Colorado University Athletics
Becca Rasmussen vs. Kansas State on Saturday.
Photo by: Mike Greening
Newcomers Fitting In Nicely After First Semester With Buffs
May 01, 2017 | Soccer
CU wraps up the spring with a 1-0 win over Kansas State
BOULDER – As the final three whistles blew on Saturday to mark the end of the Colorado's spring season, it marked the end of an extra semester three new Buffs were able to have in their new program, giving them a jumpstart on the 2017 fall season. Freshman Martine Puketapu enrolled early and joined transfers Cassie Phillips and Becca Rasmussen at the semester break in January to get acclimated with their new school and soccer program.
Head coach Danny Sanchez was impressed with all three players during the spring season and believes all will make a significant impact on the team in the fall. The three players were among the starting eleven throughout the spring and Puketapu tied with Taylor Kornieck for a team-high three goals, leading CU to a 3-1-1 record in five exhibitions.
"I think all three of them have put themselves in a really good position [to have a significant impact on the team in the fall]," Sanchez said. "We'll have five freshmen coming in that will obviously compete for playing time. [Camilla Shymka] will be back, Nancy [Best] will be back, Hannah Scheid will be playing, so we'll have more competition."
Their ability to step right in will be key as the Buffs have to replace six seniors, including leading scorer and Orlando Pride draft pick Danica Evans, who scored her first professional goal one week ago.
"Danica is a big loss for us so I don't think you replace her straight-up," Sanchez said. "I think it's more by committee. We have players, like [these three newcomers], that can fall into that role. And [losing Morgan Stanton] in the midfield, I think we have players in-house, along with Cassie and some of the freshmen coming in, that we feel can help with those roles."
In addition to having to replace the six seniors on the pitch, those six were outstanding as leaders in the locker room. But Sanchez speaks highly of the character of Puketapu, Phillips and Rasmussen.
"We lost great teammates and the one thing for sure [about the newcomers] is they fit in as great teammates."
Puketapu is the first-ever CU player from New Zealand, growing up in Auckland, a city of over a million people on the coast of a mountainous country. Think Boulder, but on the coast.
She joins the Buffs as one of the highest-decorated international players in school history. She has scored 26 goals in her career in international competition with New Zealand's U-17, U-18 and U-20 teams. In March, she earned her first three caps with the national team, playing against Austria, Korea Republic and Hungary at the Cyprus Cup.
Moving to a new country, the transition has been seamless for Puketapu.
"The team, the players, the coaches have been so welcoming," Puketapu said. "They've made it so much easier to transition from a whole new country. I came in not really knowing what to expect and it's exceeded my expectations. The quality of football here is just amazing...the coaches really push you to be the best you can be on and off the pitch."
Sanchez has been impressed with his new striker.
"She brings a professional work ethic every day to training and to games and she has scored some good goals [this spring]," Sanchez said. "It's good to have this first semester to get acclimated. Even though she's just a freshman in the fall, she's got five good competitive games under her belt and I think she's only going to get better because of her approach to the game."
Phillips, a native of Hartland, Michigan, is a transfer from the University of Maryland and will have two years of eligibility. In her two years with the Terrapins, she played in 34 games and made 20 starts as a midfielder and scored a goal against Penn as a sophomore in 2016. A coaching change after her freshman season led her to start thinking about leaving.
"I was looking at CU before Maryland," Phillips said. "CU was my first choice [when deciding to transfer] and I contacted Danny and he already knew me [from when he recruited me out of high school]. I just wanted to be in a great school with a great team and obviously the area is really great."
She prefers CU's style of play, which is similar to how her club team played in youth and high school.
"I feel like I fit really well with this team. Their style of play is more possession, which is what I grew up with in club. They really focus on keeping the ball and moving the ball. I think I fit in well in that sense and there are so many personalities on this team that are really fun to play with."
