Kastor's Two Goals Lift KU Over NC State, 3-2
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Junior forward Caroline Kastor picked up her second-consecutive two-goal match and helped the Kansas Jayhawks to a 3-2 victory over the North Carolina State Wolfpack Sunday afternoon at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex.
The win, which extended KU’s current unbeaten streak to six games, lifted Kansas to 6-1-1 on the season. The loss snapped NC State’s five-game winning streak and drops their record to 5-3 in 2012.
Kastor found the net twice in the second period on nearly identical goals just over one minute apart. With the score tied at one in the 57th minute, a streaking Kastor found herself on the end of a Jamie Fletcher through ball. The Wichita, Kan., native flashed past the NC State defense and knocked in her sixth goal of the season past to push the Jayhawks ahead, 2-1.
With NCSU defense regrouping only a minute later, Kastor again shot down the right side and was found, this time, by senior midfielder Whitney Berry on a long pass downfield. Kastor dribbled around a defender and Wolfpack goalkeeper Victoria Hopkins to chip in her second goal of the day and seventh of the season.
Kastor has now scored two goals in back-to-back games for the first time in her KU career. Her seven goals through eight games in 2012 also notched a new career-best for goals in a season, topping her previous best of six goals last year.
The Jayhawk defense kept the Wolfpack at arm’s length over the next 24 minutes, however Brittany Stanko tapped in a goal past KU goalkeeper Kaitlyn Stroud in the 83rd minute to pull her team within a goal with only seven minutes remaining in regulation.
NCSU’s try for the equalizer was unsuccessful however as the KU defense extinguished several Wolfpack attacks in the final, tense moments of the match, giving Kansas a hard-fought 3-2 win.
In the first half, Berry put the Jayhawks on the board in the 26th minute with her third goal of the season. The senior struck a strong ball after a long run from 20 yards out, which snuck just under the NC State cross bar to put KU on top, 1-0. The Berry score marked the seventh match this season the Jayhawks have kicked in the opening goal.
Just before halftime the Wolfpack pulled even when Stanko flicked in a rebound after Jayhawk goalkeeper Kat Liebetrau was unable to reign in a NCSU free kick. The score would only stay deadlocked for 15 minutes before Kastor’s first goal put KU ahead 12 minutes into the second period.
Kansas outshot NC State 17-13, including an 11-6 clip in the second half. The Jayhawks also put 10 shots on goal compared to just three for the Wolfpack. Kastor was all over the field for KU, striking five shots and putting three on goal. Her two scores also give her 16 points on the season.
Stroud picked up her first victory of the season in goal for KU. She played the entire second period, collecting one save and allowing one goal.
Kansas will return to the pitch Friday, Sept. 14 when it takes on Denver at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex. The Jayhawks will face the Pioneers at 5 p.m., and then have a week off before opening up the 2012 conference slate with No. 3 Oklahoma State at 5 p.m. on Sept 21 in Lawrence.
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