Colorado’s run through the Big 12 tournament now has one more hurdle, and it’s a big one.
The No. 18 Buffaloes meet No.
13 BYU on Wednesday, Nov. 11, in Mansfield, Texas, with a trip to the championship match on the line. Colorado, the No. 4 seed, has won six straight and has outscored opponents 17-3 during that stretch.
BYU, the top seed, comes in at 12-3-4 overall and 8-1-2 in Big 12 play after taking the regular-season conference title with 26 points, two more than the Buffs.
For Colorado, the semifinal berth already marks a return to this stage, but the job isn’t finished. The Buffs are one win away from their first Big 12 championship appearance since 2008 after Monday’s 2-1 comeback over Kansas. Hope Leyba tied the match before Reagan Kotschau buried the winner with 1:07 left.
“I thought we made some really good adjustments at halftime,” head coach Danny Sanchez said after the win. “First half wasn’t our best half of soccer this year, but I thought the second half we played much better.”
BYU arrives with momentum of its own. The Cougars are unbeaten in seven straight matches at 5-0-2 and are chasing back-to-back tournament titles.
They advanced Monday with a 1-1 draw against West Virginia, then won the penalty shootout 4-2. Sophie Sivulich put BYU ahead in the first half, and the Mountaineers equalized with nine seconds left in regulation.
The Cougars have leaned on a balanced attack all season. Emma Hamberlin, Mia Goettsche and Mattyn Summers-Oviatt each have five goals, combining for 15 of BYU’s 29.
Sivulich and Bella Woods have three apiece. Summers-Oviatt has done that damage while starting just once in 19 appearances.
BYU’s midfield has been just as important. First-team All-Big 12 selections Mika Krommenhoek and Lucy Kesler have helped drive the offense, with Krommenhoek leading the team with five assists.
Kesler, Afton Perry and defender Presley Freeman each have four. The Cougars have scored 20 of their 29 goals after halftime, which means Colorado’s defensive discipline will have to hold up deep into the match.
That back line has been one of BYU’s strengths, too. The Cougars have allowed one goal or fewer in six of their last seven games, and they have six shutouts as a team.
Chelsea Peterson and Paiton Collins have split most of the work in goal, with Peterson posting a 0.85 goals-against average and Collins at 1.10. BYU is giving up 10.7 shots per match.
Wednesday’s meeting is the first between the teams this season. BYU leads the all-time series 4-3-3, and the last two matchups ended 2-2. In last season’s draw at South Field, Faith and Hope Leyba scored 39 seconds apart to briefly put Colorado in front before BYU answered.
“Sometimes a 2-2 feels like a 2-2 game. This one felt like a 5-5 game,” Sanchez said after that meeting. “I thought both teams were really going after the victory all the way to the 90th minute, but neither side was able to find that game-winner.”
Colorado’s surge has been powered by Kotschau, who has become the engine of the attack. The Big 12 Midfielder of the Year has 11 goals and a school-record 12 assists, and her 34 points set a new CU senior-class mark. Her late winner against Kansas pushed her past Shyra James’ previous senior record of 32, set in 2023.
Hope Leyba shares the team lead with 11 goals and moved into sole possession of second on Colorado’s career goals list Monday. Her 43 career goals leave her four behind James’ school record of 47. Hope and Kotschau have combined for 22 goals this season, while Michaela McGowan has added seven.
Freshman Sloane Phillips has also given Colorado another threat in the middle, with two goals and seven assists. She is tied with Kate Russell and Emily Groark for the CU freshman assists record and needs one more to stand alone. Colorado’s 48 goals are already the second-most in a single season in program history, trailing only last year’s 59.
The Buffs have matched that offense with a defense that has been just as sharp. Colorado has 12 shutouts and a 0.75 goals-against average.
Big 12 Defender of the Year Faith anchors the back line, while Big 12 Freshman of the Year Brooke Goerish has posted a 0.67 goals-against average. Goerish has been part of all 12 clean sheets, with seven solo shutouts and five shared.
“I think we’re able to be more consistent and stick to our game plans, and we all just stick together and work really hard to win,” Hope said after Monday’s victory. “And I think a lot of it is attitude and willingness to work hard, and we’re getting better at that. Just staying mentally locked in the full 90.”
The winner Wednesday will move on to face either second-seeded Texas Tech or third-seeded Baylor in the championship match Saturday, Nov. 14, at 6 p.m. MT.
All tournament matches stream on ESPN+. Kickoff Wednesday is set for 3:30 p.m.
MT on ESPN+.
In Other News...
Colorado Recruiting Suddenly Has A Deion Sanders Problem
Colorados 2027 recruiting class has taken a hit late in the cycle, with three verbal commits backing off their pledges in recent days. Three-star tackle LiMarcus Jones has already flipped to Mississippi State, while linebacker Jahmiere Portis-Daniels and wide receiver Ryan Ferdinand have also decommitted, leaving the Buffaloes to regroup as the class comes into sharper focus.
For a program that has leaned heavily on momentum and visibility under Deion Sanders, the timing makes this a notable stretch. Sanders has acknowledged the situation, but he has kept his attention on the players already in the building and has brushed aside any concern about his own job security, even as the recruiting board suddenly looks a little less stable than it did earlier in the cycle. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona State Just Helped Expose A Colorado Crisis Deion Can't Ignore
The loss to Arizona State left Colorado in a spot it can no longer afford to shrug off. With the Buffaloes now needing to win out just to reach bowl eligibility, the margin for error has disappeared, and the frustration around a season that has not matched the talent on the roster is only growing. What was supposed to be a step forward has instead turned into a reminder that potential means little without results.
Deion Sanders is now coaching under heavier scrutiny, with the conversation around his future only getting louder as the losses pile up and the financial realities of a major buyout loom in the background. The bigger concern for Colorado may be what this slide says about the program itself, from recruiting misses to underachievement on the field, because the issues go beyond one bad night in Tempe and into the foundation of what Sanders is trying to build. [Read more 🡒]
DeAndre Moore Jr. Just Reframed Colorados Biggest Offensive Problem
Colorados offensive frustrations have been easy to spot during the recent skid, but DeAndre Moore Jr. pushed the conversation in a different direction when he spoke with reporters. The wide receiver said the issue is less about the coaching staff or the system and more about the players executing it, a notable defense of offensive coordinator Brennan Marions Go-Go scheme at a time when the Buffaloes are searching for answers.
Moores comments came with the season still hanging in the balance and a bowl chase still in view, even as the losses pile up. On a personal level, he has continued to produce and is on pace to top his previous receiving marks, which only adds to the contrast between his individual progress and the offenses broader inconsistency. [Read more 🡒]