Sanchez has been impressed with Phillips' work ethic and fitness. She saw limited action on Saturday due to an illness, but has been a regular in the lineup all spring.
"She played 90 minutes last Saturday against Nebraska and she was very clean on the ball," Sanchez said. "She's a very good person who just seamlessly fit into the team. [She has] a great work ethic, a great approach to the game, and I think her better soccer is in front of her. I think as she becomes more comfortable with the team and her teammates, she's going to have a really good season next year."
Rasmussen is unique in that she has just one year of eligibility remaining. She is also a midfielder, and like Phillips, can also play at forward. Rasmussen is a native of Golden, Colorado, and was anxious for an opportunity to finish her career 20 miles from her hometown.
In three seasons at Georgia, she played in 52 games with 45 starts, scoring two goals and adding two assists. She was named among the top 100 freshmen in the country after her freshman year by Top Drawer Soccer. She scored both of her goals against LSU, one during her sophomore year and the second as a junior.
"I just missed home," Rasmussen said. "I wanted to play here my last year, play in front of my family. I wanted to be able to have that support system in place. I knew it was time to leave [Georgia]. I was thinking about it for a while and it kind of hits you when you realize you have only one year left. I just wanted to come home and be on a great team in a great program."
In addition to the opportunity to return home, just like Phillips, she likes Colorado's style of play, which similar to her days with Colorado Rush in club soccer.
"I came from Rush and if you know anything about that club team, they're very possession-oriented, so it was nice to be able to come back into that system. Georgia was a lot more direct. [Playing in a different style for three years], it definitely taught me and grew my game in different ways."
Sanchez says Rasmussen's fitness is very impressive. He also likes her work with the ball at her feet and athleticism.
"It's great to have Becca back [in the state of Colorado]," Sanchez said. "Even though we only have her for one year, it's great to have her in this spring. You can see her quality on the ball and how dangerous she is. Her fitness is fantastic; [she's] a great young lady who fit perfectly with the team as a transfer. Our role now with her is to continue fine-tuning her game so we can get a little bit more productivity out of all of the great work she does. She has an incredible engine and her speed on the ball is second-to-none."
For the three newcomers, they already appear to be making an immediate impact. Sanchez and his staff hope they will be key replacements for last year's graduates.
SATURDAY'S RECAP
The Buffs topped Kansas State 1-0 on Saturday in the Indoor Practice Facility. The game was originally scheduled for Prentup Field, but Friday night's snow moved the game indoors. The challenge for the two teams was adjusting to a much smaller field, which was 100 yards by approximately 60 yards, setting the sideline at the edge of the indoor track. A typical college soccer field is about 120 x 80.
"I really appreciate Kansas State adjusting so that we could play in the IPF," Sanchez said after the game. "It's a beautiful facility, but it's a little tight for soccer. I'm glad we got the match in."
As for the game itself, after a slow start in the first five minutes, CU dominated from that point on, holding possession for the vast majority of the game.
"I thought we started slow, but after that we played well," Sanchez said. "It's always going to be tough to score in [the IPF] because the field dimensions are so tight. But I thought the second half, especially, we played much better."
The Buffs finished with five shots on goal in addition to a shot by Brooklyn Varnadore that hit off the crossbar from 25 yards. Kornieck scored the game's only goal in the 26th minute, heading in a cross from Sarah Kinzner.
Defensively, CU was sound in the back and Scout Watson stopped the only two shots on goal that she faced. It was the second consecutive clean sheet for Watson and the Buffs. Sanchez thought part of the reason for the defense's improvement was having Watson back from injury for the past two games.
"It's been a work-in-progress [with the back four] and I've put a lot on them in training," Sanchez said. "In the last two weekends against Nebraska and Kansas State, [we had] two shutouts. But really [we did not give up] not a lot of opportunities. It's good to have Scout back and for the confidence of the back four to have a very good goalkeeper behind them. I thought we were better the last couple of weekends, but still plenty of work to do before we get into preseason next season."
