Texas came out with a spark in the game’s second overtime, and Erica Campanelli headed a shot with 3 minutes, 30 seconds left that hit the crossbar and bounced back into play. Courtney Goodson was on the receiving end of the deflection and sent a square ball in the box to Hannah Higgins, who volleyed the ball over the head of CU goalkeeper Kara Linder and into the back of the net.

The Buffs finished with a 9-10 overall record. The Longhorns improved to 9-8-3 and advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament.

Colorado’s best opportunity to score came in the second half. In the 72nd minute, junior forward Amanda Foulk received a through-ball in the box and fired a hard shot, but Texas goalkeeper Alexa Gaul came off her line and was able to make the save.

The last time the Buffs faced the Longhorns in the Big 12 tournament, the game was decided on penalty kicks after a 110-minute battle in the opening round in 2007. Wednesday’s game marked the ninth overtime game that Colorado has forced in the past six years at the conference tournament.

“The game was kind of the epitome of our season,” Coach Bill Hempen said. “We played well to a certain point. But when it meant the most, we were unable to execute, and that was ultimately our downfall.”

Texas outshot Colorado 23-15.

Buffaloes senior standout Nikki Marshall wraps up her college career as the all-time leader in points (93), goals (42) and winning goals (18). Marshall has also tallied more shots than any other player in the program (261).

Linder leaves CU with a 0.97 goals against average, good for third in program history, and she sits at No. 6 in total saves with 126.

2009 marks the first time in seven seasons that Colorado has not advanced to the NCAA tournament, and it’s the first time since 2001 that CU did not tally at least 10 wins.

“I’m very disappointed,” Hempen said. “This will be the first year in the last seven years that we won’t make the NCAA tournament, and it’s very disappointing.”

And now, courtesy of CU, here is a massive list of facts about the Buffs, the Longhorns and the Big 12 tournament:

• This is CU’s second time as the #3 seed at the Big 12 championships.

• CU has been seeded in every position from first to seventh but has never been seeded eighth.

• Colorado has faced seven of the 11 Big 12 teams in tourney history before this year.

• This will be CU’s sixth match against Texas in the postseason.

• CU is 8-8-4 in the Big 12 tourney.

• Only two Buffaloes on this year’s squad have netted goals in the Big 12 tournament: Nikki Marshall (2) and Kelly Butler.

• CU coach Bill Hempen has a record of 6-5-4 in the Big 12 tournament.

• CU has had nine players selected to the All-Tournament Team: Katie Griffin, Kat Grandinetti and Darci Smerchek in 2005; Alex Cousins, Brittany Dornseif, Nikki Marshall and Nikki Keller in 2006; and Kirstin Radlinski and Michelle Wenino in 2008.

• The Buffs have made it to the championship game three times in the past four years.

• CU lost 1-0 to Missouri in the 2008 final.

• Colorado has never won the Big 12 tournament.

• Colorado trails the all-time record with the Longhorns 4-11-3.

• Texas finished 4-3-3 in Big 12 play, good for sixth place.

• CU is 1-2-2 in the last five meetings with the Longhorns.

• Colorado dropped a 1-0 double-overtime decision to the Longhorns 10 days ago in Austin.

• Texas’ leading scorer is Kylie Doniak, who has five goals and two assists for 12 points. Alexa Gaul has been the Texas netminder with a 1.24 GAA and three shutouts, posting a record of 7-6-3 on the season.

• Hempen owns a record of 4-5-3 against Texas.

• The last time the Buffs faced Texas in the opening round of the Big 12 championships was in 2007. Texas advanced on penalty kicks.

• Fans can watch the match live on the Big 12 Conference Web site, big12sports.com. Each game leading up to the final will be available for free (registration is required).

• Colorado finished the conference season allowing the fewest amount of goals (seven) and the lowest goals against average (0.68) in Big 12 play.

• Marshall finished in the top five in goals scored (five) in Big 12 play. Marshall leads the Buffs in scoring with eight goals and one assist for 17 points overall.

• CU senior goalkeeper Kara Linder held the best GAA (0.69) and save percentage (.851) and the most shutouts (five) in conference play.

• CU’s seniors: Ally Goodman, Linder, Marshall, Kelly Menachof, Tobie Rippy and Mary White.

Colorado finishes the regular season 9-9, 6-4-0 in the Big 12, while the Red Raiders fall to 8-8-3 overall and 3-4-3 in conference.

Senior Nikki Marshall notched the 18th winning goal of her college career. After a scoreless first half, she wasted little time in putting the Buffs on the scoreboard. Freshman Erin Bricker sent a pass to Marshall at the top of the box and Marshall got around the defender and placed her shot in the upper left corner of the goal for a 1-0 CU lead in the 53rd minute.

The goal gives Marshall 42 career goals, 93 points and 18 game-winners, adding to all three of the CU career records that she holds.

The Buffs struck again five minutes later; this time Bricker would find the back of the net. Bricker took a pass from sophomore Kate Russell, took one touch around the Tech defense and placed her shot inside the left goal post.

“The best move we made today was putting Kate Russell in at outside-midfielder,” CU coach Bill Hempen said. “Kate opened up our game a lot. And as soon as she switched positions, we were getting excellent opportunities on crosses, through-balls and corners. She really helped us establish our offense in the second half.”

The shutout was CU’s fifth this season at home. Texas Tech outshot the Buffs 21-16, but senior goalkeeper Kara Linder recorded her sixth shutout of the year.

Colorado, which finished the regular season 6-1 in Boulder, will travel to San Antonio for the first round of the Big 12 championships on Wednesday.

WOMEN
Metro State 2, Adams State 0: The No. 4 Roadrunners held a 36-2 advantage in shot attempts in their the 16th consecutive win. Metro State received all the scoring it would need just 94 seconds into the match: Freshman defender Hayley Renko scored her first career goal after the Grizzlies could not fully clear a corner kick. Ashley Nemmers then scored her seventh goal of the season with just 2:30 left in the first half as Metro improved to 18-1 overall and to 15-0 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. The Grizzlies finished their season with a 6-12-2 overall mark, just one win shy of the school record.  Adams State finished 4-10-2 in RMAC play as senior Ashley Sales  and redshirt junior Ashley Grover, who has decided to forgo her final season of eligibility while graduating early, played for the final time in a Grizzly uniform. Grizzlies sophomore goalkeeper Kirsten Dorsey made nine saves, and teammate Amber Drumm blocked a shot on a Becca Mays breakaway. Nemmers, who scored a header goal off a nice Aleah DeGeneres pass, led the Roadrunners with 11 shots, and Mays had 10. Metro goalkeeper Becca Maloney recorded her ninth shutout of the season. The Roadrunners are  14-0 all-time against the Grizzlies and had outscored the Grizzlies 38-2 in the previous five meetings.

