2018 Colorado Buffaloes

Except for Hannah being out for the season, a major blow, we seem to have survived the injuries. And Alex was dismissed from the team early in the season, those two losses really hurt the defense. But never wonder what else could go wrong. I think it's just been hurt a whole lot more (not hurt literally but the same result), we'll know more later today. What did we do to upset the soccer gods?

It's raining. I wonder if the Security People will ban umbrellas, they have in the past. They say umbrellas can be used as a weapon. I suppose if I shoved one up somebody's butt and opened it all the way, yeah, that could be viewed as a weapon.

 

Colorado should now sweep the Pac-12 PotW awards for having beaten ... us

(although you were at home, and I think you need to be away to knock voters' five-toed socks off)

 

We won. WSU was better.

 

Buffs 3, Washington State 1

See my previous post.

We jumped on them early, scoring in the second and twelfth minutes. After that the Cougars gradually took over, and in the second half they totally took over until with a few minutes left they ignored Megan and her shot was blocked but the ball came right back to her and she didn't miss for the final margin. Shots 25-15, on goal 10-6, corner kicks 7-3 all Cougars.

Details to follow, I need to make a phone call and feed myself.

 

Starting lineup was JJ Tompkins in the net, Erin Greening, Jesse Loren, Kayleigh Webb and Sofia Weiner defending, Sarah Kinzner at holding midfielder, Megan Massey, Taylor Kornieck and Emily Groark at midfield, and Tatum Barton and Jorian Baucom at forward. Kelsey Aaknes is out with illness and will be for a while or the rest of the season.

Corner kick in the second minute, Erin took it and the ball found Taylor's head, 1-0. WSU followed with two corner kicks and Erin went down with what appeared to be an ankle ouch, she got up in a couple of minutes and hobbled around briefly and seemed fine after that. The Cougars were fast and tall and just looked like a really good team, but the Buffs were firing on all cylinders and keeping the pressure on and in the twelfth minute Tatum and Jorian just refused to let the ball be cleared and Jorian got a shot off, 2-0. As it turned out, the rout was most definitely NOT on.

A minute later JJ blocked a vicious shot into the crossbar, the first of several encounters WSU would have with wood. At the end of the first quarter, another WSU rocket bounced off the goalpost. A few minutes later they got a player open briefly and her shot missed. A hard shot went right at JJ. Another hard shot went just high. We were being shot at a lot and not doing much ourselves except defending. Marty Puketapu went down and stayed down for a long time, yellow card to the Cougar involved, she was helped off the field with what looked like a serious knee injury but she was walking OK at halftime and more OK after the game. It's getting rough out there, WSU plays rather physically, not dirty, just physical, I would have called more fouls than the referee was which is irrelevant because I would be so out of breath I couldn't blow the whistle. Katie Joella stole the ball and kept running while being mugged and the whistle finally blew but we didn't do anything with the free kick. Remember Cheynee Kingsbury's 35 yard throw-ins that are NOT flips? WSU has a player that can do that. So the half ended, Buffs up 2-0 but kind of knocked back on our heels.

Which got way worse after halftime. Another WSU corner kick resulted in a long melee in front of the goal and the shot bounced off the crossbar. We had a golden opportunity when Tatum's shot resulted in a brilliant block by the goalkeeper, Jorian ran the ball down and passed back into the box right to Tatum but a defender was there and Tatum couldn't get a shot off. WSU got the ball very close to the end line, JJ came out but they rolled the ball past her and it hit the far goalpost and bounced in, 2-1. We responded by ... oops, we didn't. They were all over us. As the third quarter ended, we did get a header off that just missed. We defended for a few more minutes but finally advanced the ball and Cheynee passed to Jorian as she ran past her defender and somehow Jorian didn't get a foot on the ball. WSU had an open shot that went just high. They had a free kick that just missed connecting with a player as she ran past her defender. We were hanging on for dear life.

And then with eight minutes left we got the ball cleared and advanced and they ignored Megan and we got the ball to her and the GK came out and blocked the first shot which went right back to Megan who took a couple of steps to the right and 3-1. I guess that took the wind out of the Cougars' sails because we controlled things the rest of the game. Taylor got a hard shot off that was brilliantly saved. Emily was absolutely steamrolled from behind, no call, not the first one of the day. And it ended, a huge win, perhaps fortunate. What's not fortunate is that a Cougar went down in the final minute or so with what looked like a serious knee injury, please let it not be what it looked like.

This should be a boost to the RPI, which really needs boosting, assuming we take care of business on Sunday. Washington will not be a pushover, two of their three losses are to top-10 teams, USC and Florida. Small crowd at kickoff, sizeable WSU contingent, crowd grew to 600.

USC defeated Arizona 2-0, UCLA defeated Arizona State 3-1, Utah is up 1-0 over Washington at halftime, and Stanford and Oregon are in overtime at zero.

 

Stanford owned the overtime, scored on a free kick at 99:20. Watching Utah & Washington, Utah just hit the crossbar. Cal at Oregon State just started.

This sport is SO WEIRD. In Salt Lake City, shots are 16-4 Washington, corner kicks 15-2. Score? 2-0 Utah.

 

Buffs 2, Washington 1, 2 O/T

Details to follow.

 

It was cold. When regulation ended, drizzle began. It got colder. Not snow cold, that's tomorrow.

