Colorado College continues the non-conference portion of its 2017 schedule on Thursday, Aug. 24, when the University of Albany visits Stewart Field at 3 p.m.
Fans can watch the skirmish between the Great Danes and CC for free on the Tiger Sports Network (
www.cctigers.com/watch/) or the Mountain West Network (
www.themw.com).
Colorado College enters the game with an 0-2-0 record after dropping a pair of games last week against intra-state opponents in the annual battle for the Colorado Cup. The Tigers opened the season with a 3-1 loss to the University of Northern Colorado at home on Friday afternoon and then suffered a heart-breaking 1-0 setback against Colorado on Sunday in Boulder.
UAlbany kicked off its season with a 3-0 loss at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., last Sunday
CC and the Great Danes, who compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, are meeting for the first time on Thursday. Albany, the University of South Dakota and Yale University are the only first-time opponents on the 2017 schedule.
The Tigers return eight starters and 15 veterans from last year's squad that posted an 8-11-0 overall record and a 4-7-0 mark in the Mountain West. Led by junior midfielders
Clara Richter and
Lauren Milliet, Colorado College returns 83.3 percent of its goal scoring and 79.2 percent of its point production from a year ago.
Richter led CC with five goals and 11 points, while Milliet was second with four goals and 10 points. Junior midfielder
Tanner Haughn posted a team-best three assists and was sixth with three points. The Tigers also have a pair of experienced seniors on the back line in
Ali Basom and
Anne-Sophie Lapointe.
UAlbany returns three players who recorded 10 or more points during the 2016 season, including junior forward Mariah Williams who was second with five goals and 14 points. Senior forward Vivian Vega also struck for five goals, while junior defender Caroline Kopp had a team-high six assists. The Great Danes have a pair of first-year goalkeepers this season, including Sophia Chen who made four saves while going the distance in the season opener.
Colorado College came within inches of defeating No. 25 Colorado before eventually falling in overtime on Sunday. The play of the game occurred in the 36th minute when a CU defender headed a shot by sophomore forward Catie MacDonald off the line to keep the Tigers off the board. In her first collegiate start, freshman goalkeeper
Jade Odom turned in an impressive performance with three athletic saves to give her side a shot at the victory. Milliet and McDonald launched two shots apiece for CC.
In Friday's season opener, Sullivan struck for the second goal of her career midway through the second half, but Northern Colorado made the most of its chances and held off Colorado College, 3-1. Sullivan scored on a header from the middle of the penalty area after UNC senior goalkeeper came off her line to challenge a free kick from Lapointe.
Seven of the team's nine newcomers saw extensive playing time during the first two games of the season. First-year midfielder
Hannah Burgo and sophomore midfielder
Johanna Hamblett started both games, while Odom, defender
Camille Weaver and midfielder
Jenna Wilt each started once. In addition to Burgo, Hamblett, Weaver and Wilt, freshman midfielder
Riley Prillwitz and first-year defender
Tayla Wheeler contributed in both contests.
Just like last year's squad, the 2017 Colorado College women's soccer team is one of the youngest in head coach
Geoff Bennett's 14-year tenure. With eight sophomores and eight first-year players, two-thirds of this year's Tigers are underclassmen. Only the 2010 team that featured 17 underclassmen among its 24 available players was statistically younger. The 2010 Tigers finished the season with an 8-7-4 overall record.
Colorado College will be idle until it travels to Lawrence, Kan., for its first night game of the season against the Kansas Jayhawks on Friday, Sept. 1. The following week, the Tigers return home to host South Dakota on Friday night at Washburn Field and then Army on Sunday at Stewart Field. Â
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