Colorado soccer’s NCAA Tournament run ends with loss to Michigan State in Sweet 16
The Buffs’ record-setting women’s soccer season has come to an end.
Colorado, which finished the season with the most wins, goals (59), assists (66) and points (184) in program history, fell to Michigan State on Sunday in an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 match in East Lansing, Mich.
Faith Leyba scored the lone goal for the Buffs (17-4-3), notching her third goal in her last four matches. Senior goalkeeper Jordan Nytes, in her final match as a Buff, made five saves in the opening half and finished with seven total stops.
“It was a great match, everything you expected out of a Sweet 16,” head coach Danny Sanchez said. “Like I told the team afterwards, I’m really proud of how they responded after giving up that early goal. We didn’t hang our heads. I thought we changed things up. We started playing well, and it was a deserved goal to get to 1-1 at halftime. The second half was a match that could have gone either way. Unfortunately, it didn’t fall for us today, but that doesn’t take away from the five great seniors that put us in this position.”
The Spartans’ Bella Najera scored both goals, the winner coming on a penalty, to advance to their first Elite Eight.
The Buffs and Spartans played in the opener this season, which ended in a 1-1 draw in Boulder.




