Upcoming Event: Soccer at Houston on October 5, 2025 at 12 p.m.
12 p.m.
Soccer
at Houston
.png&width=31&height=31&type=webp)
Friday, November 2
Boulder, CO
3:00 PM
University of Utah
9-8-2, 6-4-1Pac-12
1
at
0
Colorado
13-4-3, 5-4-2Pac-12
1
2
F
Utah
1
0
1
Colorado
0
0
0
Stodden Strike Propels Utah Soccer to 1-0 Win at No. 21 Colorado
11/2/2018 6:11 PM | Soccer
Utes win for first time in Boulder; beat Top 25 team on road for first time since '07
BOULDER, Colo. - Utah Soccer capped a wonderful regular season with a 1-0 win at No. 21 Colorado this afternoon.Â
Â
Hailey Stodden, a Broomfield native that grew up 20 minutes from campus, scored her first collegiate goal in the 11th minute and the Utes won for the first time ever in Boulder. This also marked the first win in a true road game against a Top 25 team since 2007.Â
Â
"It was a game of momentum shifts and Colorado started well, but the goal shifted things in our favor and we did well for the remainder of the first half," head coach Rich Manning said. "They adjusted at halftime and I think we did not react quickly.
Â
However, our back four did nicely against the highest-scoring offense in the Pac-12 (47 goals). I also thought Jessica Hixson, Alexis Rushlow and Holly Daugirda were all solid defensively in their rotations and helped out considerably against Taylor Kornieck (9 goals, 28 points)."
Â
The game started with Carly Nelson making a pair of early saves, stopping Megan Massey's header and a try by Jorian Baucom. At the other end, Paola van der Veen drilled a free kick wide and Max Flom headed a corner just by the post.
Â
Two minutes later, the Utes were on the scoreboard. Ireland Dunn, the leading goal creator in Pac-12 play played it long to Makayla Christensen. The freshman got to the ball before an onrushing Jalen Thompkins. As the two collided, Christensen was able to lay it off for Stodden to hammer into an open net.
Â
"I felt the momentum going forward and as the ball came out, I knew if I was there I could finish it," Stodden said. "Makayla did a great job laying it off before she got taken out by their goalkeeper."
Â
"Hailey has been so steady for us this year and she is capable of scoring goals and making big plays," Manning added. "It is great for her to get a goal at home in front of her cheering section. She changed the game. Through the season, she has really developed as a defender and it showed during the critical moments at the end of the match."
Â
After the goal, Nelson made two more saves, denying Tatum Barton and Baucom for a second time. Utah's best chances to add to its lead in the first half came off the foot of Daugirda in the 38th minute and a Rushlow effort one minute later.
Â
In the second stanza, Kornieck finally started to get into the game, notching a shot on target, but Utah limited the CU chances to one until the 70th minute. Meanwhile. Stodden had a look at a second goal saved on the hour and Daugirda fizzed wide in the 66th minute.Â
Â
The Buffaloes put together a late 10-minute flurry but Nelson stood tall, stopping Sarah Kinsner, Massey and Erin Greening twice to preserve the lead and raise her save total to 10 for the game. On the counter, the Utes created a pair of chances for Van der Veen and Natalie Kump had a chance blocked. From there, Utah wisely slowed the game down and played keep away in the corners, frustrating the home side.
Â
"We have been told to go the corner because that protects us and wears the opponent down," Stodden stated. "I think this win shows we can compete with the best. We finished the season with good games against highly ranked teams and to cap it with one on the road is something special."
Â
"Our team has really performed well in Pac-12 play," Manning added. "We are playing at a very high level and we have fought through some adversity on this season-long journey.
Â
We are eligible for the NCAA Tournament while playing one of the toughest schedules in the country. We have three wins and a draw against Top 40 teams (in the RPI) and a 6-2-1 record over our last nine games. We will finish among the top four in our league. If we get to continue this trip, we are ready to make a run."
Â
NOTES: The Utes had not won a true road game against a Top 25 team since it beat No. 16 BYU during the 2007 season, a run of 27 contests; it did defeat No. 10 Florida State at a neutral site in the 2016 NCAA Tournament ... Nelson entered today's game with 82 saves and five shutouts in Pac-12 play, tops among any goalkeeper ... Her eight shutouts this season are one shy of the single-season record set by Lindsay Luke (9 in 2013) ... Utah was 0-6-2 in games away from home against Colorado before the win today ... One year after finishing without a win in Pac-12 play, the Utes will finish fourth in the conference behind the No. 1, 2 and 6 teams in the nation ... Utah entered today with an RPI of 82, ninth among Pac-12 teams ... The NCAA Women's Soccer Selection Show is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. MT on MondayÂ
Â
Â
Hailey Stodden, a Broomfield native that grew up 20 minutes from campus, scored her first collegiate goal in the 11th minute and the Utes won for the first time ever in Boulder. This also marked the first win in a true road game against a Top 25 team since 2007.Â
Â
"It was a game of momentum shifts and Colorado started well, but the goal shifted things in our favor and we did well for the remainder of the first half," head coach Rich Manning said. "They adjusted at halftime and I think we did not react quickly.
