With the start of preseason practice less than two weeks away, the Colorado women’s soccer team continues to stockpile depth.
On Wednesday, the Buffaloes announced that Colorado Mesa transfer Lila Dere will join CU for the 2023 season.
Dere has won the past two Player of the Year honors in the Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, recording a combined 82 points in 2021 and 2022. Dere also was the league’s Freshman of the Year in 2020.
“Lila is a proven goal-scorer, who has the ability to score in every way possible,” CU head coach Danny Sanchez said in a release. “We feel she is a fantastic addition to our attack this year. Lila has high aspirations for her soccer playing career and we will help push her towards her goals.”
A native of Grand Junction, Dere led all of Division II last season in goals per game (1.21), shots per game (6.16), shots on goal per game (3.21), and total goals (23). She also ranked second in the nation with 48 points.
Dere became CMU’s first-ever First Team Daktronics/D2CCA All-American and was the 2022 Daktronics/D2CCA Region Player of the Year. She posted seven games with at least two goals and accounted for all four of CMU’s goals in CMU’s 4-0 win against Nebraska-Kearney.
Dere, a three-time first team All-RMAC honoree, holds the CMU program record for goals, scoring 45 in her three seasons. She also owns school records for points (96), points per game (2.04), goals per game (0.96), shots (277), shots per game (5.89), penalty kicks made/attempted (6/6) and game-winning goals (15).
Dere graduated from Fruita Monument High School as the program’s all-time leading scorer. She led the state with 33 goals as a junior and was a four-time All-State honorable mention selection to go with her two Southwestern League Player of the Year honors.
Dere also played club at Fire FC, winning the Surf Cup top bracket in 2019, and played for the USA Premier team in Utah.
The addition of Dere brings the list of newcomers to the 2023 roster to 14 and increases the total of Colorado natives to eight, tied for the most since 2013.
Colorado begins preseason practice on Aug. 1 and opens the season on Aug. 17 against Northern Colorado, featuring a 7 p.m. kickoff in the first night game at Prentup Field.