I was worried about this one. Washington is better than their record. Two losses to top-10 teams, and they had NO business losing to Utah Thursday night ... shots 18-4, corners 16-2 Huskies, score 2-0 Utah. Their goalkeeper has been underwhelming, until today. Speaking of Utah, 1-0 in overtime over Washington State. Our upcoming RPI boost for defeating WSU just took a hit.

Same starting lineup, JJ Tompkins in the net, Erin Greening, Kayleigh Webb, Jesse Loren and Sofia Weiner defending, Sarah Kinzner the holding midfielder, Megan Massey, Taylor Kornieck and Emily Groark at midfield, and Tatum Barton and Jorian Baucom at forward.


I JUST SPENT 90 MINUTES ON THIS AND I NEGLECTED TO SAVE IT AND BIGSOCCER LOGGED ME OUT AND THIS IS ALL THAT REMAINED WHEN I LOGGED BACK IN. I AM PISSED. I'LL FINISH (again) TOMORROW.

But I will mention that we are now in third place, and California, after losing to Oregon State, defeated Oregon so now everybody has at least one win.

 

I feel your pain. Web page edit boxes are like the kite-eating tree

 

The new and improved (for us) RPI:

1. Stanford
10. USC
21. UCLA
22. Arizona
30. Oregon (lost last 4 games)
34. Washington State
36. Colorado
64. Arizona State
78. Utah (won last 3 games)
85. Washington
115. California
142. Oregon State

Teams we have played:

94. Missouri
117. Denver
122. Marquette
134. Colorado State (best season ever)
137. Texas San Antonio
140. Iowa State
150. Michigan State
214. Air Force (SIX ties)
269. Utah Valley

And the rankings ... are not out yet.

Three teams remain undefeated: Stanford, Georgetown and the Buffs.

In men's soccer, Denver is undefeated and ranked #4. The only remaining team with a perfect record is ... St. Mary's ??? 12-0-0

 

Emily has slipped under the radar for now, but she has three more seasons to be properly noticed. As for the second list, we'll see how many of them will be able to play professionally. Jorian sure will. Hannah also, although I think she has her eye on medical school.

 

The Top Drawer list is an absolute joke it’s like they don’t bother watching games. On the regional list they don’t even mention the two best players on my kids team that are both Herman trophy candidates yet they have players that were out for the season before conference play even started

 

Rankings & news:

1. Stanford
2. Southern California (still gets a #1 vote even though Stanford defeated them)
10. UCLA
16. Colorado
19. Washington State (lost at Utah)

Arizona and Oregon are no longer receiving votes.


My twice-postponed move to Grand Junction will take place at the end of March. It is massively cheaper to live there, and it's a much easier drive to visit the family. My job will transfer there, and if I ever can't or don't want to work (I'm 72), I won't have to sleep in my car. Colorado Mesa University plays more sports than CU does, but watching CMU playing New Mexico Highlands won't be quite the same as the Buffs and UCLA. I will pick one, maybe two weekends when soccer and volleyball are both home and pay a visit. And the Pac-12 network will be a necessity. One benefit, when we play at Utah, I'm already halfway there.

I will miss this team. A lot.

Speaking of missing, I will miss the Oregon game, it's my granddaughter's tenth birthday 180 miles from Boulder. Both grandchildren were inconveniently born during soccer season.

 

And I'm sure we aren't the only people saying "But but but, they left (insert name of a very excellent player) off the list !!

 

I was in boulder this weekend. Got to root for my Buff football team, ran into Danny during a champions Center tour and went to the CU/Stanford volleyball (valiant effort by the Buffs). Unfortunately had to get my son back to the springs so couldn’t get to Soccer but a great weekend nonetheless

 

Maybe next time they do a Top 100 players, they'll include Jorian.

 

Buffs 4, Oregon 1

And that is all I know. My granddaughter had a road game 50 miles away and I just got back from it.

PERHAPS, now that Oregon has lost five in a row and we are 12-0-3, our RPI might be higher than theirs next week. Maybe.

 

The new usual starting lineup, Hannah Cardenas and Kelsey Aaknes out, and with Scout Watson in net for the second half.

Scoring started in the 33rd minute when a Duck received a Yellow Certificate of Extraordinary Conduct in the box, Taylor Kornieck took the PK, 1-0. Four minutes later, Stephanie Zuniga sent a long pass from midfield that connected with Marty Puketapu's head, 2-0. Five minutes after that, another Duck foul in the box, another Taylor Kornieck PK, 3-0.

Fifteen minutes into the second half, Jazmin sent a long pass from midfield that Chardonnay met with her head, and Oregon was on the board. Two very cool names, IMO. Then at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Cheynee Kingsbury brought the ball deep on the right side and her crossing pass found Libby Geraghty for the final margin. The box score said it was Libby's first goal, but I thought she already had one.

Shots were 16-11, on goal 11-4 Buffs, corner kicks 7-3 Ducks. Everybody available played. Attendance was 776, I don't know what kind of day it was, I was 200 miles west. Carbondale U-12 6, Rifle 0, Lizzy is a substitute defender, turned 10 yesterday, scored the sixth goal.

UCLA won at Washington 2-0. Utah won their fourth straight 2-0 over Oregon State, shots were 20-3. Other games are this evening.