Sanchez also recognized the play of Kinzner, Kornieck and junior Megan Massey in the midfield. The three were key in CU's improved possession.
"I thought Sarah was fantastic today winning tackles, winning balls in the air," Sanchez said. "She had a nice assist and could've had another assist. Taylor was probably unlucky not to get a second goal. She was very dangerous working underneath the forwards and had a couple of nice shots. Cassie [Phillips[ was under the weather and I thought Megan stepped in and did a good job as well. I'm pleased with the midfield linking, especially in this tight space [of the Indoor Practice Facility].
"Taylor got the goal [with a] nice assist from Sarah. But big picture, it's good to finish this spring with a win and a shutout and we're looking forward to August 18th against Colorado State."
Goals: Kornieck (Kinzner)
Starting XI: Watson (GK), Greening, Vidger, Orejel, Aaknes, Kinzner, Kornieck, Massey, Fedor, Rasmussen, Puketapu
SPRING WRAPUP
The Buffs finished the spring with a 3-1-1 record, defeating Kansas State, Nebraska and Northern Colorado, falling to Wyoming, and drawing with Air Force. However, Watson was injured against Air Force (when CU was still leading) and missed the win against Northern Colorado win and Wyoming loss, leaving the Buffs with field players and a club team goalkeeper for two-and-a-half games. CU did not allow a goal after Watson's return.
Jalen Tompkins, who started 20 times last fall and earned second-team Freshman All-America honors from Top Drawer Soccer, will return to the team this fall after sitting out the spring with an injury. She and Watson will once again compete for the starting role.
Despite the strong record, Sanchez emphasized all spring that he was not concerned with his team's win-loss record, but was focused on individual performances.
The Buffs had plenty of scoring in the five contests this spring. Here are the scoring stats:
Goals: Kornieck 3, Puketapu 3, Kinzner 1
Assists: Kinzner 3, Massey 3, Orejel 1
The Buffs will open the 2017 season at Colorado State on Friday, August 18. The complete schedule will be announced over the summer by the Pac-12 Conference.
2017 SEASON TICKETS
CU is now accepting deposits for season tickets for the 2017 season. For more information, visit http://www.cubuffs.com/soccertickets.
Head coach Danny Sanchez was impressed with all three players during the spring season and believes all will make a significant impact on the team in the fall. The three players were among the starting eleven throughout the spring and Puketapu tied with Taylor Kornieck for a team-high three goals, leading CU to a 3-1-1 record in five exhibitions.
"I think all three of them have put themselves in a really good position [to have a significant impact on the team in the fall]," Sanchez said. "We'll have five freshmen coming in that will obviously compete for playing time. [Camilla Shymka] will be back, Nancy [Best] will be back, Hannah Scheid will be playing, so we'll have more competition."
Their ability to step right in will be key as the Buffs have to replace six seniors, including leading scorer and Orlando Pride draft pick Danica Evans, who scored her first professional goal one week ago.
"Danica is a big loss for us so I don't think you replace her straight-up," Sanchez said. "I think it's more by committee. We have players, like [these three newcomers], that can fall into that role. And [losing Morgan Stanton] in the midfield, I think we have players in-house, along with Cassie and some of the freshmen coming in, that we feel can help with those roles."
In addition to having to replace the six seniors on the pitch, those six were outstanding as leaders in the locker room. But Sanchez speaks highly of the character of Puketapu, Phillips and Rasmussen.
"We lost great teammates and the one thing for sure [about the newcomers] is they fit in as great teammates."
Puketapu is the first-ever CU player from New Zealand, growing up in Auckland, a city of over a million people on the coast of a mountainous country. Think Boulder, but on the coast.
She joins the Buffs as one of the highest-decorated international players in school history. She has scored 26 goals in her career in international competition with New Zealand's U-17, U-18 and U-20 teams. In March, she earned her first three caps with the national team, playing against Austria, Korea Republic and Hungary at the Cyprus Cup.
