Kansas Falls to #15 Pepperdine, 3-2

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Two goals by Holly Gault was not enough as the University of Kansas fell to No. 15 Pepperdine, 3-2, in San Diego, Calif., on Sunday afternoon. With the loss the Jayhawks record stands at 3-2-1 while Pepperdine improves to 5-0-0.

“It was a very good game with even shots and even corners,” commented head coach Mark Francis.” We were a little fatigued, girls played very well I was very proud of them. They dug deep even though they were tired.”

Gault got the Jayhawks on the board courtesy of a header off a KU corner kick taken by Jessica Bush. Bush launched the ball to the far side of the penalty box, Gault timed her leap and sent the ball to the back of the net for her first goal of the season in the 25th-minute.

Pepperdine tied the match in the 37th-minute when Emily Wynne blasted a shot from 20-yards out that beat Colleen Quinn to her right. Lindsey Redlin and Kelsey Quane were credited with assists.

Quane scored on an unassisted goal in the 65th-minute of the match to give the Waves a 2-1 edge. Quane’s shot from 28-yards out went over Quinn’s head.

Gault responded with her second goal of the match. The junior took a pass from Caroline Smith and found open space to fire a shot that hit a Pepperdine defender before landing in the back of the net.

Pepperdine scored the game-winning goal with under seven minutes remaining in the match. Megan Woods took a pass from Redline and sprinted up the field. KU freshman goalkeeper Julie Handley – who replaced Quinn in net – came out to defend the goal. Woods got past Handley and the Jayhawk defense before shooting the ball into an open net.

Shots for the match were tied 13-13. Quinn made four saves in net for KU.

Kansas will return home to face UC-Irvine Friday, Sept. 16 at 5 p.m. at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex.

For more post-match comments from Mark Francis, call the Kansas Soccer Hotline at (785) 864-7700.