Colorado College 5, UTEP 2: Fueled by freshman Brittney Lyman’s five goals in the second half, the Colorado College women’s soccer team refused to be denied its most important game of the season on Friday night. CC thoroughly dominated but needed to come from behind twice in the team’s regular-season finale at Washburn Field. With one of their biggest victories since joining Conference USA as an affiliate member in 2006, the Tigers overtook the University of Memphis for second place in the final standings and earned a bye in the opening round of the Conference USA playoffs next week. Lyman, a 2009 graduate of Arvada West High School, wiped out 1-0 and 2-1 deficits with her first two tallies of the match before adding a natural hat trick. Colorado College will play in the semifinals of the league tournament in Dallas next Friday against the winner of one of Wednesday’s opening-round matches.

Northern Colorado 4, Northern Arizona 0: In Greeley, senior Marcie Johnson had two goals and an assist in the final game of her college career. Johnson got the game going with an unassisted goal in the 19th minute. Less than 10 minutes into the second half, Ariel Cook received a pass from the corner from junior Olivia Deadmond and made a short shot to put the Bears up 2-0. Cook increased the lead to 3-0 with a shot seven minutes later, taking the assist from Johnson and making the shot from only three yards out. Johnson sealed the deal for Northern Colorado with her second unassisted goal of the night after a breakaway from 10 yards out. The match was also the final one for UNC senior Sydney VanderVelde. “Marcie played a great game and played with a lot of confidence tonight,” Coach Tim Barrera said. “Sydney and Marcie played really well. We are all really happy with how the team played tonight.” The Bears finished 2-5 in Big Sky play, 6-10-1 overall.

Colorado-Colorado Springs 5, Nebraska-Kearney 0: UCCS kept itself relevant in the RMAC playoff picture at Mountain Lion Stadium. Five players scored for the Mountain Lions: Jessica Escobedo, Julia Saenz, Lauren Hall, Krista Mirabelli and Brianna Guzzardo. Seniors Hall and Mirabelli were playing the final home game of their collegiate careers. UCCS improved to 7-8-1 overall and 6-8-1 in RMAC play with the win, good for 19 points (three for each conference win and one for the tie). UCCS is now in sixth place in the conference, two points ahead of Colorado Christian. Six teams advance to the playoffs. The five goals was a school record for the Mountain Lions’ second-year program.

MEN
CSU-Pueblo 1, Mesa State 0: Dylan Cook scored an unassisted goal in the 75th minute as the Thunderwolves won at home. Mesa State dropped to 2-14-2 (2-10-1 RMAC), and CSU-Pueblo raised its record to 8-10-0 (4-9-0 RMAC). Pueblo’s Jacob Blum made two saves in recording the shutout. Josh Tinaglia made seven saves for Mesa.

Fort Lewis 3, Colorado-Colorado Springs 0: Joe Barnd scored twice for the third-ranked Skyhawks at Mountain Lion Stadium. Fort Lewis improved to 16-0, 13-0 in the RMAC. Barnd now has seven goals in 10 matches this season. Abdel Becerra opened the scoring with a skillful goal in the 34th minute. He dribbled toward the goal, and when UCCS goalkeeper Adam Liszewski came out to cut off the angle, Becerra chipped it over his head and into the net. Barnd’s first goal came in the 59th minute, when he headed in a crossing pass by Dimo Krymanidis. Barnd converted a far-post shot from the left side with less than three minutes remaining. Liszewski made seven saves in the losing effort for UCCS (7-10-1, 4-8-1 RMAC).

The University of Colorado soccer team will host Texas Tech at 3 p.m. Friday in its final regular-season match.

The Buffaloes (8-9, 5-4 Big 12) will celebrate Senior Day and honor Ally Goodman, Kara Linder, Nikki Marshall, Kelly Menachof, Tobie Rippy and Mary White with a post-game celebration. The game is set to air live at 3 p.m. on FSN with an approximate 3:08 p.m. kickoff. Marc Stout will handle the play-by-play duties, and Marcelo Balboa will provide the analysis.

The Buffaloes are coming off a pair of Big 12 road games last weekend in which they dropped a 2-0 decision to No. 20 Texas A&M on Friday and fell 1-0 in double overtime to Texas on Sunday.

Texas Tech (8-7-3, 3-3-3 Big 12) enters the weekend after back-to-back ties with Texas on Friday and Texas A&M on Sunday. Tech had an early 2-0 second-half lead over Texas, but the Longhorns fought back in the last 20 minutes. Two days later against Texas A&M, Tech held the nationally ranked squad scoreless in 110 minutes of play. The Red Raiders are led by Dawn Ward with 13 goals and one assist and Taylor Lytle with four goals and 11 assists. Colorado owns the overall series with Texas Tech by a decisive 10-2-1 margin, and CU is 5-1 when facing the Red Raiders at home.

Colorado’s senior class came to campus in a few waves, starting in the fall of 2006. Goodman, Linder, Marshall and White arrived as freshmen, Rippy as a sophomore and Menachof as a junior. The class has helped lead the Buffs to three NCAA tournament appearances, including three 10-plus win seasons.

Colorado is fourth in the latest Big 12 Conference standings with 15 points. With just one conference match remaining, CU is guaranteed to make its eighth-straight appearance in the Big 12 championships. The top eight teams based on points at the end of the season qualify. In league play, three points are awarded for a win, one for a tie and zero for a loss.

Colorado is 6-1-0 at Prentup Field this season, and four of the six wins have been 1-0 shutouts. The Buffs have outscored opponents 12-4 in Boulder.

Marshall leads the Buffs in scoring with seven goals and one assist. Sophomore Kelly Butler follows Marshall with four goals and two assists for 10 points, along with eight other Buffs who have found the back of the net. Freshman Erin Bricker leads the team with three assists, and Linder owns a 1.15 goals-against average, including five shutouts.

