Women’s soccer: Road show continues for No. 21 CU Buffs at Iowa State

The scheduling gurus didn't give the Colorado women's soccer team an ideal hand to work with during the Buffaloes' return season to the Big 12 Conference.

Yet CU has successfully turned that challenge into an early advantage in the league race.

The 21st-ranked Buffs continued their hot streak on Sunday, topping Iowa State 1-0 in a Big 12 battle in Ames, Iowa. It was the eighth consecutive win for the Buffs, who improved to 3-0 in the Big 12 while playing their first three league games on the road.

It is the fourth time CU (9-1-0, 3-0-0) has started 3-0 in conference play, and the first time since 2016. The 2016 team is the only other CU squad to put its 3-0 league start together entirely on the road. The eight-game winning streak ties the third-longest in program history and is CU's longest since an eight-game win streak in 2018.

CU junior Emerson Layne provided the scoring with her first goal of the season, converting on a long strike off assists from Mallory Allen and Laura Gouvin in the 74th minute.

After seeing her program-record scoreless streak of 583 minutes, 33 seconds end during Thursday's 2-1 win at No. 12 Oklahoma State, Colorado goalie Jordan Nytes didn't need to make a single save to post her seventh shutout of the season and the 15th of her career. It was Nytes' 22nd win at CU, giving her sole possession of fifth in team history.

The Buffs outshot Iowa State 24-4 with an 11-0 advantage in shots on goal. CU played without leading scorer Shyra James for the second consecutive game and the third time in the past four games.

"Like I've said before, any win on the road, especially conference play, is a big win," CU head coach Danny Sanchez said in a release. "I told the team at halftime that the goal would probably come from a scrappy second ball, and I couldn't have been more wrong. A great ball from Lauren to Mal and Mal finds Emerson. It was a great turn and a great finish. Once again, we would like to have gotten the second goal to relax a little bit at the end."

Unbeaten so far in conference play, the Buffs play five of their final eight games at home, a run that begins on Thursday at Prentup Field against Baylor (7 p.m., ESPN+).

No. 21 CU Buffs soccer 1, Iowa State 0

Colorado 0 1 — 1

Iowa State 0 0 — 0

Goals — Colorado: Layne (Allen, Gouvin), 74th minute.

Goalies (Min.-goals allowed-saves) — Colorado: Nytes (90-0-0). Iowa State: Gillahan (90-1-9).