BOULDER, Colo.—After playing Colorado to a 1-1 draw through regulation, Utah Valley fell 2-1 on a golden goal in the 106th minute of double overtime in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night at Prentup Field.
Utah Valley wraps up its 2025 season with a 14-5-3 overall record. Twelfth-ranked Colorado advances to the round of 32 to face the winner of the first-round match between Dayton and Xavier.
Utah Valley struck first in the fifth minute. Ruby Hladek beat a CU defender into the box and dribbled toward the end line before dropping a left-footed pass back to the top of the 18. Bailey Peterson one-touched it into the back of the net with her left foot to give the Wolverines an early 1-0 lead.
Colorado's Vivi Zacarias provided the equalizer in the 39th minute after a cross was deflected in the box. The ball popped out to Zacarias, who drove it into the goal to level the match at 1-1.
The teams remained deadlocked at 1-1 at the end of regulation. Neither side scored in the first 10-minute overtime period. In the second overtime, CU's Ava Priest sent a ball into the box and Reagan Kotschau headed in the golden goal in the 106th minute for the game winner.
"My thoughts are soccer can be cruel, and I really, truly hope that our players are proud of the performance that they put out there," Utah Valley head coach Chris Lemay said. "I thought that we were very good tonight and executed our tactics well. Unfortunately, it didn't go our way."
"Certainly, the senior class specifically should be really, really proud of what they've done for this program, not just this season but the years that they've been here and the relationships that they've built with their teammates," Lemay added. "Obviously we're disappointed that we didn't get the result that we felt like in a lot of ways we deserved and earned. But at the end of the day, that's what it is."
Colorado outshot Utah Valley 28-21, but the Wolverines held an 8-7 advantage in shots on goal. The Buffaloes had 12 corner kicks to UVU's 11. Faith Webber led Utah Valley with eight shots, including three on frame, while Hladek added five shots with two on goal.
Goalkeeper Leah Wolf went the distance in goal for the Wolverines, finishing with four saves.
Utah Valley closes the year with plenty to be proud of after winning its fourth straight WAC regular-season title and earning the program's second at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines also boasted one of the nation's most potent attacks, ranking third nationally at 3.29 goals per game.