Already CU’s all-time leading goal scorer, Marshall became the all-time points leader in a win over Oklahoma. She shattered former All-American and Fran Munnelly’s record (84). Marshall has 91 points and at least two games still to play.

KICK OR TREAT: Kids and adults are invited to wear costumes and trick-or-treat with other student-athletes before kickoff on Friday. Those dressed in a costume will have a chance to win prizes. Kick or Treat activities will start at 2 p.m. The first 100 fans will also receive a free poster autographed by CU’s seniors. At halftime, Top Chef New York winner Hosea Rosenberg will appear. Admission and parking for all CU soccer games are free.

The Orediggers have shut out seven of their past eight opponents.

Mitchell gave Mines a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute, when Liz Oba chipped a ball over the CSU-Pueblo defense. Mitchell controlled the ball and beat the goalkeeper to the far post for her 12th winning goal of the season. The assist was Oba’s fourth.

Mitchell struck again in the 14th minute. Megan Woodworth controlled the ball at the top of the box, finding Allison Heeg open on her left near the edge of the box. Mitchell made an overlapping run, and Heeg played the ball to Mitchell, who placed the ball high toward the far post. The assist was Heeg’s first of the season.

In the 34th minute, Mitchell completed the hat trick, receiving the ball in the box from Becca Morales and turning inside to score once again.

Woodworth and Mitchell connected in the 70th minute. Woodworth found Mitchell in the box with a short pass and collected her sixth assist of the season.

Mitchell’s four-goal performance established Mines records for goals and points in a match. The hat trick was Mitchell’s fifth of the season and the eighth of her career.

Briana Schulze earned her sixth shutout, registering six saves.

The Orediggers (15-3, 11-3 RMAC) will travel to Las Vegas, N.M., on Sunday to take on New Mexico Highlands.

WOMEN
Fort Lewis 2, UCCS 1: In Colorado Springs, Erika Shisler punched in a loose ball with less than 14 minutes remaining as the No. 13 Skyhawks escaped Mountain Lion Stadium. Just 15:39 into the contest, the Mountain Lions managed something that only four other teams have done this season: They scored against the Skyhawks. Fort Lewis, led by a disciplined defense and the impenetrable Christine Schmelzle in goal, has logged an RMAC-best 11 shutouts, including six of its previous seven matches and three straight. Lauren Hall ended that streak with a highlight-reel goal. Following a UCCS corner kick, Jessica Escobedo sent a low crossing pass to Hall, who was standing in the middle of the field, 10 yards from goal. The problem was that the junior from Fruita had her back to the goal and two defenders in the way. Instead of turning, Hall flicked the ball backward over her head, a maneuver that took Schmelzle – and everyone else – by surprise. The ball sailed over the stunned defenders and into the net. Fort Lewis evened the match in the 28th minute when Sam Smith converted a crossing pass by Nichole Kluk. The tie endured all the way to the 86:04 mark, when Shisler’s goal ended UCCS’ hopes of an upset. Freshman goalkeeper Kayla Millar made 11 saves for the Mountain Lions, some of which were jaw-dropping. Twice, she thwarted one-on-ones and on a third shot she threw herself at the feet of a Skyhawk who had a point-blank shot. Schmelzle had six saves for Fort Lewis, which improved to 15-2-1, 11-2-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and held onto second place in the conference standings. The top two teams in the regular season get first-round byes in the RMAC playoffs. UCCS dropped to 6-8, 5-8 in RMAC play.

Denver 2, Western Kentucky 0: Kelsey Quinn scored her first goal of the season, while Mariah Johnston had a goal, her third of the year, and an assist. Johnston scored in the 25th minute of the game with a chip shot into the top right corner off of an assist from Kaitlin Bast. DU’s second goal came in the 60th minute from Quinn. The Pioneers improved to 12-5-1 overall and 7-2-0 in the Sun Belt Conference. The loss drops Western Kentucky to 12-4-1 and 7-2-0 in conference. Freshman goalkeeper Lara Campbell ended the night with five saves. The Pioneers continue their weekend on the road as they take on Middle Tennessee on Sunday.

Texas A&M 2, CU 0: The Buffs continued to struggle on the road. No. 20 Texas A&M (11-5-1, 5-2-1 Big 12) collected its 17th victory over Colorado in 19 tries, and the Buffs fell to 8-8 overall and 5-3 in Big 12 play. The Aggies, who have historically proven to be a difficult opponent for the Buffs, got off to an early start by scoring the first goal of the match less than three minutes in. Alyssa Mautz took a pass from Katie Hamilton at the top of the box and fired a hard shot into the upper left corner of the goal, beyond the reach of CU goalkeeper Kara Linder. Senior Nikki Marshall nearly got on the board for the Buffs in the 13th minute, when she found herself in a one-on-one situation with Aggie goalkeeper Kelly Dyer. Marshall went for a chip over the keeper’s head but missed wide right. The Aggies would strike again in the 34th minute. Hamilton received a pass from Chelsea Jones just inside the 18. She needed just one touch, took a sliding shot and buried the ball inside the left goal post. Colorado nearly converted a Marshall-to-Marshall goal in the 80th minute as Nikki Marshall dished a pass out to unmarked sister Shaye Marshall in front of the goal, but her shot was blocked and sent back into play by a Texas A&M defender. Colorado will now head west to Austin and face the University of Texas at noon on Sunday.

New Mexico Highlands 2, Adams State 1: The Grizzlies’ hopes of qualifying for the RMAC tournament for the first time since 2006 took a major blow in Las Vegas, N.M. The Cowgirls, who had been shut out in each of their previous eight games, received goals in the 13th and 29th minutes from Yolanda Elias and Krista Mashak, respectively, as they improved to 3-15 overall and to 3-11 in RMAC action. The Grizzlies (6-11-1 overall and 4-9-1 in the RMAC) have dropped six straight games on Highlands’ narrow sports-turf field, which has been a place of horrors for the Grizzlies since they claimed their only road win over the Cowgirls in 2003. ASC dominated the Cowgirls at home in a 3-0 win just nine days ago.

