Soccer Loses 2-1 at No. 11 Colorado

BOULDER, Colo. -- The Oklahoma soccer team faced its first Big 12 road test of the season against No. 11 Colorado on Friday and suffered a 2-1 loss at Prentup Field. The Sooner offense, despite temperatures in the high 40s in Boulder, warmed up to rally in the second half but could not overcome the Buffaloes' early 2-0 lead.

Colorado jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a goal scored with less than a minute left in the first half off a corner kick, which appeared to be cleared by OU defender Helen Ajufo before it crossed the line, and then padded the lead with its second goal of the game at the 56:23 mark.

The Sooners countered quickly with a goal less than 20 seconds later. Junior Lauren Harris' tallied her first goal of the season at the 56:42 mark. The goal was scored off a free kick from 35 yards out and made the score 2-1, but the Sooners could not find the back of the net again to force overtime.

Box Score | Cumulative Stats | 2006 Schedule

The loss drops OU to 3-6 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 play, while Colorado jumps to 6-1-1 and 1-0 in conference play. The Buffaloes have won the last two meetings in the series and own a 6-4-1 advantage over the Sooners.

Midway through the first half, Oklahoma had a chance to score the game's initial goal but despite the extraordinary efforts of junior Tenesha Duncan, the contest remained scoreless. Duncan made her way down the field and made a couple of nice moves to get past a Colorado defender and then the goalkeeper, but the forward couldn't convert on a tough angle.

“This is another disappointing loss because I think we had a chance to steal one away tonight,” said OU head coach Randy Evans. “It was tough to keep up with them in the altitude and cold weather, but I was pleased with our effort against a very tough opponent on the road. Our defense was solid and we looked dangerous on our counter attacks, but we couldn't find the back of the net.

“I think if we play with this same effort throughout the rest of the season, we can turn this season around. And that begins with Kansas on Sunday at home.”

OU's struggles on Friday nights continued against Colorado, as the Buffaloes held an advantage in the shots and corner kicks. The Sooners are 0-4 on Fridays this season and have scored two goals in those contests.

Harris led Oklahoma with three shots in the game and junior goalkeeper Jennifer Nichols (3-6), who was coming off her third shutout of the season on Sunday, made four saves against Colorado.

The Sooners will look to rebound as they host Kansas (5-2-0, 0-0) on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. The Jayhawks open Big 12 play tonight at Oklahoma State.

The gates on Sunday will open at John Crain Field one hour before start time. The first 250 fans will receive free foam OUs and Sunday will also be a “Kid's Corner Day”, featuring sign making, face painting and an inflatable playground. The game can also be seen live on the O-Zone, SoonerSports.com's premium web site.

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