KU Pulls Out Draw at No. 12 Wake Forest, 1-1
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Caroline Kastor scored her team-leading ninth goal while senior goalkeeper Kat Liebetrau made three saves as the Jayhawks played to a 1-1 tie against the 12th-ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons at W. Dennie Spry Stadium Sunday afternoon.
The tie helped the Jayhawks move to 8-4-2 on the year, while the Demon Deacons, who came into the match ranked 12th in the latest NCAA RPI rankings, went to 10-3-2 in 2012.
After trailing for nearly 58 minutes of the match, the junior, Kastor, broke free down the middle of the field and was found on the end of a long through ball from senior Amy Grow. Kastor outpaced the last remaining Wake Forest defender and juked passed a diving goalkeeper to flick in the open-net equalizer in the 73rd minute. The Wichita, Kan., native’s goal with just 17 minutes remaining in regulation was her ninth of the season, and tied her for the conference lead.
The Jayhawks pushed the match to overtime, where they had several opportunities to net the game-winner. Freshman Ashley Williams found herself open inside the 18-yard box five minutes into the second overtime, but her shot sailed high, leaving the score deadlocked.
A few late attempts by both teams yielded no result as the game ended in a 1-1 tie, giving KU their second draw of the season. KU is now 1-0-2 in overtime matches in 2012.
The Demon Deacons got on the board in the 16th minute when junior forward Katie Stengel collided with KU goalkeeper Caitlyn Stroud as both were chasing down a loose ball inside the penalty box. Stengel was awarded the penalty kick, which she converted to give Wake Forest the early lead.
Both teams traded possessions for the remainder of the first half with both defenses dominating the action. Both teams tallied a combined seven shots in the opening frame.
Kansas started the game with several attacking opportunities; however three breakaways in the opening 13 minutes were called back by the offsides flag. The Jayhawks ended the match with five offside penalties to Wake Forest’s three.
Senior goalkeeper Kat Liebetrau replaced Stroud in goal for the Jayhawks in the second period and came up big on more than one occasion. The Centennial, Colo., native collected three saves in the second half, none bigger than when she preserved the tie in the 80th minute after a strong shot by WF’s Stengel. Liebetrau also withstood 13 Demon Deacon shots in the final 65 minutes.
KU was outshot for just the third time this season, tallying 12 shots to Wake’s 16. Kastor, Williams, Whitney Berry and Sarah Robbins each earned two shots apiece with Kastor leading the team with two shots on goal. The match also proved to be a physical one as 29 total fouls were called, 19 of them on Wake Forest.
The Jayhawks continue their three-game road swing when they travel south for matches against Oklahoma and Texas next weekend. KU will hit the pitch in Norman against the Sooners Friday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m., before playing the Longhorns in Austin on Sunday, Oct. 14 at 1 p.m.
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