Â
However, our back four did nicely against the highest-scoring offense in the Pac-12 (47 goals). I also thought Jessica Hixson, Alexis Rushlow and Holly Daugirda were all solid defensively in their rotations and helped out considerably against Taylor Kornieck (9 goals, 28 points)."
Â
The game started with Carly Nelson making a pair of early saves, stopping Megan Massey's header and a try by Jorian Baucom. At the other end, Paola van der Veen drilled a free kick wide and Max Flom headed a corner just by the post.
Â
Two minutes later, the Utes were on the scoreboard. Ireland Dunn, the leading goal creator in Pac-12 play played it long to Makayla Christensen. The freshman got to the ball before an onrushing Jalen Thompkins. As the two collided, Christensen was able to lay it off for Stodden to hammer into an open net.
Â
"I felt the momentum going forward and as the ball came out, I knew if I was there I could finish it," Stodden said. "Makayla did a great job laying it off before she got taken out by their goalkeeper."
Â
"Hailey has been so steady for us this year and she is capable of scoring goals and making big plays," Manning added. "It is great for her to get a goal at home in front of her cheering section. She changed the game. Through the season, she has really developed as a defender and it showed during the critical moments at the end of the match."
Â
After the goal, Nelson made two more saves, denying Tatum Barton and Baucom for a second time. Utah's best chances to add to its lead in the first half came off the foot of Daugirda in the 38th minute and a Rushlow effort one minute later.
Â
In the second stanza, Kornieck finally started to get into the game, notching a shot on target, but Utah limited the CU chances to one until the 70th minute. Meanwhile. Stodden had a look at a second goal saved on the hour and Daugirda fizzed wide in the 66th minute.Â
Â
The Buffaloes put together a late 10-minute flurry but Nelson stood tall, stopping Sarah Kinsner, Massey and Erin Greening twice to preserve the lead and raise her save total to 10 for the game. On the counter, the Utes created a pair of chances for Van der Veen and Natalie Kump had a chance blocked. From there, Utah wisely slowed the game down and played keep away in the corners, frustrating the home side.
Â
"We have been told to go the corner because that protects us and wears the opponent down," Stodden stated. "I think this win shows we can compete with the best. We finished the season with good games against highly ranked teams and to cap it with one on the road is something special."
Â
"Our team has really performed well in Pac-12 play," Manning added. "We are playing at a very high level and we have fought through some adversity on this season-long journey.
Â
We are eligible for the NCAA Tournament while playing one of the toughest schedules in the country. We have three wins and a draw against Top 40 teams (in the RPI) and a 6-2-1 record over our last nine games. We will finish among the top four in our league. If we get to continue this trip, we are ready to make a run."
Â
NOTES: The Utes had not won a true road game against a Top 25 team since it beat No. 16 BYU during the 2007 season, a run of 27 contests; it did defeat No. 10 Florida State at a neutral site in the 2016 NCAA Tournament ... Nelson entered today's game with 82 saves and five shutouts in Pac-12 play, tops among any goalkeeper ... Her eight shutouts this season are one shy of the single-season record set by Lindsay Luke (9 in 2013) ... Utah was 0-6-2 in games away from home against Colorado before the win today ... One year after finishing without a win in Pac-12 play, the Utes will finish fourth in the conference behind the No. 1, 2 and 6 teams in the nation ... Utah entered today with an RPI of 82, ninth among Pac-12 teams ... The NCAA Women's Soccer Selection Show is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. MT on MondayÂ
Â
Team Stats
UTAH
COLO
Goals
1
0
Shots
12
19
Shots on Goal
5
10
Saves
10
4
Corners
4
6
Fouls
9
12
Scoring Plays
STODDEN, Hailey (1)
Assisted By: CHRISTENSEN, Makayla
open net shot after save by Thompkins
10:32
Game Leaders
Shots
2
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
3
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ SoccerDefender
/ Soccer
Forward
/ Soccer
Midfielder/Forward
/ Soccer
Midfielder
/ Soccer
Goalkeeper
/ Soccer
Defender/Midfielder
/ SoccerDefender
/ SoccerMidfielder
/ SoccerUtah Soccer's Ali Swensen - ESPN+ Feature
Saturday, September 27
Utah Soccer's Lilliah Blum - ESPN+ Feature
Wednesday, September 24
Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - Tony Caridi, voice of the West Virginia Mountaineers
Tuesday, September 23
Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - Urban Meyer
Wednesday, September 17