Kansas Looks to Bounce Back Against Texas Tech, Colorado

Oct. 7, 2009

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

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After falling in a pair of road matches last weekend, the Kansas soccer team looks to get back on track with a two Big 12 matches at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex. The Jayhawks will face Texas Tech at 4 p.m., Friday, before hosting Colorado at 1 p.m., Sunday.

Gametracker will be available with live statistical updates for both matches this weekend. Fans can find a link to Gametracker at www.kuathletics.com.

About the Jayhawks

Kansas dropped a pair of one-goal decisions on the road last weekend, at No. 15 Texas A&M (4-3) and at Texas (2-1) to start the 2009 conference schedule at 0-3. This marks the first time KU has been winless in its first three Big 12 matches since 1997. However, five of the Jayhawks’ final seven contests are at home.

KU’s offense has averaged 2.31 goals per game, while the team is allowing its opponents just 1.31 goals per game. Sophomore Emily Cressy leads the team with six goals while senior Monica Dolinsky is tops with six assists. Senior goalkeeper Julie Hanley has posted a 1.44 goals against average and a .707 save percentage this season.

Kansas Soccer Hosts Jayhawks For a Cure Sunday

Kansas soccer will kick off the 2009-10 “Jayhawks for a Cure” campaign Sunday, Oct. 11, during its 1 p.m. match against Colorado at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex. Fans wearing pink to the game will be admitted for $3.

Donations will be accepted at the door or fans may download a donation form here. In addition, Kansas Athletics’ new concession partner, Centerplate, will donate one dollar for every hamburger sold at the game. All donations will support breast cancer treatment and research at Lawrence Memorial Hospital and the KU Cancer Center.

Scouting the Red Raiders

Texas Tech enters the match at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex in second place in the Big 12 with a 3-0-1 record. The Red Raiders have played all four of their conference matches in Lubbock. Tech is unbeaten in its last five matches, since a 3-2 overtime defeat to Alabama on Sept. 18.

The Red Raiders are second in the Big 12 with 33 goals this season. Redshirt freshman Dawn Ward is third in the league with nine goals, while sophomore Taylor Lytle leads the Big 12 with 10 assists this season. Four Texas Tech athletes have at least 10 points: Ward, Lytle, senior Brittany Harrison and freshman Connor Williams. Freshman Erin Wikelius and junior Colleen Pitts have alternated in goal the past three weekends. The tandem has combined for a 1.60 goals against average and a .686 save percentage this season.

Kansas leads the all-time series with Texas Tech, 10-3, and has won five-straight meetings dating back to 2003. KU has won all six meetings with Tech in Lawrence.

Jayhawk-Red Raider Connections

• Kansas freshman Shelby Williamson and Texas Tech freshman Jaclyn Dozier were teammates at Air Academy High School in Colorado Springs, Colo.

• Jayhawk forward Nicole Chrisopulos and Texas Tech’s Terry Madison were teammates at Rowlett High School in Rowlett, Texas. Chrisopulos and TTU’s Haley Fowler were also teammates on the Dallas Texans club team.

• KU goalkeeper Logan Reed and the Red Raiders’ Connor Williams and Tiffini Smith were both Region III ODP players.

• Jayhawk head coach Mark Francis and Texas Tech assistant Ashley Gordon both played collegiately at SMU.

Scouting the Buffaloes

Colorado, who will face Missouri on Friday prior to its contest with the Jayhawks Sunday, enters the weekend at 7-6 overall, and 4-1 in the Big 12. The Buffaloes have won all four of their Big 12 matches at home, but fell in Waco last Sunday for their first conference setback this season. CU has played a league-high five matches against Top 25 opponents.

The Buffaloes have scored 23 goals this season and have posted four shutouts. Senior forward Nikki Marshall leads the team with seven goals and 15 points, while freshman forward Erin Bricker is tops with three assists. Like Kansas, CU features a very balanced attack as 14 different players have recorded points. In goal, senior Kara Linder has started 11 matches and has a 1.25 goals against average and a .733 save percentage, making 44 stops in 60 chances.

