was just better, period, held us to two shots on goal by Becca Rasmussen and substitute Isobel Dalton. Texas led 2-0 early in the second quarter, but the Buffs came out on fire after halftime, only to have a big bucket of water douse the fire when three minutes in, a quick Longhorn counter-attack put the game out of reach. CU gained an edge in the run of play in the last third of the game which closed the statistical gap a bit, maybe the Buffs played better or maybe Texas eased up with the game essentially over. A silver lining, I guess, is that everybody got to play.

Shots were 12-10, on goal 5-2, and corners 5-2.

Freshman Cydney Billups assisted on the first goal. If her last name sounds familiar, yes, her dad is named Chauncey.

Sunday evening at Texas San Antonio "should" be an easier game. UTSA has been blown out by three Big-12 teams, at Baylor was only 1-0 but the game was massively one-sided. One shot on goal against TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma State. Thursday evening they gave up two early goals at home and lost to Texas A&M - Corpus Christi 2-1 in an evenly played game. I never want to see us run up a score, but I do hope we get a win that is at least convincing.

 

Buffs 2, Texas San Antonio 0

Well, I didn't have to worry about us running up a score. Marty Puketapu got one in the 53rd minute with an assist from Megan Massey, and Taylor Kornieck provided the insurance goal in the 85th.

 

Highlights of the win at Texas San Antonio.

 

This week's rankings from the Soccer Coaches:

1. UCLA
2. Stanford
12. Southern California
17. California
21. Texas
25. Utah
34. Colorado tied with Ohio State
37. BYU finally won a game

Washington and Washington State were receiving votes, aren't.
Even though Washington won three shutouts last week.

 

Santa Clara (go Broncos!!) is unranked AND receiving no votes at all, first time that's happened in quite a while. They are 1-3 playing Pac-12 teams (lost to Cal, UCLA and USC, defeated Washington State) and have one more chance to defeat another one ... Stanford, Sunday night at home. Perhaps the Stanford players will be weary from the 20 mile bus ride.

They play every year. Two years ago SCU held Stanford to one shot on goal and beat them 1-0. It happens. Rarely.

 

From the Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth Department ...

I will miss at Denver tomorrow night. Haven't visited the family for a few weeks and I have a 4-day weekend, so it's a good time to go. Hopefully somebody who attends can tell us a little bit about the game.

The Pioneers are on a three-game losing streak, starting with 2-1 in overtime at CSU Bakersfield. Then it was 3-1 at San Diego (University of, not UC or State) and 2-1 to Gonzaga at home, a pair of West Coast Conference teams that, in my world, would be conference games for Denver. I know, I mention that every year. I still think BYU should be in a conference with schools closer to its size.

"On paper" it looks like a not difficult game for the Buffs, but Denver seems to always play us tough.

Speaking of the WCC, San Francisco defeated California 1-0 at home, then lost at Stanford 8-0. Must have been those 30-minute bus rides.

 

And how bad was San Francisco's 8-0 loss at Stanford? Coulda been way worse. It was 6-0 in the 25th minute. Shots were 39-3, on goal 21-1, corners 11-1.

And #17 California's only loss was to San Francisco. It is truly a strange game.

 

Amen!