The scoring drought continues for the Colorado Buffalo soccer team.

The Buffs went toe-to-toe, so to speak, with the No. 1 team in the country for most of the way on Friday afternoon at Prentup Field. But, as has been the case the past two weeks, the Buffs couldn't put the ball in the back of the net.

Top-ranked Stanford got a goal from Marisa Abegg on a corner kick in the 56th minute to top CU 1-0 on Day 1 of the Colorado Soccer Classic.

It was the fourth game in a row the Buffs (2-2-3) failed to score, with their last goals coming in a 4-2 victory over Utah two weeks ago.

"Something's missing," CU midfielder Alex Cousins said. "I'm not sure what it is."

Although few, the Buffs had their opportunities to score — including four shots on goal — and even controlled play for much of the first half. But the Buffs aren't looking for moral victories right now.

"They could be No. 1 today and lose and be the No. 8 team tomorrow," Cousins said. "The number doesn't really matter. It's very gratifying that they came out here and we played well against them. But still, a loss is a loss, especially because that was a beatable team and we just didn't take advantage of it."

With Stanford leading scorer Kelley O'Hara out with a separated shoulder and her CU counterpart, Nikki Marshall, starting the game in the defense, neither team had a ton of strong chances in the first half.

Colorado's best came on a shot up the middle by Gianna DeSaverio that was saved by Stanford goalie Kira Maker. Buff defender Kym Lowry streaked in from the left side to redirect the ball to an open net, but the shot skipped just out of her reach.

Stanford (7-0-0) just missed taking the lead in the 43rd minute when Abegg drilled the bottom of the crossbar from point-blank range. Buff goalie KirstinRadlinski, who finished with seven saves, corralled the follow shot by Rachel Buehler.

"It was a very well-played tactical game and it came down to the set play," CU coach Bill Hempen said. "No. 1 teams usually win those kind of battles.

"That gal, No. 4, is a handful in the air."

The No. 4 in question was 6-foot defender Allison Falk, who was a threat to head the ball home on all of Stanford's five corner kicks.

As Stanford began to take control early in the second half, the threat finally found its teeth.

Falk headed a corner from Christen Press toward the goal. Radlinski batted the shot away off the bounce but Abegg was there on the rebound to atone for her early miss.

"Colorado played good soccer," Stanford coach Paul Ratcliffe said. "They kind of took it to us for a while there. And then we kind of got our feet under us and we started playing good soccer, creating some good chances. The difference was just one goal."

The Buffs moved Marshall up front with about 25 minutes to play to get some more offensive pressure and narrowly missed connecting with the sophomore on a couple of runs. The Buffs' only shot on goal in the second half, however, came from a good 30 yards out from Lowry.

"I think there was a little more chemistry today than usual, which is good," Marshall said. "I think we're finally kind of jelling as a team.

"We don't get that many opportunities in a game like this so you've got to finish. If you don't, you lose."

The Buffs play at 1 p.m. Sunday against Drake, which tied the University of Denver 1-1 Friday. Stanford and Denver play at 11 a.m. Sunday.