Upcoming Event: Soccer versus LSU on September 7, 2025 at 1 p.m.
1 p.m.
Soccer
vs LSU
Wednesday, October 30
Kansas City, Mo.
10:45 a.m.
University of Utah
8-6-5, 5-3-3
1
vs
2
Colorado
11-3-5, 4-2-5
1
2
F
Colorado
0
2
2
Utah
1
0
1
Utah Soccer Falls to Buffs in Round One of Conference Tournament
10/30/2024 2:47 PM | Soccer
Utah Soccer Falls to Buffs in Round One of Conference Tournament
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The University of Utah soccer program suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the University of Colorado in the first round of the Sprouts Farmer's Market Big 12 Championship in Kansas City, Mo. early Wednesday afternoon.
In a tight game, Utah started the match with a hard push offensively. Senior Katie O'Kane had a shot on goal in the first minute of the match, putting the first of 16 shots on the board for the Utes. Though the teams were tied with seven shots on goal, CU only shot 12 efforts.
"Our sport can be incredibly cruel and this was a heartbreaking loss," said head coach Hideki Nakada. "I thought we outplayed them completely from run of play and were inches away from finishing the game, but it just wasn't meant to be."
The Utes were the first to put a point on the scoreboard, when a crowded sophomore Lilliah Blum, bumped the ball to O'Kane who raced past the Buffalo defenders for a left-footed cross. Freshman Katie Callaway accepted the pass inside the six and booted the ball into the right bottom corner of the goal, putting the Utes up 1-0 in the 24th minute and marking Callaway's third goal of the season.
In the 52nd minute, Blum again created a chance to score and crossed to graduate Taliana Kaufusi, who went in for the header, but the effort was blocked by a Colorado body. Kaufusi quickly followed with another opportunity, in the 56th minute, but her shot rang off the crossbar.
Colorado equalized the game with sophomore Hope Leyba's bump of a long ball in the 73rd minute. After Kaufusi shot two attempts to put the Utes into the lead, CU earned another score off a shot outside of the left edge of the 18. The Buffs' goals are the first scores the senior goalkeeper, Kasey Wardle, has allowed since Kansas on Oct. 13. Tallying five saves, Wardle was active through all ninety minutes in the net for her sixteenth start of the season.
After the Buffs tied the game, Kaufusi took a beautiful shot off a pass from graduate Ava Hetzel, but hit both the crossbar and the post, giving the CU goalkeeper enough leeway to stop the ball from crossing the line and keeping Utah from creating a deficit. The Salt Lake City native led the team with four shots in the match, two on goal and two hitting metal, keeping the forward from adding to her ten-goal season achievement. Blum and O'Kane followed close behind with three shots of their own, each marking one on target.
"I am so proud of our team's effort today and this season," said Nakada. "We got better and better as the season progressed and we were performing really well as of late, so I really feel for my team that we can't continue to showcase ourselves moving forward. My sincerest gratitude to our outgoing seniors: Maryn Granger, Taliana Kaufusi, Kasey Wardle, Katie O'Kane and Rachel Bastone who gave so much to this program. We are a better program today both on and off the field because of them and I cannot thank them enough for all that they've done for us."
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @UtahWSoccer | Instagram: @UtahWSoccer | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utahwsoccer), and the official mobile app of Utah Athletics, Utah360 -- download here.
In a tight game, Utah started the match with a hard push offensively. Senior Katie O'Kane had a shot on goal in the first minute of the match, putting the first of 16 shots on the board for the Utes. Though the teams were tied with seven shots on goal, CU only shot 12 efforts.
"Our sport can be incredibly cruel and this was a heartbreaking loss," said head coach Hideki Nakada. "I thought we outplayed them completely from run of play and were inches away from finishing the game, but it just wasn't meant to be."
The Utes were the first to put a point on the scoreboard, when a crowded sophomore Lilliah Blum, bumped the ball to O'Kane who raced past the Buffalo defenders for a left-footed cross. Freshman Katie Callaway accepted the pass inside the six and booted the ball into the right bottom corner of the goal, putting the Utes up 1-0 in the 24th minute and marking Callaway's third goal of the season.
In the 52nd minute, Blum again created a chance to score and crossed to graduate Taliana Kaufusi, who went in for the header, but the effort was blocked by a Colorado body. Kaufusi quickly followed with another opportunity, in the 56th minute, but her shot rang off the crossbar.
Colorado equalized the game with sophomore Hope Leyba's bump of a long ball in the 73rd minute. After Kaufusi shot two attempts to put the Utes into the lead, CU earned another score off a shot outside of the left edge of the 18. The Buffs' goals are the first scores the senior goalkeeper, Kasey Wardle, has allowed since Kansas on Oct. 13. Tallying five saves, Wardle was active through all ninety minutes in the net for her sixteenth start of the season.
After the Buffs tied the game, Kaufusi took a beautiful shot off a pass from graduate Ava Hetzel, but hit both the crossbar and the post, giving the CU goalkeeper enough leeway to stop the ball from crossing the line and keeping Utah from creating a deficit. The Salt Lake City native led the team with four shots in the match, two on goal and two hitting metal, keeping the forward from adding to her ten-goal season achievement. Blum and O'Kane followed close behind with three shots of their own, each marking one on target.
"I am so proud of our team's effort today and this season," said Nakada. "We got better and better as the season progressed and we were performing really well as of late, so I really feel for my team that we can't continue to showcase ourselves moving forward. My sincerest gratitude to our outgoing seniors: Maryn Granger, Taliana Kaufusi, Kasey Wardle, Katie O'Kane and Rachel Bastone who gave so much to this program. We are a better program today both on and off the field because of them and I cannot thank them enough for all that they've done for us."
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @UtahWSoccer | Instagram: @UtahWSoccer | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utahwsoccer), and the official mobile app of Utah Athletics, Utah360 -- download here.
Team Stats
COL
UTA
Goals
2
1
Shots
12
16
Shots on Goal
7
7
Saves
6
5
Corners
8
2
Fouls
9
10
Scoring Plays
Katie Callaway (3)
Assisted By: Katie O'Kane
GOAL by UTA Callaway, Katie Assist by O'Kane, Katie.
23:46
Hope Leyba (6)
Assisted By: Phoenix Dawn Miranda
GOAL by COL Leyba, Hope Assist by Miranda, Phoenix Dawn.
72:28
Ava Priest (4)
GOAL by COL Priest, Ava.
85:20
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
3
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
4
SOG
2
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
3
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
DEF
/ SoccerMID
/ SoccerMidfielder
/ Soccer
Defender
/ Soccer
DEF
/ SoccerForward
/ SoccerForward
/ Soccer
Goalkeeper
/ SoccerCrimson Corner with Bill Riley - Ron McBride
Wednesday, September 03
Utah Women's Soccer Head Coach Hideki Nakada heads into his 5th year - ESPN+ Feature
Tuesday, September 02
Utah Soccer's Kelly Bullock - ESPN+ Feature
Tuesday, September 02
Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - Debut
Tuesday, August 26