Puketapu Scores As Buffs Earn 2-0 Road Win At Washington State

PULLMAN, Wash. - Colorado earned its first Pac-12 win of the season on Thursday night, winning 2-0 over Washington State on the road at Lower Soccer Field in Pullman. The Buffs improved to 7-2-2 overall and 1-1-0 in the Pac-12, while WSU dropped to 5-3-2 overall and 0-2-0 in the Pac-12.

Marty Puketapu scored in the 30th minute and the Buffs added a second goal early in the second half by way of an own goal by the Cougars.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Jalen Tompkins made a couple of key saves in the first 15 minutes, including one in the 13th minute when she leaped and dove to her left to push a ball out of bounds with one hand.

In the 30th minute Becca Rasmussen put a good, hard shot on goal from inside the right half of the box and her rebound deflected to the left side of the goal where Puketapu tapped it in to put the Buffs up 1-0.

The Buffs doubled their lead in the 52nd minute. Rasmussen again created the chance, sending a ball through the mouth of the goal to the far left post where WSU's Sydney Pulver deflected the ball in after pressure from Sarah Kinzner.

KEY STATISTICS: WSU controlled play over the first 25 minutes, but after Puketapu's goal, it was all Buffs. CU outshot the Cougars 5-2 over the final 10 minutes of the first half and led that category 9-8 at the break.

Overall, Colorado finished with an 18-13 advantage in shot attempts and Tompkins made five saves.

NOTES: CU had scored just two previous goals against Washington State in six matches since joining the Pac-12 in 2011 and the Buffs have now won the past two meetings (both in Pullman) ... Puketapu's goal was her first since her international break with the New Zealand National Team and she pulled into a tie with Taylor Kornieck for the team lead with five goals.

UP NEXT: CU heads to Seattle to take on Washington at 1 p.m. MT on Sunday. That match will not be televised.

POSTGAME QUOTES:
Danny Sanchez, head coach
On the game
"This is a tough place to come and get results and I felt like the first 15 minutes of the game we were under some pressure, which we knew they would come out hard and fast. I thought we dealt with it well. I felt after about 20-25 minutes, we settled down. Marty gets that goal and I felt the last 15 minutes of the first half, we were very unlucky. Taylor [Kornieck] and Tatum [Barton] both had really good chances at the goal to make it 2-0.

"And in the second half we talked about we have to come out with some energy and really take the game to them. It was a great individual effort from Becca to create that second goal. And at that point, we were really good in the back.

"Obviously JJ [Tompkins] was fantastic again and the back four were rock solid, Erin [Greening], Hannah [Cardenas], Kelsey [Aaknes], Joss [Orejel], and then Courtney [Fedor] as well.

"I'm pleased with what we did. We did enough, defended well, and got a good road win in the Pac-12."

On the first half
"I thought we started a little slow, gave up a little too much possession and a lot of set pieces. And you can see their danger with the corners. I thought the last 20 minutes, after we scored especially, we created some good chances and played a lot better."

On the first goal
"It was really a great individual effort from Becca. She picks the ball up, beats the first defender, puts them on their heels, hits a nice shot and the keeper makes a nice save. And Marty does what goal scorers need to do. She was in the right place at the right time to tuck it away. It was really great individual effort from Becca."

On the play of Rasmussen
"She played on her front foot the whole game and as the game went on, they were really dropping off her. So the second goal, she picked the ball up in the box and it was a great individual effort to create the second goal."

On the play of Tompkins early in the game
"We were under the gun and she dealt with some things she needed to, made a couple of nice saves to keep us in it. After that first stretch, I was pleased with what we did. But that first stretch, we were definitely under pressure and JJ helped calm the nerves a little bit with some nice saves and her communication is always spot on."

Becca Rasmussen, senior, forward
On the play of Puketapu to finish the first goal
"She was in a great place and had the composure to put it in the back of the net. It was a great finish on her part."

On her role in tonight's win
"I was working hard all week, coming out with Dave [Morgan] early, getting some shots. I think that really helped my confidence going into this game. I felt really prepared. I was really training hard all week and I had the mindset of I'm just going to try to do my best in this game and I think it really paid off."

Puketapu Scores As Buffs Earn 2-0 Road Win At Washington State

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Team Stats

Marty Puketapu

Becca Rasmussen

Taylor Kornieck

Tatum Barton

Players Mentioned

Sarah Kinzner

Taylor Kornieck

Marty Puketapu

Becca Rasmussen

Jalen Tompkins

Players Mentioned

Sarah Kinzner

Taylor Kornieck

Marty Puketapu

Becca Rasmussen

Jalen Tompkins