WAKE FOREST, N.C. – Wake Forest forward Emily Murphy wasn’t only running away from the Colorado defense as she broke away for a one-on-one with goalkeeper Jordan Nytes, up by a goal in the final minutes of the two teams’ NCAA tournament second round matchup.
The senior was running away with the game.
Murphy beat Nytes, solidifying the Demon Deacons (14-3-3, ACC 7-2-1) 3-1 victory over the Buffaloes (12-5-5, Big 12 4-2-5) on Friday night with just over two minutes to play. The Wake Forest win advanced the Deacons to the third round to play Ohio State, ending Colorado’s season.
The groundball score was the cherry on top of a dominant night for the No. 3-ranked Demon Deacons, who took 21 shots at Nytes with 10 being on goal. While Nytes stopped seven of them, the Buffs’ defense struggled to keep her out of trouble.
As a result, Murphy wasn’t the only Deacon to get a clean chance at Nytes. She and Wake Forest’s Caiya Hanks assisted midfielder Emily Colton in the sixth minute for the game’s opening goal. Murphy and Hanks made two nifty passes at the top of the box, finding Colton for a shot from the penalty kick marker that found the back of the net.
Up 1-0 early, Wake Forest focused on controlling the ball and only allowed one first half shot for the Buffs while shooting six of its own. It entered the half up 1-0 over CU.
The Demon Deacons also opened up the second half’s scoring, thanks to a strike from midfielder Emily Morris in the 61st minute. Morris received a pass near midfield before dribbling to the top of the box for an uncontested shot. Given the open look, Morris placed the ball in the top left corner of the net, past the outstretched Nytes.
The Buffs turned up the intensity while attempting to keep its season intact, having under 30 minutes to overcome a two-goal deficit. Sophomore defender Ava Priest knocked in a beautiful free kick in the 74th minute while CU mustered 10 second half shots, but the push wasn’t enough.
A few chances offered hope, as graduate students Shyra James and Michaela Rosenbaum found opportunities for an equalizer.
James, who scored the go-ahead goal against Georgia in the opening round off a stolen pass in the backfield, once again jumped a weak backpass. However, three defenders collapsed on James before she could get a shot.
Rosenbaum had the closest chance, to the net and to score. After a quick corner, Colorado snuck a cross to the midfielder in front of the net. Rosenbaum sent a shot, but it was directly at Amaral with ready hands. A rebound attempt popped the ball in the air, but no goal was scored until Murphy closed the door for Wake Forest.
The loss ended a hopeful season for the Buffs, where head coach Danny Sanchez returned 19 players from last season to make a push in the Big 12. Led by captains Rachel Rosen, Juliauna Hayward and Nytes, CU jumped to No. 14 in the United Coaches’ Poll after a strong start. James, who played her last collegiate game against the Deacons, broke the school’s all-time career goals record early in the season, ending her tally with 47 career goals.
After a devastating 6-1 loss to TCU, the Big 12’s top regular season team, at the end of September, the Buffs went winless to end the regular season. They notched a win over Utah in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament but were bested by the Horned Frogs again in the second round. An NCAA tournament bid wasn’t confirmed, but the Buffs snuck in.
Having lost to Wake Forest, the Buffs’ tournament run ended a round later than last year’s after beating Georgia in the first round. The goal onslaught from Wake Forest's Emily-trio was too much to overcome.
Sanchez and the Buffs will watch the Demon Deacons from home and now look forward to a long offseason. While only expected to lose a handful of players, James’ and Rosen’s departures among others could bring detriment. Yet, those with eligibility, such as Nytes, Priest and the Leyba twins, offer an early hope for next season.
Cover photo by @CUBuffsSoccer/X
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