The 30th matchup between longtime state rivals went down to the wire.

It ended the same way the rivalry battles have in every matchup since late in the 2013 season — with a Buffaloes victory.

Ava Priest recorded a late rebound goal, and goalie Jordan Nytes extended her personal shutout streak to four games as the 18th-ranked Buffs topped visiting Denver 1-0 on Thursday night at Prentup Field.

CU improved to 5-1 overall and extended its winning streak against the Pioneers to 13 games. DU hasn’t defeated the Buffs since Sept. 15, 2013, with CU beginning its dominant streak two months later with a win in the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s a mentality. It’s a mentality, a hunger. I told them at halftime, it’s not going to be the prettiest goal that’s going to win this game,” CU head coach Danny Sanchez said. “It’s going to be someone that keeps the ball alive, someone who’s going to be the hero and tap it in. That’s kind of what happened tonight. It’s a game with such small margins, and that was the difference tonight.”

Idle for a week after having Sunday’s match at North Carolina State canceled due to poor weather, the Buffs applied plenty of pressure but were unable to break through until Priest’s tally. CU enjoyed seven corner kicks in the first half and finished with an 8-5 advantage in shots on goal.

CU finally broke though after midfielder Juliauna Hayward was fouled just outside the DU penalty box in the 78th minute. Shyra James took the free kick, which rolled through the defensive wall to force Pioneers goalie Alina Santos to make a diving stop.

Priest, though, pounced on the rebound, scoring the first goal of her sophomore year and the third of her career.

“I knew Shyra was going to hit that, and I knew that rebound was coming,” Priest said. “I just finished it up. I’d say in practice it’s always the little things, like rebounds, that become big things in games.

“Props to DU. Every time we play them, it’s a good game. It’s always a rivalry. It’s always a big game for us, arguably the biggest game of the season. It’s always something to look forward to.”

Notable

Sanchez said the Buffs are trying to schedule a replacement game for Sunday’s canceled match at North Carolina State, but schedule and travel constraints with teams soon facing the start of conference play make the possibility less than certain. … CU played without Jenny Beyer, who is sidelined due to an ankle injury. It is not expected to be a long-term absence for Beyer, who missed all of last season due to an injury. … Since surrendering two goals late in a come-from-ahead loss against North Carolina on Aug. 18, Nytes hasn’t allowed a goal in four games, covering 339 minutes, 11 seconds. … With the assist on Priest’s goal, James increased her career points total to 97. Already the program’s all-time goals leader with 45, James needs five more points to match Taylor Kornieck’s program record of 102 points. … CU completes nonconference play on Sunday at home against Weber State (noon, ESPN+).