The team began practicing today (at Folsom) for the coming season, with the instrasquad scrimmage 11 days out and the official season opener only ~2-1/2 weeks away.
Cubuffs article -
Direct link -
https://cubuffs.com/news/2023/8/1/soccer-buffs-begin-march-to-season-opener.aspx
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BOULDER—The Colorado Soccer converted Folsom Field into a makeshift soccer pitch on Tuesday as the team began preparations for the 2023 season.
The Buffaloes officially opened practice in Folsom due to the Prentup Field renovations still underway. CU took to Folsom for the morning session and will be back out there on Wednesday and Thursday before shifting back to Prentup Field next week.
"We appreciate the football team and our awesome ground crew getting the pitch, or field, in perfect shape," head coach
Danny Sanchez expressed. "We appreciate them let us use it for a few days to prepare. It's different. It is a great setting and when I told the players we were going to be out here they were super excited because most of the time they are on the other side [in the crowd] of the field. Nobody ever gets to get out on the grass and I thought that brought an extra bit of energy. I think once they get out to Prentup next week and see the quality of the pitch there – I think that energy is going to be reenergized again."
The 2023 squad is a very different-looking team from the version fans last saw walking off Prentup Field in November. The Buffs have 14 newcomers this fall, including eight freshmen and six transfers. Sanchez and his staff wasted zero time throwing them to the fire on Tuesday, with a majority of the morning session spent playing 11-on-11.
"No games are going to be won or lost today or this week," Sanchez stated. "We just want to start implementing our tactical system as far as what we're seeing with a lot of new players – basically half the team is new. We want to slowly feed them what we're looking for, on and off the ball and how they prepare to set up their teammates and so forth.
Colorado has 16 days to put the pieces together, before opening the season against Northern Colorado on Aug. 17 (7 p.m. MT). Among those pieces is finding a new backstop. Senior
Lindsey Smith is the only holder over at the goalkeeper position from last year, playing in just one match against Texas A&M Commerce. She will compete with Oklahoma State transfer
Jordan Nytes and freshman
Jaime Campbell to fill the vacancy.
"Jordy [Nytes] is coming off an injury in the spring and then she was training with the U20 National Team so she missed a lot of the spring," Sanchez added. "This is kind of her first go around with [goalkeeper coach] Jason [Green]. We're really high on Jaime. We think she has a ton of upside and potential so we'll see how she competes. Lindsey worked hard in the offseason and has come into the fall really improved. We're very pleased that she'll be in there competing."
Also missing from the 2022 roster is NWSL rookie
Civana Kuhlmann and her 12 goals and 30 points from a year ago. Junior
Shyra James put up big numbers last season with 11 goals of her own, but the two combined for 23 of the team's 42 total tallies.
"We feel that we have the players, returning and newcomers, that have the potential to be impact players," Sanchez explained. "No names yet but I thought even on the first day there were a few players that really stood out and hopefully they continue to build off that."
The Buffaloes will continue to hold two-a-day training before heading out on a team retreat on Friday.
Colorado take its first steps on the newly renovated Prentup Field when it returns to training next week, culminating with the annual Black & Gold scrimmage on Aug. 12.
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And, Buffzone also released a Pat Rooney written article, which both covers the upcoming season and has some info and quotes from Coach Sanchez about the pending Big 12 move -
Direct link -
https://www.buffzone.com/2023/08/01...s-womens-soccer-ahead-of-final-run-in-pac-12/