⚽️ Jayhawks Blank Wildcats, 2-0, in Dillons Sunflower Showdown
MANHATTAN, Kan. – No. 25 Kansas scored two second-half goals to defeat Kansas State, 2-0, in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown Saturday in Manhattan.
With the win Kansas improved to 6-3-1 on the 2020-21 season, while Kansas State fell to 3-7-0.
The contest was scoreless until the 68th minute when Kansas junior Kailey Lane was charging the K-State goal yet decided to cross and found fellow junior Rylan Childers who netted a point-blank goal to untie the match. In the 77th minute, KU added an insurance goal by freshman Shira Elinav who redirected a feed from junior Samantha Barnett off her head. It was Elinav’s first career goal while at Kansas.
Childers posted her third goal of 2020-21 and her 24th of her college career. Lane’s assist was her first of the year and fourth of her career, while Barnett’s assist was her second while at KU and first this season.
For the match, KU outshot K-State, 12-8, including 4-3 in shots on goal. KU junior goalkeeper Sarah Peters earned her sixth victory of the season and 35th of her career. The shutout was Peters’ fifth this year and 25th of her career.
Kansas had a balanced offense in the opening period as KU outshot Kansas State 7-2 for the first half. Seven different Jayhawks recorded shots with only one shot on goal by freshman Brie Severns. K-State posted two shots in the opening period. Peters deflected a K-State shot over the net for the Wildcats’ lone shot on goal in the first half.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
Kansas junior Kailey Lane found fellow junior Rylan Childers in front of the net to score the first goal of the 2-0 victory. It was Childers’ third goal of 2020-21.
STAT OF THE GAME
Kansas used a balanced attack as KU recorded 12 shots for the match by nine different Jayhawks.
QUOTING MARK FRANCIS
“In the first half, credit to K-State, they pressed us and forced us to make some poor decisions. Their best opportunities in the first half came from us making some poor passes into the midfield. We played well in the second half. We knocked the ball around really well. We got the ball into the half spaces where we wanted to and inside the box and that’s where both goals came from. That’s where the assists came from, inside the edge of the box.”
UP NEXT
These same two teams will meet again on Saturday, March 13, at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kansas, with a noon kick. It will be the third Dillons Sunflower Showdown in soccer for 2020-21.
