Position Switch Becomes Revelation for Buffs, Cooper

[cmgoods]

BOULDER – Tori Cooper was always a forward, beginning with her formative days at South Torrance High School and continuing to her first two years at the University of Georgia. But something changed this season, a switch that rarely happens in soccer, let alone at the Division I level.

After losing defenders Hayley Hughes and Lizzy Herzl to graduation, University of Colorado coach Danny Sanchez knew that he had to find someone to help fill the void. Seeing what an elite physical presence Cooper is, Sanchez decided to move the senior to center-back, a massive change for the California native. But she flourished, and has become a mainstay in the back four for the CU women’s soccer team.

But what does Cooper, who transferred from Georgia to Colorado in time for the Buffs' 2013 campaign, think about this whole switch? A process such as moving from a forward position to one in the back would surely be difficult for any player. Not for Cooper, who embraced the position change, which occurred at the beginning of the season.

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[CUSoccerfan]

At the picnic the evening before the first practice, Tori told me that she was going to be a starter. It took her one weekend, she started the second game in a new position and hasn't looked back since. When she clears the ball, it is usually VERY cleared. I'd like to see her take a free kick from our own 25-30 yard line to see if she could get a shot on goal from there.