Colorado leads the all-time series with Kansas, 7-6, including a 2-0 triumph over the Jayhawks last season in Lawrence.

Jayhawk-Buffalo Connections

• Kansas goalkeeper Kat Liebetrau was teammates with Colorado’s Kelly Menachof and Amy Barczuk at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colo.

• Liebetrau and Menachof, Ally Goodman and Mary White all came from the Real Colorado club program, but did not play on the same teams.

• Liebetrau played ODP for the Colorado state team along with CU defender Kelci Newlin and midfielder Kate Russell.

• Jayhawk senior Estelle Johnson and CU’s Amanda Foulk are both products of the Fort Collins Arsenal program.

• Johnson and Colorado senior Kelly Menachof were teammates on the Colorado state ODP team.

• KU midfielder Monica Dolinsky and Colorado’s Maggie Steury are both graduates of Carmel High School.

A Very Noble Effort

Despite the pair of losses last weekend, one Jayhawk – junior Caitlin Noble – enjoyed a very good trip individually. Noble, a junior forward/defender from Overland Park, Kan., scored goals against both Texas A&M and Texas, marking her second and third goals of the season.

Noble has played both outside back and forward this season. She has been KU’s most prolific offensive player during the conference season, scoring two goals and collecting a team-high 10 shots.

Home Cookin’

The Jayhawks have been extremely successful throughout the years at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex, especially during Mark Francis’ tenure. KU is 75-40-5 at home all-time, including 63-24-5 under Francis. KU has had just three seasons where it has a sub-.500 record at home.

This season, home field advantage has been especially beneficial to the Jayhawks as well as the rest of the Big 12. KU is 4-0 at home this season, and is one of three conference teams that has not lost on its home field. As a league, the Big 12 has a record of 48-12-7 (.769 winning percentage), including a 14-2-4 record (.800) in conference matches.

Last season, the Big 12 collectively had an 87-28-10 (.736) record at home and a 29-18-7 record in conference play (.602).

Corner Kicks

• Kansas returns to the Jayhawk Soccer Complex for its first home matches since Sept. 20. KU is 4-0 at home this season.

• The Jayhawks fell at No. 15 Texas A&M on Oct. 2. However, KU scored three goals in the match, which is more than the Jayhawks have ever scored at the Aggie Soccer Stadium.

• Kansas also fell to Texas on Oct. 4, however, the Jayhawks broke their scoreless streak against the Longhorns. Prior to Sunday’s match, KU had been shutout in three-straight matches against Texas dating back to 2005.

• Senior Estelle Johnson scored her second goal of the season at Texas A&M on Oct. 4. Two of the defender’s three career goals have come on the road against Big 12 opponents.

• Freshman Shelby Williamson tallied her fifth goal of the year in Friday’s loss at Texas A&M. Williamson’s five goals have her on pace to surpass Emily Cressy’s total (eight goals) from last year, which helped the latter win Big 12 Rookie of the Year honors.

• Sophomore Kortney Clifton assisted on Williamson’s goal, marking her first point of the season. Clifton is the 16th different Jayhawk to record a point this year.

• Kansas freshman Whitney Berry has also provided a spark this year. The first-year forward has an assist in four of the team’s last five matches, including a two-assist game against Oral Roberts on Sept. 27. Berry’s six assists this season tie her for the team-lead with Monica Dolinsky as well as for third-most in the Big 12.

• Jumping out to an early lead has been an important key in KU’s success this season. The Jayhawks are 8-2 when scoring the first goal, as well as 6-0 when they hold a lead at the half.

• The Jayhawks have given up nine goals over the last three matches, however, four of them have come via penalty kicks. The four penalty kicks allowed tie the most a Kansas team has ever given up in a single season.

Up Next
Kansas will make its final road trip of the regular season Oct. 16-18 as the Jayhawks face Oklahoma and Baylor. KU will meet the Sooners in Norman, Okla., on Friday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m., before traveling to Waco, Texas to take on the Baylor Bears at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18.