Shyra James Breaks Colorado's Career Goal-Scoring Record with Hat Trick Against Wyoming

Fifth-year senior Shyra James entered this season with the goal of breaking Colorado's all-time goal-scoring record. Just three games into the season, she achieved that milestone.

The La Mesa, Calif., native finished the 2023 season as only the second CU soccer player to reach 40 career goals, just behind CU Hall of Famer Nikki Marshall's 42-goal record.

James chose to return for a fifth year, giving her the opportunity to rewrite CU's record books.

The rewrite began on Thursday when James scored a second-half hat trick, netting three goals in just over 10 minutes to lead Colorado to a 5-1 victory over Wyoming. Nikki Marshall was present to witness the record-breaking performance.

"First and foremost, I want to acknowledge Nikki Marshall for what she did for this program and how she elevated it during her time here," said Coach Sanchez after the win. "She might argue that if she had played up front for four years, Shyra would still have some goals to chase. But Nikki only talked about how she wanted to be here when Shyra broke the record, and she was. She's a first-class ambassador for our program."

James, utilizing her extra year due to COVID, also holds the CU record for goals per game (0.56), with Marshall behind at 0.49. Marshall scored her 42 goals in 85 games over four seasons from 2006-09. Despite having an extra season, James broke the record in fewer games, achieving it in her 79th game on Thursday.

"Congratulations, Shyra. I'm so happy for you. Best of luck for the rest of your season. Keep scoring goals and leading your team," Marshall said in a video message to James on Friday.

James' rise to the top has been steady since she arrived on campus in 2020. Her debut season was postponed to the spring of 2021, where she played in 17 matches and scored five goals, including a double-overtime winner against No. 14 USC on a snowy day at Kittredge Field. "She showed flashes of brilliance in her freshman year," Sanchez noted. "The biggest goal she scored was that overtime winner against USC. You could see her quality, she has an innate sense for the game and knows how to position herself to score."

As a sophomore, she added nine more goals, ending the season with a four-game scoring streak, the first since Marshall did so in 2007.

James continued her scoring streak into the 2022 season, opening with goals in six consecutive games, setting a new record for consecutive games with a goal. She reached double-digit goals for the first time as a junior, scoring a then-career-high 11 goals. In 2022, James and Marshall crossed paths, with Marshall, now Nikki Malone, serving as a volunteer assistant for the Buffs and mentoring James.

"We're actually very close," James said of Marshall. "To break her record, and knowing her personally, is really exciting. She texted me, 'Good luck. I'll be there,' and things like that. It's exciting to share this moment with the person whose record I broke."

James became only the second CU player, along with Taylor Kornieck, to record two double-digit goal seasons in a career. She finished last season ranked ninth in the NCAA with a career-high 15 goals.

"I didn't expect any of this," James reflected on her freshman expectations. "I knew I was going to be a top player and a good contributor to the team. But my hard work got me here. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to break any records." Thursday's hat trick was just the seventh in CU history, but it provided a sense of relief for James.

"The record was definitely in the back of my mind," James admitted. "My family visited last weekend, and I joked with them that I would break the record the weekend after they left. They were really upset, and then I actually did it. But it was just exciting. I have no words for it." James now has four goals in her last two games for the Buffs and currently ranks second in the Big 12 in goals.