Rice 0, Colorado College 0: Once Erin Scott hit the goalpost for Rice early in the match at Stewart Field in Colorado Springs, the excitement was pretty much over. The visiting Owls and CC played 110 scoreless minutes in a 0-0 tie that prevented CC from clinching a berth in the Conference USA playoffs, less than two weeks away. The Tigers finished with a 20-15 edge in shots, but other than Scott’s point-blank rocket from just inside the left side of the box that ricocheted high off the far post, neither team generated a quality chance in the offensive end. CC, now 10-5-2 overall and 6-2-1 in conference play, returns to action against Houston at noon Sunday in Colorado Springs. Goalkeeper Meghan Erkel finished with six saves for Rice, now 4-10-3 overall and 2-6-1 in Conference USA. Caitlin Hulyo made four stops in net for the Tigers, who blanked their third consecutive opponent.

Northern Colorado 4, Eastern Washington 0: After four straight Big Sky Conference losses, UNC came to life at Jackson Stadium. Kimmie Feidler, Ariel Cook, Marcie Johnson and JJ Wykstra scored for the Bears, who improved to 5-9-1 overall and 1-4-0 in conference. The Eagles fell to 6-7-1 and 3-1-1. In the 33rd minute, Feidler took a pass from Cook and opened the scoring. Feidler made one touch before striking a high shot just out of reach of Eastern Washington goalkeeper Lisa Demak. UNC increased its lead to 2-0 less than a minute into the second half with a goal from Johnson. Freshman Danielle Birdsall’s previous shot hit the crossbar, and Johnson found the back of the net from eight yards out. After a goalkeeper change for the Eagles, the Bears added a goal from Wykstra. Feidler made a quick pass in front of the goal to Wykstra, who put the Bears up 3-0 in the 66th minute. Cook rounded out the scoring. Sydney VanderVelde attempted a cross that was deflected by goalkeeper Jacki Gillis, but Cook took possession of the ball behind the keeper and found an open path to the goal for a 4-0 advantage. UNC’s total of four goals was its highest this season, and it came against an Eagles team that entered the match allowing an average of 1.64 goals per game. The Bears host Montana at noon Sunday at Jackson Stadium.

Colorado Christian 1, Mesa State 0: Cougars goalkeeper Liana Signorile made three saves en route to her eighth shutout of the season. Jessica Smith scored in the 69th minute after a long pass from Nicole Gill. Colorado Christian improved to 8-6-3, 5-6-2 in the RMAC, while Mesa State dropped to 8-9, 5-8.

Metro State 4, Nebraska-Kearney 0: The No. 6 Roadrunners outshot Nebraska-Kearney 29-5 in Kearney, Neb. Madison McQuilliams tallied a career-high three assists and Becca Mays scored twice as the Roadrunners recorded their 15th straight win.

MEN
Air Force 1, New Mexico 0: Kevin Rosser connected on a penalty kick with 4:42 remaining at Cadet Soccer Stadium. Air Force was awarded the PK when New Mexico was called for a hand ball in the box after an Air Force corner kick. Rosser placed the shot in the upper right corner, past Lobo goalie Justin Fite. It was Air Force’s first win over New Mexico since 2003, snapping a seven-game losing streak and 11-game winless streak to the Lobos. Air Force improved to 6-5-1 overall and 1-2 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, while New Mexico fell to 8-5 and 2-1 in league play. New Mexico dominated the statistical categories, outshooting the Falcons 15-7 and taking six corner kicks to Air Force’s two. Rosser’s goal was Air Force’s only shot on goa, while the Lobos placed six on freshman goalie Mike Mauro, who made several outstanding saves, including one on a breakaway by UNM’s Justin Davis in the 52nd minute. Mauro collected the second shutout of his career. “Mauro played a great game for us tonight,” Air Force head coach Doug Hill said. “He certainly kept us in it throughout, and Eric Wilson did an outstanding job for us in the backfield. It’s always nice to beat a very good team and know that we can play with anyone in the country.” Rosser had four of Air Force’s seven shots, while seniors Josh Rhynard and Jared Gomez and freshman Zane Dydasco each had one. Air Force hosts Nevada-Las Vegas at 1 p.m. Sunday.

UNLV 2, Denver 2: Sophomore midfielder Jarod Stigall rallied the Pioneers with two goals in the final 15 minutes at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium. The Pioneers (3-7-3, 0-2-1 MPSF) got on the board in the 76th minute, when senior midfielder Collin Audley passed to Stigall, who fired a shot from the left corner of the box inside the opposite post. Stigall tied the game with less than six minutes remaining after a rebound of a shot by Audley and a tip pass from freshman forward Nathan Sackeyfio. The Rebels jumped on the board first as junior midfielder Stephen Sifuentes headed in a cross from senior defender Peter Rodriguez in the third minute of the game. With just over six minutes left in the first half, Sifuentes scored his second goal of the night, assisted by freshman forward Zach Kupfer.

Mines 5, UCCS 1: In Colorado Springs, Jeff Nelson scored two goals, and Jacob Juett, Chike Sullivan and Ted Decker also scored for No. 16 Mines (12-2-3, 8-2-1 RMAC). Alex Nass and Cale Haas got assists. Matt Friesen scored his seventh goal of the season for the Mountain Lions (6-9-1, 3-7-1 RMAC). Nelson’s two scores came in the closing minutes. On the first, he converted a crossing pass by Haas that UCCS goalkeeper Adam Liszewski failed to intercept in the 79th minute. The second was the result of a mis-hit by Liszewski, who was trying to clear an ill-advised pass back to the keeper in the 86th minute. Liszewski made eight saves, and Mines goalkeeper Manville Strand had five.

Fort Lewis 1, Metro State 0: Euan Purcell deflected a pass by Barden for the only goal of the match in Durango. The Skyhawks improved to 14-1 overall and 11-0 in conference. Metro State slipped to 9-5-2, 6-3-2 in RMAC play. Fort Lewis outshot the Roadrunners 14-4, and Metro goalkeeper Dominique Griffith made six saves.

Regis 1, Mesa State 0: In Grand Junction, Regis collected its third consecutive victory as Jordan Brandel scored in the 65th minute. The Rangers improved to 6-1-4 in RMAC play, 8-3-4 overall. Next, the Rangers face Fort Lewis College at 1 p.m. Sunday in Durango.

