Senior forward Hope Leyba celebrates her second goal against the University of Denver on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026 at Prentup Field (Eli Walters/CU Independent)
No. 13 Colorado (8-1-1, 2-0 Big 12) soccer secured a 2-0 upset victory over No. 10 West Virginia (5-1-2, 0-1-1 Big 12) on Thursday night, using goals from Hope Leyba and Reagan Kotschau to come out on top after a competitive matchup.
Before kickoff, the Buffaloes and Mountaineers walked onto the field alongside young players from Boulder County’s Albion Soccer Club. The players stayed throughout the match, cheering on the Buffaloes from the stands.
The opening minutes set the tone for an intense first half. Colorado and West Virginia traded possession and opportunities as both teams looked for an opening. Neither side was able to separate itself early, with the Buffaloes working to create chances while keeping the Mountaineers from finding the back of the net.
Then, Colorado finally broke through late in the first half.
Following a West Virginia foul and yellow card, Leyba opened the scoring in the 36th minute. Sloane Phillips and Kotschau assisted on the goal, putting the Buffs ahead with less than 10 minutes remaining before halftime.
Despite Colorado holding the advantage on the scoreboard, the first-half statistics showed how closely the two teams had battled. The Buffaloes recorded six shots in the opening 45 minutes, while the Mountaineers finished the half with five.
Colorado entered the second half looking to build on its one-goal advantage rather than simply protect it.
The Buffaloes found their opportunity in the 69th minute when Mia Paugh drew a foul inside the penalty area. The foul awarded Colorado a penalty kick and gave the Buffs an opportunity to double their lead.
Kotschau stepped up to the penalty spot and converted the kick, extending Colorado’s lead to 2-0. After assisting on Leyba’s opening goal, Kotschau’s penalty gave her a role in both of Colorado’s scores.
With a two-goal advantage, the Buffaloes focused on shutting down West Virginia’s attempts to get back into the match. Colorado’s defense held firm through the remainder of the second half, preventing West Virginia from breaking through
The final whistle secured the 2-0 victory for Colorado.
This game was an opportunity for the Buffaloes to not only defend on their own turf, but prove they can win against a top-10 team like West Virginia.
“We’re really pleased we got the win. We need to win at home,” head coach Danny Sanchez said. “So now we need to go on the road, against a tough team in a tough environment.”
Thursday’s performance gave Colorado another positive result as it continues through its conference schedule, but Sanchez’s comments showed that the Buffaloes are already turning their attention toward what comes next.
The Buffaloes are looking to take Thursday’s win into Sunday when they play No. 24 Texas Tech (5-0-4, 1-0-1 Big 12) , at 12 p.m. MT. The game will stream on ESPNU.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Julia Brucker at Julia.Brucker@colorado.edu
