Both Kansas Soccer Matches This Weekend Moved to Topeka
Aug. 24, 2005
Lawrence, Kan. –
Due to possible inclement weather the University of Kansas soccer match Friday against Michigan and Sunday against Wisconsin have been moved to Hummer Sports Park in Topeka, Kan. Game times have also been changed to 2 p.m. both days. Gates for spectators will open one hour prior to each match.
Directions to the Hummer Sports Park from Lawrence are as follows:
– Take I-70 west toward Topeka
– Exit off I-70 at the Macvicar exit
– Turn left onto Macvicar
– Turn right onto 6th Street
– Spectators for soccer turn right on Center Drive
– KU is 5-4-1 in season opening matches. The Jayhawks have won their last two season openers, beating UNLV, 2-1, last year and Northwestern, 4-1, in 2003.
– Kansas is 5-4-0 all-time against the Big 10. Besides Michigan and Wisconsin, KU will also play Big 10 member Purdue on Sept. 18.
– The Jayhawks were picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 pre-season coaches poll. Texas A&M, Nebraska and Texas were tabbed ahead of KU.
– Caroline Smith’s next assist will place her in a tie for second all-time at KU with 16.
– Senior Jessica Smith and junior Nicole Cauzillo were named team captains for the 2005 season.
ABOUT MICHIGAN
The Wolverines warmed up for its season opener against the Jayhawks with two exhibition victories, including a 2-1 win over 4th-ranked Virginia. Michigan then beat Detroit, 4-1, on four unanswered goals
Like Kansas, Michigan was also tabbed to finish fourth in its conference preseason coaches poll. The Wolverines were picked behind Penn State, Ohio State and Illinois in the Big 10 poll.
UM is coming of its eighth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and welcome back its two returning scores from last season in Melissa Dobbyn and Therese Heaton. The duo combined for 49 percent of the Wolverines offense last year.
ABOUT WISCONSIN
The Badgers return 10 starters off last years squad, including its leading scorer Amy Vermeulen (12 G, 11 A, 35 Pts). Soccer Buzz ranked the Badgers 17th in its preseason poll, while the NSCAA/adidas poll tabbed them 25th. Wisconsin was was picked to finish fifth in the Big 10 preseason coaches poll.
Last year, Wisconsin went undefeated against non-conference foes until being upended by the eventual National Champion, Notre Dame, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA appearance was the Badgers 13th all-time.
GOING POLLING
KU opens the season ranked 21st in the Soccer America poll, 23rd in the NSCAA/adidas preseason coaches poll and 29th by Soccer Buzz. Soccer Buzz also ranked the Jayhawks sixth in the Central Region.
HEAD COACH Mark Francis
The winningest soccer coach in KU history, Mark Francis returns for his seventh season as the Jayhawks head coach. Francis owns a 108-71-7 (.581) career record and an ever-improving 75-46-6 (.598) mark at KU. In just six seasons on the job, Francis has four times as many wins as any soccer coach in KU history.
Francis was honored with the 2004 Big 12 Coach of the Year award as well as the Central Region Coach of the Year. He won his 100th career match with a win over Texas Tech on October 1, 2004.
In 2004, the Jayhawks compiled a program-best record of 18-5 on their way to winning KU’s first Big 12 Championship. It was KU’s first women’s Big 12 Championship since the basketball team won the league title in 1997.
KU BEATS DRAKE IN EXHIBITION MATCH
Kansas warmed up for its regular season schedule with a 2-1 exhibition victory over Drake on Saturday at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex. Senior Caroline Smith put KU on the board with an early first half goal as she cleaned up a shot by Jessica Smith that hit the post. Freshman Sara Rogers added the Jayhawks second goal before the end of the first half, Lacey Novak and Jenifer Thomas were credited with assists. Colleen Quinn shutout the Bulldogs during the first half while freshman Julie Hanley saw action in the second half, allowing DU’s only tally. Both keepers made one save.
FRESH FACES
Plenty of preseason buzz around the KU soccer program has been about the performance of the freshmen class that consists of Jessica Bush, Missy Geha, Kristin Graves, Julie Hanley, Jenny Murtaugh and Sara Rogers. All six saw action during the Jayhawks exhibition victory over Drake, with Bush, Geha and Murtaugh in the starting lineup. Rogers scored KU’s second goal of the match and Hanley was in goal for the final 45-minutes.
SISTER ACT
Freshman Missy Geha is the younger sister of former KU soccer player Amy Geha. A four-year starter, Amy was named All-Big 12 First Team last year. She recorded seven career goals and 31 career points. Like her older sister, Missy is also a midfielder.
SUMMER SUCCESS
Several KU players had successful runs on the pitch this summer. Caroline Smith and Holly Gault led FC Indiana to an unprecedented stretch, as they captured the Women’s Premier Soccer League championship and the Women’s Open Cup national championship. The duo led FC Indiana to an 18-1-0 overall record and 6-0-0 mark against WPSL opponents. Both players were also named to the WPSL All-League Team.
As a team, FC Indiana was recently ranked No. 2 in the World by WomensWorldFootball.com. The ranking is the highest ever for the Goshen, Ind., based women’s soccer club.
Sophomores Colleen Quinn and Afton Sauer led their Colorado Rush Under-23 squad to the national championship. Both players were regulars in the lineup and Quinn was the starting goalkeeper in the championship match.
WELCOME
Coach Mark Francis enters the season with three new members on his coaching staff. Kara Lowery joins the Jayhawks as an assistant coach after being named the MIAA Coach of the Year in her first season at Emporia State in 2004. Prior to her appointment at Emporia State, Lowery served as the head coach at St. Gregory’s University in Shawnee, Okla., for four seasons.
Former KU goalkeeper Meghan Miller remains around the program to serve as a volunteer assistant coach after finishing her eligibility last season. Miller holds many of KU’s goalkeeper records including: career and season goals against average, most career starts and career shutouts.
Jenny Anderson comes to KU after a successful four-year playing career at the University of Clemson. The former defender will serve as the Director of Soccer Operations.
