Senior goalkeeper Jordan Nytes kicks the ball in the game against The University of Arizona at Prentup Field on Oct. 26, 2025. (Peter FitzGerald/CU Independent)
As Jordan Nytes fell on the ball for the twelfth time in the No. 12 Colorado Buffaloes (17-3-3) 4-1 win over the No. 22 Xavier Musketeers (16-4-2), it wasn’t the number of saves that went through her head – it was the team in front of her.
“I can’t take any of the credit for the saves without the four people in front of me and the rest of the team,” Nytes said.
Nytes’ 12 saves on 13 shots provided the necessary backstop to Colorado’s high-powered offense in the second round of the NCAA Tournament from DeMartin Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.
Three of the 12 saves came within the first 15 minutes as the nation’s second-best scoring offense in Xavier got going early, leading the Buffs in shots, 6-1.
Colorado’s second shot had better luck, as a corner kick met the rising head of junior defender Faith Leyba in the 18th minute as she headed in her third goal of the season and gave the Buffs an early 1-0 lead.
Leyba’s sister, junior forward Hope Leyba, looked to double up the score with a shifty move inside the 18-yard box that drew out Musketeer goalkeeper Maria Galley. Leyba got a weak shot off just before a sliding defender got in her way, but pushed it just six inches too far to the left as the score remained 1-0.
Not two minutes later, she took a deflection off the top of the crossbar and met the head of Regan Kotschau, who put her second goal of the tournament into the back of the net, putting the Buffs up 2-0.
Colorado Buffaloes junior foward, Reagan Kotschau, kicks the ball against the University of Utah Valley on Friday, Nov. 14th, 2025 (Remi Krupinski/CU Independent).
Colorado didn’t let up in the first half. Their six corner kicks helped keep the action on the Xavier half of the pitch as they protected a 2-0 lead going into the half.
The Musketeers came out of the locker room in a two-goal deficit that lit a fire under them. Nine shots in a 12-minute span provided some momentum, but Nytes was there with another flurry of saves to keep the score 2-0 into the 79th minute.
As the Colorado defense began to park the bus in front of their net and Xavier began to throw everything forward, it allowed for some balls to leak through.
Freshman midfielder Vivi Zacarias took this opportunity to sneak a ball to Hope Leyba just across the midfield line, making a cut inside to create space as two Xavier defenders scrambled to mark her. The cut allowed Leyba to fire a rocket from nearly 40 yards out that could not have been placed better. The falling ball landed in the space between Galley’s gloves and the top woodwork for her 22nd goal of the year, and helped the Buffs to a 3-0 lead in the 87th minute.
Colorado Buffaloes junior foward, Hope Leyba, playing against the University of Utah Valley on Friday, Nov. 14th, 2025 (Remi Krupinski/CU Independent).
Action didn’t stop there as two minutes later, Xavier freshman Presley Pennekamp beat Nytes to an in-swinging ball that added some intrigue to a game that was out of reach as Xavier tried to close the gap, 3-1, with 110 seconds left.
Even still, Colorado responded 41 seconds later with sophomore Riley MacDonald receiving a well-placed touch from senior Josie Master, drawing Galley out of her line. In her only minute of game time, MacDonald got a low shot to nutmeg Galley and push the lead back up to three, 4-1, as the Buffs put the icing on the cake.
“We couldn’t be more proud of the group tonight for their effort and performance,” head coach Danny Sanchez said.
Nytes’ 12 saves helped keep the potent Xavier offense at bay for nearly the whole match.
“I think something I’ve kind of prided myself on for a while is just being able to perform under pressure,” Nytes said. “Being a captain on the team, it’s kind of my job to keep everybody else in front of me composed.”
Hope Leyba now has the highest goal tally of any team left alive in the NCAA Tournament.
“That third goal from Hope, what class, and it really took the heat and pressure off of us because they get a goal and [it would have been] 2-1, and now you’re scrambling,” Sanchez said. “What a classic goal from Hope.”
Kotschau has recorded both game winners for the Buffs as they look forward to playing third-round host No. 9 Michigan State (14-3-6) on Sunday, Nov. 23. The two teams tied in Boulder in their last meeting on Aug. 14. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with kickoff set for 11 a.m. MT.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jake Chau at jake.chau@colorado.edu.
