Three Second-Half Goals Propel No. 11 Colorado to Big 12 Semifinals

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No. 11 Colorado completed a dramatic comeback on Monday night, scoring three unanswered goals in the second half to defeat UCF 3–2 at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium. The Buffaloes (15–2–3), seeded third in the Big 12 Tournament, advance as the highest remaining seed after a series of first-round upsets earlier in the day. The win sends Colorado into Wednesday’s semifinal matchup against No. 7-seeded Kansas.

A delay of one hour and twenty minutes due to earlier matches extended kickoff, and the Buffs appeared sluggish early. UCF (11–3–5) capitalized on the slow start, striking twice in the opening 30 minutes with goals from Rajanah Reed and Ella Holloran.

“Coaches always look for excuses, but they [UCF] had the same thing that we did,” Colorado head coach Danny Sanchez said of the early deficit. “I don’t think the delay was a factor. Both teams came out ready to play. They just came out more ready at the start.”

Trailing 2–0 at halftime, Colorado found its rhythm after the break. Hope Leyba sparked the comeback with two goals—including the game-winner—and led the Buffs with nine shots, six on target. Her performance brought her season total to 21 goals.

“We definitely didn’t start well at all,” Leyba said. “But we never gave up. We knew we had this game—we just had to play our best.”

Jace Holley added the equalizing goal in the 57th minute, assisted by Reagan Kotschau. Goalkeeper Jordan Nytes recorded five saves across the 90 minutes, earning her 40th career win for Colorado. Emerson Layne, Kotschau, and Ava Priest each tallied assists in the match. Colorado outshot UCF 19–9 overall, including a dominant 12–4 edge in the second half. The Buffs placed ten of those attempts on goal.

The Knights opened the scoring in the 11th minute when Reed converted from close range, followed by Holloran’s strike in the 30th minute. Despite limited first-half opportunities, Colorado nearly pulled one back before halftime when Leyba’s header was tipped over the bar by UCF keeper Genesis Perez Watson.

At halftime, the Buffs regrouped. “We were calm,” Sanchez said. “We knew we’d get some chances. I told them we had to find a goal in the first fifteen minutes—and we did. That really shifted the momentum.” Leyba’s 50th-minute goal cut the deficit to 2–1, and Holley’s equalizer soon followed. In the 65th minute, Leyba struck again—this time with a header from Priest’s corner—to complete the comeback and put Colorado ahead 3–2.

The Buffs controlled possession and tempo the rest of the way, limiting UCF to just one shot after Leyba’s go-ahead goal.

“We had to have something positive happen for us,” Sanchez said. “Hope’s goal gave us a ton of energy. It was a great second goal from Jace, and you could see the momentum shift. Our back four—Jo Whiteaker, Caley Swierenga, Greer Maguire, and Faith Leyba—were fantastic tonight.”

Colorado will face Kansas in the semifinals on Wednesday at 6 p.m. MT.

Game Notes:

• Colorado improves to 8–10–5 all-time in the Big 12 Tournament.

• Hope Leyba extended her single-season school records in goals (21) and points (43).

• Holley’s goal was her 12th of the season.

• Layne’s ninth assist ties Swierenga for the team lead and the second-most in a single season in program history.

• Colorado now has 56 assists as a team this season.

• The victory marks Nytes’ 40th career win, and she now has 93 saves in 2025.

• The Buffs are 2–0–0 this season in Fort Worth, having defeated TCU earlier in the year.