CSU-Pueblo 5, Colorado Christian 1: Sam Henritze scored three goals, and Sean Fitzgerald and Robert Kinsey each added one as the Thunderwolves rolled at home. Kinsey had an assist on one of Henritze’s goals, and the others were unassisted. Jodah Hankins scored in the 85th minute for Colorado Christian, which fell to 2-13-2 overall and 0-10-1 in conference. The Thunderwolves are 7-8 overall, 3-7 in conference.

The University of Colorado soccer team will wrap up the regular season with three games in eight days, beginning with a road trip to the Lone Star State.

The Buffs, coming off a bye week with an overall record of 8-7 (5-2 in the Big 12), travel to Texas A&M on Friday and the University of Texas on Sunday. CU ends the season Oct. 30 at home against Texas Tech; game time is 3 p.m.

Prior to the bye, Colorado went 1-1 against Missouri and Kansas. The Buffs faced Missouri on Friday, Oct. 9 and dropped a 1-0 overtime decision to the Tigers. Colorado rebounded on Sunday against Kansas with a 1-0 win, thanks to freshman Erin Bricker’s first career goal. The win proved to be CU’s first true road win of the season, but the loss at Missouri helped the Tigers take over the top spot in the Big 12 standings.

Texas A&M (10-5-1, 4-2-1 Big 12) enters the weekend after a 1-0 win over Iowa State and a 2-1 loss to Nebraska last week. Nebraska used two goals from freshman Morgan Marlborough to hand the Aggies their second conference loss of the season.

The Aggies are led by Rachel Shipley, who has five goals and seven assists, while Whitney Hooper leads the team in goals scored, with seven. Historically, Texas A&M has proven to be a difficult matchup for the Buffs, owning a 1-16-1 all-time record against CU. Colorado is 0-6 in College Station, and the Buffs’ lone win over the Aggies came in 2006 in the second round of the Big 12 championships, thanks to a Nikki Marshall overtime goal. Texas A&M is just two points behind second-place Colorado in the Big 12 standings.

Texas (7-7-2, 3-2-2 Big 12) did the exact opposite of Texas A&M last weekend, beating Nebraska on Friday and losing to Iowa State on Sunday. Texas will face Texas Tech on Friday. The Longhorns are led by Kylie Doniak, who has netted five goals and dished out two assists. Texas has bounced back from a 3-5 start to a 4-2-2 record in the second half of the season. In its first nine matches, Texas allowed 15 goals, but the defense has since allowed only six. Texas owns the overall series over the Buffaloes 9-4-2, and CU’s only win in the past five meetings was a 1-0 thriller last year in Boulder.

With just three matches left to play, the Buffs are still in the hunt for their second regular-season title ever. CU is also looking to make its eighth-straight appearance in the Big 12 championships; only the top eight teams, based on points at the end of the season, qualify for conference tournament. In league play, three points are awarded for a win, one for a tie and none for a loss.

Marshall leads the Buffs in scoring with seven goals and one assist. Sophomore Kelly Butler follows Marshall, with four goals and two assists. Bricker leads the team with three assists, and senior goalkeeper Kara Linder owns a 1.15 goals-against average and five shutouts.

Colorado’s return to Boulder will be televised on FSN. CU will celebrate Senior Day and Kick or Treat at Prentup Field before the match. Kids and adults are invited to wear costumes and trick-or-treat with other student-athletes before the match. Everyone wearing a costume will have a chance to win prizes starting at 2 p.m., and the match will kick off at 3. The first 100 fans will receive a free poster autographed by the team’s five seniors.

Find some more room on the mantle, Martha. Players from all over Colorado received awards for their play last weekend. Let’s take a look, starting in Boulder. … University of Colorado soccer players Kara Linder and Quinn Krier have been honored by the Big 12, the conference announced.

Linder was named defensive player of the week for the second time this season.

Linder notched her third consecutive shutout in Big 12 play with 1-0 victories over Nebraska and Iowa State. She recorded six saves during the weekend, with five against Nebraska, holding the high-scoring Huskers scoreless for the first time this season. Linder has earned six wins this season, including four shutouts. She has 10 career shutouts, third on the program’s all-time list.

Krier received the first weekly award of her young career. She was named the league’s newcomer of the week.

In her first collegiate starts, Krier played all but five minutes in CU’s two matches. She assisted the Colorado defense as it kept the Husker offense scoreless on 21 shots, with just five on goal.

The Buffaloes are 3-0 in conference play and will face Oklahoma and Baylor this weekend. The Sooners visit Boulder at 4 p.m. Friday. CU will travel to Waco, Texas, to take on Baylor on Sunday.

SUN BELT PLAYER OF THE WEEK: University of Denver freshman forward Kaitlin Bast has been named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week for the second time this season. Additionally, she was named to the Soccer America Women’s Team of the Week. Bast scored five goals and added two assists in a pair of wins. Denver opened Sun Belt Conference action with a 6-0 victory against Louisiana-Monroe on Friday and a 6-1 win against Louisiana-Lafayette on Sunday.

SCAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Colorado College’s Matt Fechter, who struck for three goals and added an assist in two games last weekend, was named offensive player of the week by the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. Fechter recorded the first two multipoint games of his career while leading the Tigers to a pair of non-conference victories and the 2009 Bill Boddington Memorial Tournament title. The freshman forward had the first multi-goal game of his young career when he scored twice in a span of 4:59 during CC’s 4-1 victory over the Milwaukee School of Engineering on Friday. The following day, Fechter tallied a goal and set up another as the Tigers defeated the University of Dallas 4-0. Fechter leads the Tigers with four goals and 10 points, and is tied for second with a pair of assists.

CONFERENCE USA HONOR: Junior forward Tiffany Brown of Colorado College was named the Conference USA offensive player of the week, which included a five-point performance against Southern Methodist. Brown is the Conference USA scoring leader in league play and overall. She has 23 goals and 57 points at CC.

MPSF PLAYER OF THE WEEK: University of Denver junior goalkeeper Joe Willis has been named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Week. Willis was named to the Big West Challenge All-Tournament Team after leading the Pioneers to within one goal of the tournament championship. Willis had 10 saves in a shutout, his second in as many games, against No. 24 Cal State-Northridge on Friday and held Cal State-Fullerton to a single goal in Denver’s 2-1 victory on Sunday. The Pioneers and Coastal Carolina ended the Big West Challenge with identical records, but the Chanticleers won the tournament with one more goal scored.