Moving to a new country, the transition has been seamless for Puketapu.
"The team, the players, the coaches have been so welcoming," Puketapu said. "They've made it so much easier to transition from a whole new country. I came in not really knowing what to expect and it's exceeded my expectations. The quality of football here is just amazing...the coaches really push you to be the best you can be on and off the pitch."
Sanchez has been impressed with his new striker.
"She brings a professional work ethic every day to training and to games and she has scored some good goals [this spring]," Sanchez said. "It's good to have this first semester to get acclimated. Even though she's just a freshman in the fall, she's got five good competitive games under her belt and I think she's only going to get better because of her approach to the game."
Phillips, a native of Hartland, Michigan, is a transfer from the University of Maryland and will have two years of eligibility. In her two years with the Terrapins, she played in 34 games and made 20 starts as a midfielder and scored a goal against Penn as a sophomore in 2016. A coaching change after her freshman season led her to start thinking about leaving.
"I was looking at CU before Maryland," Phillips said. "CU was my first choice [when deciding to transfer] and I contacted Danny and he already knew me [from when he recruited me out of high school]. I just wanted to be in a great school with a great team and obviously the area is really great."
She prefers CU's style of play, which is similar to how her club team played in youth and high school.
"I feel like I fit really well with this team. Their style of play is more possession, which is what I grew up with in club. They really focus on keeping the ball and moving the ball. I think I fit in well in that sense and there are so many personalities on this team that are really fun to play with."
Sanchez has been impressed with Phillips' work ethic and fitness. She saw limited action on Saturday due to an illness, but has been a regular in the lineup all spring.
"She played 90 minutes last Saturday against Nebraska and she was very clean on the ball," Sanchez said. "She's a very good person who just seamlessly fit into the team. [She has] a great work ethic, a great approach to the game, and I think her better soccer is in front of her. I think as she becomes more comfortable with the team and her teammates, she's going to have a really good season next year."
Rasmussen is unique in that she has just one year of eligibility remaining. She is also a midfielder, and like Phillips, can also play at forward. Rasmussen is a native of Golden, Colorado, and was anxious for an opportunity to finish her career 20 miles from her hometown.
In three seasons at Georgia, she played in 52 games with 45 starts, scoring two goals and adding two assists. She was named among the top 100 freshmen in the country after her freshman year by Top Drawer Soccer. She scored both of her goals against LSU, one during her sophomore year and the second as a junior.
"I just missed home," Rasmussen said. "I wanted to play here my last year, play in front of my family. I wanted to be able to have that support system in place. I knew it was time to leave [Georgia]. I was thinking about it for a while and it kind of hits you when you realize you have only one year left. I just wanted to come home and be on a great team in a great program."
In addition to the opportunity to return home, just like Phillips, she likes Colorado's style of play, which similar to her days with Colorado Rush in club soccer.
"I came from Rush and if you know anything about that club team, they're very possession-oriented, so it was nice to be able to come back into that system. Georgia was a lot more direct. [Playing in a different style for three years], it definitely taught me and grew my game in different ways."
Sanchez says Rasmussen's fitness is very impressive. He also likes her work with the ball at her feet and athleticism.
"It's great to have Becca back [in the state of Colorado]," Sanchez said. "Even though we only have her for one year, it's great to have her in this spring. You can see her quality on the ball and how dangerous she is. Her fitness is fantastic; [she's] a great young lady who fit perfectly with the team as a transfer. Our role now with her is to continue fine-tuning her game so we can get a little bit more productivity out of all of the great work she does. She has an incredible engine and her speed on the ball is second-to-none."
For the three newcomers, they already appear to be making an immediate impact. Sanchez and his staff hope they will be key replacements for last year's graduates.
