⚽ Top-10 Teams to Battle Friday at Rock Chalk Park

Date Friday, Oct. 16
Location Lawrence, Kan.
Stadium Rock Chalk Park
Kickoff 7 p.m. (CT)
TV Big 12 Now on ESPN+

MATCH 5 – vs. OKLAHOMA STATE

LAWRENCE, Kan. – No. 10 Kansas (3-1-0) soccer returns home to Rock Chalk Park to host No. 8 Oklahoma State (3-1-1) Friday, Oct. 16. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. (CT) on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

The KU-Oklahoma State contest will be the first time this season fans will be able to attend a Kansas home soccer game. Capacity will be 400 and tickets are available at KUAthletics.com. Friday’s game will also be Kansas soccer’s annual ‘Jayhawks for a Cure’ contest supporting breast cancer awareness month. Fans are encouraged to wear pink for the contest.

Kansas is looking to rebound from its only loss of the 2020 season, a 2-0 setback at Baylor on Oct. 9. Kansas ranks in the top 10 nationally in goals against avg. (9th at 0.50), save pct. (10th at .882) and W-L Pct. (10th at .750). Kansas’ three goals this season have been by three different Jayhawks, with all being seniors – Ceri Holland, Kathryn Castro and Mandi Duggan. Junior goalkeeper Sarah Peters is third in the Big 12 in save percentage at .882 and in goals against average at 0.50. Peters is tied for second in the conference in shutouts with three and her 3.75 saves per game are sixth in the conference

Oklahoma State is also coming off its first loss of the season, 2-1 (overtime), against TCU on Oct. 9. OSU averages 1.6 goals per game and has outscored opponents 8-4. The Cowgirls average 13.4 shots and 6.4 shots on goal per outing. OSU senior forward Gabriella Coleman leads OSU with three goals and nine shots on goal this season. Sophomore forward Olyvia Dowell has a team-high 20 shots, with eight shots on goal. She and junior midfielder Grace Yochum have scored two goals each this season. Senior goalkeeper Emily Plotz has 19 saves, two shutouts and a 3-1-1 record on the season.

Oklahoma State holds a 13-10-4 all-time series advantage between the two schools. Kansas won the last meeting, 2-1 in double overtime, in the semifinals of the 2019 Big 12 Championship at Swope Park in Kansas City, Missouri. KU is 7-2-2 against OSU in matches played in Lawrence, including 1-1-1 at Rock Chalk Park which opened in 2014.

QUICK KICKS

  • KU is in fourth place in the Big 12 standings with nine points through four matches. West Virginia leads the league with 12 points in five contests, while TCU (four games) and Oklahoma State (five games) are tied for second with 10 points each.
  • Kansas is ranked No. 10 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll released Oct. 13. Since the start of the 2019 season, Kansas has been ranked or receiving votes in each of the last 17 polls.
  • Kansas is one of four Big 12 teams ranked by the coaches, along with No. 6 TCU, No. 7 West Virginia and No. 8 Oklahoma State.
  • Kansas is 1-0-0 at Rock Chalk Park in 2020 having defeated Texas Tech, 1-0, on Sept. 25. KU is 9-2-1 at home over the last two seasons.
  • The Jayhawks are 9-1-3 in their last 13 games against Big 12 opponents and have outscored their league foes 17-to-7 during that span, which included the 2019 Big 12 Championship title.
  • After its 1-0 win over Texas Tech on Sept. 25, Kansas now has a victory over every Big 12 squad in the last calendar year.

UP NEXT

The Jayhawks continue their two-game homestand when they host current-No. 6 TCU on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m., at Rock Chalk Park. The match will be broadcast live via Big 12 Now on ESPN+. This will be soccer’s ‘Salute to Service and Front-Line COVID Workers’ contest. Tickets are on sale now for the TCU game at KUAthletics.com.