RMAC WOMEN’S PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Metro State’s Becca Mays and Becca Maloney were named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference offensive and defensive players of the week, respectively. Mays, a senior forward from San Antonio, scored five goals in three games last week. Her most impressive performance came on Friday; she scored three goals, her second hat trick of the season and third of her career, in a 5-1 win at Colorado-Colorado Springs. Maloney, a senior goalkeeper from Colorado Springs, earned the victory in all three games last week, allowing just one goal in 248 minutes. The Roadrunners, ranked No. 6 in the nation host Adams State on Friday and Nebraska-Kearney on Sunday.

RMAC MEN’S PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Ted Decker and Philip Wilson of the Colorado School of Mines were named RMAC defensive and offensive players of the week, respectively. Decker, a senior defender from Butte, Mont., helped Mines earn shutout victories over Colorado Christian and Colorado-Colorado Springs. Decker scored a goal in each game to bring his season total to three. Decker and the CSM defense have allowed just seven goals through 10 games this season and have shut out six opponents. Wilson, a sophomore midfielder from Mansfield, Texas, scored two game-winning goals and added one assist. Wilson is tied for fourth in the RMAC in points (11), goals (four) and assists (three). The Orediggers will play Friday at Regis University then will host Metro State on Sunday.

CHRIS SHARPE HEADED TO D.C.: MLS pool goalkeeper Chris Sharpe will be headed to the nation’s capital for the weekend as D.C. United’s Josh Wicks is out four to six weeks with a dislocated shoulder and a sprained knee. Wicks was hurt in a 2-1 loss Sunday to San Jose. Milos Kocic is expected to be the starter, and Sharpe, who lives in Denver and trains with the Colorado Rapids, will be on hand as a backup.

CUE THE AUDIO: And here is the American Soccer Minute for week 29. Click this link and listen to the predictions. The Rapids host New England on Saturday night in Colorado’s final regular-season match at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

RALSTON INJURED: New England Revolution captain Steve Ralston will miss the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, the team said. Ralston was injured in the 19th minute of a 2-1 win over the Seattle Sounders on Saturday. New England will mark the third consecutive opponent the Rapids have faced who lost a key player before their match (Danny Dichio, Toronto; Darren Huckerby, San Jose).

BLANCO IN LONG SLEEVES: The Colorado Rapids will open their 15th Major League Soccer season in 2010 on the road against Chivas USA on March 28 and will host Cuauhtemoc Blanco and the Chicago Fire in their home opener at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on April 3. The complete 2010 schedule will be released later. Single-game tickets for Opening Day will go on sale in early February.

RAPIDS CREATE TIES WITH COLORADO FUSION: The Colorado Rapids today announced that the Colorado Fusion Soccer Club has joined the club’s Rapids adidas Alliance. The Colorado Fusion joins the three other charter Colorado youth soccer clubs in the alliance: the Boulder County Force Soccer Club, the Denver-based Colorado Storm Soccer Association and the Pride Soccer Club, which is from Colorado Springs. The Rapids adidas Alliance was established to create a working relationship between existing clubs that benefits soccer development through shared resources and encouraging players to stay in their home clubs in the U11-U14 age groups. Those players have direct access to the Rapids U16-U18 Development Academy teams through visible scouting and direct coaching and curriculum ties.

ALL MISTY ABOUT THE NASL: Orren Schwarz of Chicago’s Daily Herald writes about a tribute the Chicago Fire recently gave to the Chicago Sting of the North American Soccer League. I try not to miss an opportunity to put NASL news on the Web site. Read Schwarz’s story here.

WOMEN
Santa Clara 1, Colorado 0 OT: At Palo Alto, Calif., the Buffaloes dropped their second contest in the Stanford/Nike Invitational. Linder would be tested two more times in a one-minute span, coming up with the saves on both attempts, however with less than two minutes to play in the first overtime period, Santa Clara would seal the deal and finally sneak past Linder for the win. In OT, the Broncos were awarded back-to-back corner kicks, and Olivia Klei’s cross on the second attempt found the head of Kiki Bosio, who flicked it in the back of the net.

Cal Poly 1, Colorado College 0: In Colorado Springs, Haley Walker scored with 17:22 left in regulation. Senior keeper Coral Hoover made seven saves as the Mustangs handed CC its first loss of the season at home. Walker, a freshman who plays both at forward and midfield, coverted from short range after a bouncing ball came to her during a scramble to the right of the Tigers’ net. Junior forward Morgan Miller earned an assist on the game winner. The loss dropped Colorado College to 4-3-1 overall.

Fort Lewis 2, Colorado School of Mines 1: Torrey Larson scored in the 71st minute to break a 1-1 tie. Liz Oba scored in the first minute for the visiting Orediggers, and Briana Schulze got the assist. But Sam Smith tied the game about 20 minutes later. Paige Martinez recorded an assist on Smith’s goal.

Regis 9, Adams State 2: Marissa Davis, Chelsea Bokan and Kari Taylor each had two goals for the Rangers, and Adams State sophomore forward Jessica Hellweg had the first multiple-goal game of her career. The Rangers improved to 5-1-1 overall and to 2-0-1 in RMAC play, and Adams State fell to 3-5 overall and to 1-3 in conference. Jordan Miller, Maddie Reaves and Katie Horn also scored for Regis. The Rangers took 31 shots.

CSU-Pueblo 3, Nebraska-Kearney 2: The Thunderwolves scored three first-half goals and held off a late charge by UNK. Pueblo’s Brittani Montgomery opened the scoring in the 22nd minute. Then, about 13 minutes later, Jessica Cook scored twice in a span of 2 minutes, 1 second. Kearney, however, cut the lead to two in the 50th minute on a goal by Shayla Frost, and teammate Jessica Schnoke made the score 3-2 in the 89th.

MEN
Washington 0, Denver 0: Pioneers junior goalkeeper Joe Willis recorded his first shutout of the season. In the 40th minute, Denver (2-3-1) threatened with a flurry of chances. Standing over a dead ball, sophomore midfielder Jarod Stigall struck a shot off the crossbar from 34 yards out. Moments later, senior defender Kris Banghart narrowly missed again, placing a header on goal, which was deflected just inches over the crossbar by Washington goalkeeper Rylan Hawkens. Denver held Washington (2-3-1) without a shot in the first half. Hawkens also tipped a shot b Stigall over the bar in the 57th minute and made a diving stop on an effort by Collin Audley with four minutes to play. Willis stopped a breakaway by Washington forward Brent Richards in overtime. Willis finished the night with five saves, and Hawkens had nine.