SATURDAY'S RECAP
The Buffs topped Kansas State 1-0 on Saturday in the Indoor Practice Facility. The game was originally scheduled for Prentup Field, but Friday night's snow moved the game indoors. The challenge for the two teams was adjusting to a much smaller field, which was 100 yards by approximately 60 yards, setting the sideline at the edge of the indoor track. A typical college soccer field is about 120 x 80.
"I really appreciate Kansas State adjusting so that we could play in the IPF," Sanchez said after the game. "It's a beautiful facility, but it's a little tight for soccer. I'm glad we got the match in."
As for the game itself, after a slow start in the first five minutes, CU dominated from that point on, holding possession for the vast majority of the game.
"I thought we started slow, but after that we played well," Sanchez said. "It's always going to be tough to score in [the IPF] because the field dimensions are so tight. But I thought the second half, especially, we played much better."
The Buffs finished with five shots on goal in addition to a shot by Brooklyn Varnadore that hit off the crossbar from 25 yards. Kornieck scored the game's only goal in the 26th minute, heading in a cross from Sarah Kinzner.
Defensively, CU was sound in the back and Scout Watson stopped the only two shots on goal that she faced. It was the second consecutive clean sheet for Watson and the Buffs. Sanchez thought part of the reason for the defense's improvement was having Watson back from injury for the past two games.
"It's been a work-in-progress [with the back four] and I've put a lot on them in training," Sanchez said. "In the last two weekends against Nebraska and Kansas State, [we had] two shutouts. But really [we did not give up] not a lot of opportunities. It's good to have Scout back and for the confidence of the back four to have a very good goalkeeper behind them. I thought we were better the last couple of weekends, but still plenty of work to do before we get into preseason next season."
Sanchez also recognized the play of Kinzner, Kornieck and junior Megan Massey in the midfield. The three were key in CU's improved possession.
"I thought Sarah was fantastic today winning tackles, winning balls in the air," Sanchez said. "She had a nice assist and could've had another assist. Taylor was probably unlucky not to get a second goal. She was very dangerous working underneath the forwards and had a couple of nice shots. Cassie [Phillips[ was under the weather and I thought Megan stepped in and did a good job as well. I'm pleased with the midfield linking, especially in this tight space [of the Indoor Practice Facility].
"Taylor got the goal [with a] nice assist from Sarah. But big picture, it's good to finish this spring with a win and a shutout and we're looking forward to August 18th against Colorado State."
| Kansas State | 0 | 0 | - | 0 |
| Colorado | 1 | 0 | - | 1 |
Starting XI: Watson (GK), Greening, Vidger, Orejel, Aaknes, Kinzner, Kornieck, Massey, Fedor, Rasmussen, Puketapu
SPRING WRAPUP
The Buffs finished the spring with a 3-1-1 record, defeating Kansas State, Nebraska and Northern Colorado, falling to Wyoming, and drawing with Air Force. However, Watson was injured against Air Force (when CU was still leading) and missed the win against Northern Colorado win and Wyoming loss, leaving the Buffs with field players and a club team goalkeeper for two-and-a-half games. CU did not allow a goal after Watson's return.
Jalen Tompkins, who started 20 times last fall and earned second-team Freshman All-America honors from Top Drawer Soccer, will return to the team this fall after sitting out the spring with an injury. She and Watson will once again compete for the starting role.
Despite the strong record, Sanchez emphasized all spring that he was not concerned with his team's win-loss record, but was focused on individual performances.
The Buffs had plenty of scoring in the five contests this spring. Here are the scoring stats:
Goals: Kornieck 3, Puketapu 3, Kinzner 1
Assists: Kinzner 3, Massey 3, Orejel 1
The Buffs will open the 2017 season at Colorado State on Friday, August 18. The complete schedule will be announced over the summer by the Pac-12 Conference.
2017 SEASON TICKETS
CU is now accepting deposits for season tickets for the 2017 season. For more information, visit http://www.cubuffs.com/soccertickets.
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