After Long Hiatus, Soccer is Back with a Pair of Matches this Week

After Long Hiatus, Soccer is Back with a Pair of Matches this Week

LARAMIE, Wyoming (9/3/24) – The University of Wyoming soccer team is back in action this week. The Cowgirls travel to Northern Colorado on Thursday for a 7 p.m. match at Jackson Stadium before returning home Sunday for a 12 p.m. match against Montana at the Madrid Sports Complex.

Wyoming is in the midst of an extended in-season hiatus. It last played against South Dakota State on Aug. 25, leaving 10 full days between that match and the one in Greeley. That elongated stretch of time has allowed the Cowgirls to work on a number of different things.

“Although I wish we had played this weekend, this was a good week for us,” head coach Josh Purdum said. “This week was about getting back to our basics as well as a focus on a balance of rest and hard work.”

Wyoming possesses an 0-2-1 overall record. Alyssa Bedard paces the Cowgirls offensively with one goal on the season, scoring at Colorado, which gives her 12 goals for her career, and that ranks in a tie for 14th all-time in program history.  

Haley Bartel has started all three games in net for Wyoming. She’s turned away 15 shots and allowed eight goals for a GAA of 2.67.

The Cowgirls are still tweaking a few different areas to find the best combination of players on the field at any given time. In three games, Purdum has started three different lineups and a total of 22 players have seen the field.  

Northern Colorado is 0-6, having been outscored 16-2 thus far. The Bears are 0-3 at home and have lost those games by a combined score of 9-0.

Lauryn Maggio and Ava Marshall have accounted for Northern Colorado’s offense this season with each of them scoring a goal. Kaya Lindberg has started five of the six matches in net for the Bears, and she’s logged 28 saves with 12 goals surrendered for a GAA of 2.40.

The Front Range Derby between the Cowgirls and Bears has been hotly contested. Wyoming holds a slight lead in the all-time series, 11-8-2, and has outscored the Bears, 27-25.

Purdum graduated from Northern Colorado and got his coaching start as a graduate assistant with the Bears. He’s excited to return to Greeley this week and be in the other coaching box.

“UNC is where it all started for me,” Purdum said. “I’m always excited to get back and play in Greeley.”

Wyoming returns home Sunday to battle the Lady Griz. Montana is 4-2-0 on the season with a game at Air Force on Thursday.

Jen Estes and Riley O’Brien pace the Lady Griz with two goals apiece. Ashlyn Dvorak has started five of the six matches at goalkeeper, recording 12 saves and allowing five goals for a GAA of 1.00.

Montana leads the all-time series, 5-3-5, however, the last five matches have all been a draw. The Lady Griz have outscored the Cowgirls, 16-9, all-time.  

Following the match against Montana, Wyoming remains at home. The Cowgirls host South Dakota on Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. at the Madrid Sports Complex.

-WYO-

Bud Denega 

Assistant Director, Media Relations (Men's Golf, Soccer, Wrestling)

University of Wyoming