Metro State 2, CSU-Pueblo 1 OT: Mike Martinez scored his second overtime goal in a little more than week. The win moved Metro State to 5-2 overall and 2-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, while Pueblo dropped to 4-3 overall and 0-2 in the RMAC. Martinez scored the winning goal in the 109th minute after Steven Emory served the ball up to Tyler Hambrick, who dribbled and found Martinez directly in front of the goal for the tap-in. Pat Laughlin scored the first goal of the game less than a minute into the second half to give Metro State a 1-0 lead. Erik Andersen tied the game for the ThunderWolves with an unassisted goal in the 65th minute.

Regis 1, UCCS 1: In Colorado Springs, Adam Liszewski had six saves for UCCS. Lio DelPiccolo scored Regis’ goal on an assist from Ryan Brannan. UCCS evened the match on a penalty kick by Jaron Stewart in the 55th minute.

Mesa State 3, Colorado Christian 0: Danny Westcott scored twice and Evans Afriyie added another goal for the Mavericks. Josh Tinaglia made two saves for the shutout.

Fort Lewis 4, Mines 0: In Durango, Euan Purcell recorded the treble and Keane Hamilton added one as the Skyhawks rolled. Manville Strand made four saves for the visitors, and Zane Wells had one in the shutout victory.

WOMEN
Colorado College 4, New Hampshire 0: The Tigers cashed in on a pair of corner kicks early in the match and never looked back. Sophomore defender Beth Wright scored a goal and assisted on another in the opening 13 minutes of play at Stewart Field in Colorado Springs. Forwards Emily Beans and Tiffany Brown equaled Wright’s three-point performance, each striking for her third tally of campaign and setting up the other before giving way to substitutes midway through the second half. Senior midfielder Ericka Baer also scored, while sophomore keeper Caitlin Hulyo made four saves while playing the first 80:41 of the contest. Nineteen players saw game time for CC. Wright staked the Tigers to a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute, when the third of her nine corner kicks for the snuck inside the near post. It was the first goal of Wright’s collegiate career. Later in the opening half, Baer clicked on a header of another Wright corner kick to bump the lead to 2-0.

Stanford 4, Colorado 0: At the Stanford/Nike Classic in Palo Alto, Calif., the University of Colorado was shut out for the first time this season. The Cardinal improved to 8-0, while the Buffaloes fell to 4-4 overall. Stanford, which had been averaging 29.5 shots per game, outshot the Buffs 24-9, and CU did not give up a shot until 17 minutes into the game. The hosts got two second-half goals from Morgan Redman, and Ali Riley and Kelley O’Hara each had one. Despite the loss, CU coach Bill Hempen praised his goalkeeper, Kara Linder. “Kara was fantastic tonight,” Hempen said. “That was the goalkeeper that I’ve been waiting to see emerge all fall. When you look at the scoreboard it doesn’t show, but she was good in every aspect of the game tonight. I think maybe the pieces are starting to fall into place with her and hopefully for us as well.”

Oregon 4, Denver 1: In Corvallis, Ore., Teresa Bowns scored two goals as the Ducks held off DU. Oregon also got goals from Scout Libke (whose parents must have read “To Kill a Mockingbird”) and Julie Armstrong. Denver got its goal when Alison Kenney drilled a shot from about 30 yards out that hit the right post before entering the goal. Defender Megan Flannery got the assist.

Toledo 3, Northern Colorado 0: In Ohion, the Rockets, who were playing their fourth straight home match, had four corner kicks in the first five minutes to set the tempo, which the road-weary Bears had trouble matching early. Northern Colorado finished with 10 shots, seven on goal, while Toledo had 11 shots, eight on goal. UNC Sophomore goalkeeper Kirstin Salminen recorded five save. Natalie Gaitan, Brittany Hensler and Rachel Kravitz scored for Toledo. Junior Olivia Deadmond supplied Northern Colorado’s best scoring opportunity of the first half. Deadmond struck a free kick from about 25 yards out, but the ball just slid over the crossbar. Down 1-0 in the second half, Northern Colorado nearly tied the score off the foot of freshman JJ Wykstra at 48:20. Sophomore Janelle Kramer made a run down the right side and passed the ball into the middle of the Toledo goalbox to Wykstra, who was all alone in front of the goal. The UNC midfielder’s shot went high. Toledo improved to 4-2-1, and all four victories have been shutouts. The Bears fall to 3-3-1 and continue their stretch of five games away from Jackson Stadium on Wednesday, when they play at New Mexico

Colorado-Colorado Springs 2, Colorado Christian 0: When an offense that has struggled badly to score goals meets a defense that hasn’t allowed a goal all season, the outcome should be predictable. Then again, maybe not. Jessica Escobedo knocked home an unassisted goal in the 63rd minute and Kristen Preble headed in a long free kick by Lauren Hall in the 87th as UCCS overcame a Cougars defense that hadn’t allowed a goal through five matches. To awaken an offense that had produced just a single goal through the first three matches, UCCS chose the “quantity equals quality” approach, sending 29 shots toward Colorado Christian goalkeeper Liana Signorile, 10 of which went on goal. Friday’s match was in Colorado Springs; the teams will meet again Wednesday in Lakewood.

Adams State 1, Nebraska-Kearney 0: In Alamosa, the Grizzlies controlled the game but could manage only one late goal. In the 83nd minute, sophomore Cori Rich pushed the ball up the right side of the field and served the ball to Ashley Sales, whose header was the difference. Sales’ goal was her third of the season, and Rich’s assist was the first of her career. Adams State, which has struggled to finish plays throughout the season, took 32 shots. Sophomore midfielder Jessica Hellweg led the charge with eight shots, and Sales had seven. In one stretch about 11 minutes into the game, Hellweg and Sales combined on four shots in less than a minute, but all were denied. The victory was Coach Tom Cliff’s second-ever Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference win, and it was Adams State’s first shutout since 2007. It was also the first shutout for sophomore goalkeeper Kirsten Dorsey, who made four saves.

