No. 13 Colorado heads to Lubbock on Sunday with its perfect Big 12 start intact and another ranked test waiting on the other side.
The Buffs visit No. 25 Texas Tech at the John Walker Soccer Complex, with kickoff set for noon MT and the match on ESPNU.
Colorado is 8-1-1 overall and 2-0-0 in league play, riding a five-match winning streak into a meeting with a Red Raiders team that has not lost yet this season. Texas Tech is 5-0-4 overall and 1-0-1 in the Big 12, sitting two points behind Colorado and Houston in the conference race.
The challenge for the Buffs is obvious: they are coming off a home win over No. 10 West Virginia on Thursday and now have to turn right around for another ranked opponent on the road. Head coach Danny Sanchez put it plainly.
"We're going to have to play well, and we're going to have to keep our composure and deal with some adversity," head coach Danny Sanchez said when asked about the turnaround.
Texas Tech has been tough to beat anywhere, and especially at home. The Red Raiders bring a 14-match unbeaten streak into Sunday, with their last loss coming in Colorado's 3-0 win in Boulder last October.
They are 4-0-1 at home this season and unbeaten in their last 16 matches at the John Walker Soccer Complex. Through five home matches, Texas Tech has averaged 2,568 fans.
A lot of the Red Raiders’ damage comes from Taylor Zdrojewski, who leads the team with six goals and 13 points. She has nearly half of Texas Tech’s 14 goals, leads the team with 29 shots and 15 shots on goal, and has scored in each of the first two conference matches.
Kaitlyn Giametta has also been dangerous with three goals, including the game-winning penalty kick against Cincinnati on Thursday. Between them, the pair has scored nine of Tech’s 14 goals.
Colorado will need to limit the supply line as much as the finishers. Defender Kylie Bahr leads Texas Tech with four assists and has added a goal, and the Red Raiders showed that extra layers of attack against Cincinnati when Bahr and midfielder Emma Torres helped set up Zdrojewski’s second-half goal.
The first half has been a strength for Texas Tech, which has outscored opponents 10-1 before halftime this season. That makes the opening stretch especially important for Colorado, which cannot afford to let the Red Raiders grab the early rhythm at home.
Addie Todd has been the last line of a disciplined defense. She has played all 810 minutes for Texas Tech, with five shutouts, 28 saves, a 0.56 goals-against average and a .848 save percentage. The Red Raiders have held eight of nine opponents to one goal or fewer and allow just eight shots per match, so Colorado’s chances will have to be sharp.
The conference results have been steady for Texas Tech so far: a 2-2 draw at UCF to open league play, then a 2-0 win over Cincinnati. Colorado still owns the all-time series 12-3-2, including a 5-2-2 mark in Lubbock. The teams played to a 1-1 draw the last time the Buffs visited in 2024.
Colorado, though, brings plenty of momentum of its own. During its five-match winning streak, the Buffs have outscored opponents 14-0 and posted seven shutouts through 10 matches. They have blanked every opponent over their last five.
Freshman goalkeeper Brooke Goerish has been central to that stretch, entering Sunday with a 0.28 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage. She has given up two goals in more than 636 minutes and says the defensive standard starts with the group in front of her.
"It's written up on the locker room board: 'No goals.' That's the goal every time," Goerish said.
Colorado also has a deep attacking group ready to challenge Todd. Reagan Kotschau leads the Buffs with 20 points on seven goals and six assists, already matching last season’s totals in all three categories. Hope Leyba shares the team lead with seven goals, and Michaela McGowan has five goals and 11 points.
Leyba also has a milestone in reach. Her volley against West Virginia gave her 39 career goals, tying Taylor Kornieck for third on Colorado’s all-time list. She is three goals behind Nikki Marshall’s 42 for second place.
"Honestly, I just knew I had to shoot it," Leyba said of the finish. "We've been practicing volleys a little bit at practice, and I was making some."
Colorado got another option back in the mix Thursday with Jace Holley making her season debut. The 12-goal scorer is working her way back into match fitness as the Buffs move deeper into conference play.
Sunday is the second of four straight matches against teams ranked in this week’s United Soccer Coaches poll. After Texas Tech, Colorado goes to No.
23 UCF on Oct. 2 and then returns home to face No. 11 Baylor on Oct.
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