photo by: Michael Sudhalter/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas' Sydni Fink, right, chases down a ball against Colorado's Hope Leyba on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, in Mansfield, Texas.

There will be no dramatic run for the Kansas soccer team through this year’s Big 12 tournament.

Colorado’s Reagan Kotschau, the league’s midfielder of the year, popped a ball over the head of KU goalkeeper Sophie Dawe for a game-winning goal in the 89th minute of Monday afternoon’s quarterfinal match, and the Buffaloes claimed a 2-1 victory at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium in Mansfield, Texas.

KU had controlled the run of play for the first hour of the match, culminating in a goal by Jocelyn Herrema, but the Buffaloes woke up quickly with an equalizer from Hope Leyba. Then, as the game seemed poised for extra time, Faith Leyba’s long ball from almost midfield bounced through the Jayhawks’ defense to set up Kotschau.

Kotschau’s goal consigned the Jayhawks to elimination, as they couldn’t muster a quality shot attempt on a last-minute corner kick.

KU outshot CU 15-12, with eight corner kicks to the Buffaloes’ four, but it couldn’t withstand the Buffaloes’ improved play late.

Even when Colorado was on the back foot, it managed to maintain its defensive integrity for most of the match. At one point early on, with KU charging forward, midfielder Kate Langfelder launched a long-range shot that was handled straightforwardly by CU goalkeeper Brooke Goerish.

Later, in the 25th minute, an incisive ground cross by Caroline Castans coming off a corner kick gave a few Jayhawks opportunities from close range, but defender Emily Tobin’s shot ultimately went wide of the left post.

KU then had to fend off a series of corner kicks from the Buffaloes as they spent some of their first significant time on the Jayhawks’ side of the field. In the 35th minute, Hope Leyba broke into space and took a dribble away from Castans to fire a shot, but Dawe corralled it easily off the bounce.

The Jayhawks got their best chance yet from another corner. London De Fini’s attempt from the far post was cleared off the line by a Buffalo defender, and then Jillian Gregorski followed off a couple of awkward bounces, but Goerish made her second save.

Herrema had a header fly just over the bar off of an impressive volleyed pass from Gregorski.

Colorado got much more of the ball in the second half. Leyba, facing away from the goal, directed a header over the bar in the 55th minute. Soon afterward, Kai Santomarco-King provided an opportunity for Kotschau that required a diving save by Dawe, the most dramatic of the day.

That proved particularly important because moments later, Herrema whirled around at the edge of the box and drilled a shot into the top right corner of the goal past the outstretched arms of Goerish to give KU the lead.

It didn’t last. Santomarco-King played Leyba into a one-on-one situation against Jordan Fjelstad, newly returned to the starting lineup due to an injury to all-freshman defender Gianna Weiner, according to the ESPN+ broadcast. Leyba won the ball, beat Fjelstad and sent a shot toward Dawe. She deflected it into the right post, but it spun back into the goal anyway to even the score.

The Jayhawks then left far too much space for Hannah Healy, whose long-distance effort in the 78th minute hit the top of the crossbar and bounced away.

Goerish had to make her own save on Jordan Rowan and then reel the ball in before Norah Jacomen could sprint in for a rebound.

Colorado started to tilt the field in its direction. With just over four minutes remaining in regulation, Leyba got on the end of a long ball for a breakaway, but De Fini tracked her down from across the field as she attempted to pivot out to the left side. Leyba then shot too high on a one-touch volley moments later.

Dawe had to dive for another attempt by Michaela McGowan to force a corner kick, which was quickly cleared by Langfelder. As Sydni Fink attempted to run out on a counterattack, CU’s Jordan Whiteaker knocked her down for a yellow card.

After Kotschau’s goal, it was Fink who had a late shot attempt blocked with 21 seconds remaining.

KU fell to 13-5-2 on the year with the loss, which allowed CU to avenge a 1-0 result at Prentup Field earlier in the season. The Jayhawks’ RPI ahead of the NCAA Tournament won’t take much of a hit, as CU entered at No. 10 and KU at No. 14, but it’s not clear whether they will hang on to a No. 4 seed or settle for a No. 5.

In any case, they are poised to begin the tournament with a single home match as one of the top 32 teams. They will learn their opponent in a selection show that is expected to take place on Monday, Nov. 16.