MEN
Regis 2, CSU-Pueblo 1: Ben Buhler, a former Greeley Central High School athlete, and Lio DelPiccolo scored as the Rangers won an RMAC match in Pueblo. Erik Andersen scored his third goal of the year for the Thunderwolves. DelPiccolo’s goal in the 68th minute was the winner and was his first collegiate goal. The Rangers outshot the Thunderwolves 13-9.

Metro State 3, UCCS 0: In Colorado Springs, Steven Emory scored twice and Pat Laughlin added one in the RMAC opener for both teams. The game was scoreless for nearly 75 minutes, until Laughlin found the net in the 75th minute with an assist from Ri Armstrong. Emory added an insurance goal in the 84th minute on a pass from Mike Martinez and added the final goal in the 88th on a penalty kick following a yellow card to UCCS goalkeeper Adam Liszewski. Metro State outshot the Mountain Lions 19-7. Dominique Griffith earned his second shutout of the season.

Colorado School of Mines 1, Mesa State 0: Ted Decker scored on a corner kick in the 77th minute as the Orediggers improved to 5-0-2 overall in the RMAC opener for both teams. Mines goalkeeper Manville Strand made five saves in the shutout.

Fort Lewis 6, Colorado Christian 0: Six players scored as Fort Lewis dominated at Dirks Field. Abdel Beccera, Tom Settle and Cory Dean found the back of the net in the first half, and Fabian Kling, Keane Hamilton and David Barden scored in the second half. Fort Lewis outshot Colorado Christian 38-3.  Zane Wells got the shutout.

Jordan Hilbrands scored two goals as the University of Illinois women’s soccer team defeated Colorado 2-1 on Friday afternoon in Denver.

Hilbrands got the game’s first goal in the 31st minute.

She took a vicious lead pass from Courtney Bell, split two CU defenders and poked the ball past goalkeeper Kara Linder and into the lower right corner of the net.

The goal came against the run of play, after the Buffaloes played most of the opening period in the Illini’s half of the pitch; they simply couldn’t get past goalkeeper Alexandra Kapicka and the back line of Krystin Miller, Danielle Kot, Julie Ewing and Caitlin Dombart.

CU’s first-half offensive frustration came to a head 28 minutes into the game, when midfielder Kate Russell, curled a shot so close to the Illinois goalpost that Kapicka probably heard it go past.

Had that shot gone in, the face of the game would’ve changed

“That’s 1-0 us, isn’t it?” Buffs coach Bill Hempen mused. “After all of the pressure we were putting on, we needed some reinforcement going on. Then it makes them chase the game, which I doubt they could under the circumustances.”

But Russell’s shot didn’t go in, the Buffs didn’t take the lead and the Illini weren’t the ones chasing the result. Hilbrands’ first-half goal gave Illinois confidence, and the back line tightened up. In the middle, Miller and Kot were particularly difficult for the Buffs to break down.

“It’s a different game when those defenders are big,” Kassidy Fitzpatrick said. “But you’ve mentally got to prepare for that. I think we did a good job with them at the beginning of the first half, and I think we’ve got to hold onto that for the whole game.”

Illinois kept the Buffs at bay after the opening score and then parlayed it into a two-goal lead in the 53rd minute. Hillbrands broke into the CU penalty area on the left side and beat Linder again into the lower right corner.

“They outsmarted us,” Hempen said. “They had better soccer IQ than us. Once they got ahead, they took the game completely from us, and we didn’t know how to deal with it.”

Nikki Marshall and Fitzpatrick, both of whom started on defense, moved into the offensive attack in the second half. CU had a few more scoring chances, but it was nothing like the first 25 minutes of the match. The Buffs finally got on the scoreboard in the final minute of play.

Fitzpatrick hammered a shot toward goal, and it was blocked by Illinois’ Jenna Carosio. Fitzpatrick pounced on the rebound and fired it past Kapicka into the upper portion of the net.

“I found myself in the right place; I found a channel bgetween two defenders, and I kind of stayed back at an angle from Nikki,” Fitzpatrick said. “My first shot stayed low, but it hit off a defender. Thankfully I kept with it and found a place in the net right over the goalkeeper. I think that was a good opportunity for us. I just want us to finish some more. We had some great opportunities out there, and it would be good if we could finish them.”

PLAYER OF THE GAME: That’s an easy one. Hilbrands.

CU PLAYER OF THE GAME: For the second straight match, I’m going to go with Russell. When building from the back, the Buffs tend to funnel their attack through Russell. She’s very active, working on the left or right or middle of the pitch, and she is able to distribute calmly and efficiently. She was the most effective player on either team.

SAVE OF THE GAME: Linder had much more to do this week than last weekend against Oklahoma State, when she was named the Big 12 defensive player of the week. She made a couple of beautiful stops against Illinois, but none was better than her effort in the 48th minute. Ewing fired a blast from the left side of the penalty area to the top right corner of the net. Linder leaped diagonally and stretched as far as she could to slap the ball wide of its target.

FITZPATRICK’S PRESCRIPTION FOR THE BUFFS: “I really would like us, once we feel like we’re passing the ball around and being comfortable with a team, I just want us to finish our chances. I think that’s the most important thing for us right now. Connecting the ball when we’re under pressure, getting forward and finishing the ball are the most important things right now.”

RANKINGS: Before the game, CU was ranked 18th in the country, and Illinois was 13th.

BREAKING GROUND: The game was the first played in the University of Denver’s new soccer-specific stadium. DU followed this match with a 2-1 victory over St. Mary’s.

AS THE TOURNAMENT CONTINUES: The Buffs will face St. Mary’s (of California) at 11 a.m. Saturday at the University of Denver. The Pioneers will host Illinois in the second game. The pitch is just west of Magness Arena.

ILLINOIS STARTERS: Kapicka, Sahly, Read, Ewing, Kot, Bell, Miller, Steigerwald, Nweke, Dombart, Mykines.

CU STARTERS: Linder, Menachof, Ross, Barczuk, Lowry, Fitzpatrick, Bricker, Butler, Russell, Vitacca, Marshall.

George Tanner is a former writer and editor for the Rocky Mountain News; the Greeley Tribune; The Daily Independent of Ridgecrest, Calif.; the Durango Herald; and the Boulder Daily Camera. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado and an affiliate professor at Metropolitan State College of Denver. E-mail him at ColoradoSoccerNow@gmail.com.

To advertise on Colorado Soccer Now, e-mail George at ColoradoSoccerNow@gmail.com.