COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Sofia Goicoechea scored four times and goalkeeper Sophie Simpson made 15 saves – including 12 in the second half during an 8-4 scoring run by the Buffaloes – as No. 14-ranked/Rocky Mountain Division Champion the University of Colorado shattered a five-all tie at halftime to roll over No. 20/New York Division Champion Cornell University, 13-9, in a first day consolation game at the 2024 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship hosted by Texas A&M University.
Competing at A&M’s Student Rec Center, Colorado – which dropped an 11-4 game to No. 5/Midwest Division Champion the University of Notre Dame in an opening round contest earlier in the day – kept pace with the Big Red in the third quarter prior to exploding for a 6-2 scoring advantage over the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter.
The win advances the Buffaloes into a game at 2:50 p.m. Central on Saturday, May 2, against No. 15/Northwest Division Champion the University of Washington for a spot in the tournament’s Ninth Place game at 2:15 p.m Central on Sunday, May 5. A loss to the Huskies places Colorado into the 11th Place game at 3:30 p.m. in the 30th and final game of the 2024 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship.
Colorado – which previously finished 11th (2023), 13th (2018) and eighth (2003) in three prior trips to the Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship – never trailed against Cornell.
Morgan Bruun-Jensen started the scoring for the Buffaloes by connecting on back-to-back shots at 5:24 and 4:49 in the first quarter to a quick 2-0 lead. A penalty shot by Goicoechea at 3:05 cushioned the margin to 3-0 prior to Emily Fitzgerald (Jr., Sydney, Australia) responding with a penalty shot at 2:22 to pull the Big Red back to within a pair at 3-1.
A man-up score by Goicoechea with one second left in the opening frame returned Colorado’s lead to three at 4-1, but the Big Red erased the margin in the first four minutes of the second quarter thanks to natural scores from Fitzgerald (6:06) and MJ Raade (Jr., Cottage Grove, Ore.) (4:14) to bookend a man-up marker by Fitzgerald (4:51) to level the playing field at four-all.
Colorado pushed ahead 5-4 via a strike from Isabelle Hardie, but Fitzgerald punched in her fourth goal of the first half by swishing a man-up chance with 1:58 until intermission to set the scoreboard at five-all after 14 minutes.
In the third quarter, Taylor Blakely (5:59) and Goicoechea (5:23, penalty shot) commenced the second half to stake Colorado to a 7-5 lead before Kira Wilson (So., Kingsburg, Calif.) and Fitzgerald delivered responses at 4:34 and 3:16, respectively, to deadlock the teams once more at seven-all.
The back-and-forth pattern continued in the first three and a half minutes of the fourth quarter as Peyton Schmitz (5:58) and Goicoechea (4:24, penalty shot) provided Colorado 8-7 and 9-8 leads with Fitzgerald (4:29) and Raade (3:47) notching equalizers to balance the scoreboard at eight and nine-all.
Man-up goals from Bruun-Jensen (3:29) and Hardie (2:47) provided the Buffaloes some free range, however, prior to Blakely capping off a 4-0 run to the concluding horn with back-to-back natural strikes at 1:16 and 33 seconds for the 13-9 final score.
For Colorado, Goicoechea (four), Bruun-Jensen (three), Blakely (three) and Hardie (two) each posted a multi-goal game. Schmitz chipped in a solo marker.
Cornell – which will see its season conclude in a 13th/15th place game versus No. 18/North Atlantic Division Champion Yale University at 9:50 p.m. Central on Saturday, May 4 – received a game-high six goals from Fitzgerald, a pair by Raade and a solo tally courtesy Wilson. Alex Bentley (Jr., San Antonio, Texas) suffered the loss in her home state with eight saves.
Due to the number of games (30) during the championship weekend – and limited pool time – the 13th and 15th place games are not played. Therefore, the winner of Cornell’s final game ties for 13th place, while the loser ties for 15th place.
In the history of the Women’s National Collegiate Championship, the Big Red have previously claimed 15th (2005, 2006, 2011, 2019), 13th (2012) and 12th (2018) place finishes.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| No. 20 Cornell University |
1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | – | 9 |
| No. 14 University of Colorado | 4 | 1 | 2 | 6 | – | 13 |
| Colorado Goals: | Sofia Goicoechea (4); Morgan Bruun-Jensen (3); Taylor Blakely (3); Isabelle Hardie (2); Peyton Schmitz | |||||
| Cornell Goals: | Emily Fitzgerald (6); MJ Raade (2); Kira Wilson | |||||
| Saves: | Colorado – Sophie Simpson (15) ; Cornell – Alex Bentley (8) | |||||
| Exclusions: | Colorado – 6 ; Cornell – 8 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Colorado – 6-for-8; Cornell – 3-for-6 | |||||
| Sprints: | Colorado – 2-for-4 (3rd, 4th) ; Cornell – 2-for-4 (1st, 2nd) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | |||||
| Officials: | Marvel Shoen, Philippe Knall | |||||
Cornell University’s Ho’Ohila Kawelo (#10) & the University of Colorado’s Morgan Bruun-Jensen (#24)
University of Colorado’s Sashi Weerawarana (#2) attempts to get rid of the ball prior to the arrival of Cornell University’s MJ Raade (#8)
The University of Colorado’s Sophie Simpson (#1) and Emily Fitzgerald (#4) attempt to stop Colgate University’s Ho’ohila Kawelo (#10)
