KU to Host Colorado College and Texas This Weekend
Oct. 19, 2005
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
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The University of Kansas soccer team will play a non-conference match against Colorado College on Friday, Oct. 21, at 3 p.m. KU will then host the University of Texas on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex.
QUICK KICKS
-The Kansas-Texas match can be seen on College Sports Television (CSTV channel 143 on Sunflower Broadband digital cable) on tape delay this Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. central time.
-KU’s last three matches against Texas have been one-goal thrillers. The last two matches have resulted in double overtime victories for Texas.
-Caroline Smith is one-goal shy of scoring her 50th career goal. Smith currently ranks fifth all-time in goals scored in Big 12 history.
-The Jayhawks are 6-0-1 on Friday’s and 7-0-0 when they take a lead into halftime.
PROMOTIONS
Friday: The largest group in attendance will win a catered Hospitality on the Hill tent for the KU-Nebraska football game on Nov. 5. Group members will need to sign in at the marketing table as they enter. The winning group will be announced at halftime.
Sunday: Free pompoms and 25-cent hot dogs while supplies last.
ABOUT COLORADO COLLEGE
The Tigers enter Friday’s match well rested after last playing on Oct. 7 in a 1-0 victory over Texas Tech. Earlier in the season, Colorado College defeated Nebraska in Lincoln, 1-0. The Tigers are undefeated at home (5-0-2) and carry a 2-3-1 road record. The independent Tigers play all non-conference matches.
Freshman Geneva Sills has started all 14 matches in goal for the Tigers. The Illinois native carries a 0.82 gaa and a .874 save percentage. Lisa Balsama and Amara Wilson have both tallied six goals to lead the Tigers on offense.
ABOUT TEXAS
The Longhorns enter the weekend riding a three-match winning streak. In its last match, UT disposed of then No. 25 Nebraska, 1-0, in overtime. For her efforts in goal, freshman Dianna Pfenninger was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Tuesday for the second time this season. Pfenninger recorded 12 saves and allowed one goal last weekend.
On offense, the Longhorns are led by sophomores Kelsey Carpenter and Caitlin Kennedy. Both players have tallied five goals and two assists this season. UT is averaging 1.44 goals per match while allowing under a goal per contest (0.98).
Jessica Smith EARNS TWO WEEKLY HONORS
Senior Jessica Smith earned the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and a spot on the Soccer Buzz Elite Team of the Week for her performance against Oklahoma State and #21 Oklahoma on Oct. 7 and 9.
Smith tallied the sixth hat trick in KU history against the Cowgirls, her first three goals of the season. Smith followed her three goal effort with another tally against the Sooners in the Jayhawks 3-0 victory.
LAST TIME OUT
Last weekend, KU tallied a 4-0 road victory over Texas Tech before falling, 1-0, to Colorado in Boulder. Against Tech, four different Jayhawks scored and Julie Hanley and Erin Ferguson combined to shutout the Red Raiders. Caroline Smith, Holly Gault, Kimberly Karfonta and Missy Geha scored goals.
The Jayhawks dropped a close 1-0 match to the Buffaloes in front of 1,305 fans in attendance. Freshman Lindsey Ralph cleaned up a rebound and scored the matches’ lone goal from six yards out. Hanley recorded a career-high eight saves.
CHANGING OF THE SEASONS
When the weather outside cools down, senior Jessica Smith’s game heats up. Of the Wichita, Kan., natives 16 career goals (fifth all-time at KU), 14 have come during the months of October and November. As a freshman in 2002, Smith scored all seven of her goals after the first of October. This season, all four of her goals have come in October.
Career Comparison:
Year Aug.-Sept. Oct.-Nov. Total
2002 0 7 7
2003 1 0 1
2004 1 3 4
2005 0 4 4
Total 2 14 16
NINE LIVES
Caroline Smith’s assist on Jessica Smith’s third goal against Oklahoma State was the 20th of her career, placing her alone atop KU’s all-time assist category. The career assists category is the ninth KU career or single season record the senior from Edina, Minn., owns.
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 116-77-9 (.597) career record and an ever-improving 83-53-8 (.604) 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.
FRESH FACES
KU freshmen class of Jessica Bush, Missy Geha, Kristin Graves, Julie Hanley, Jenny Murtaugh and Sara Rogers have been solid contributors to the 2005 squad. Bush, Geha and Murtaugh have started all of KU’s matches this season. Below is a look at some of the contribution the Jayhawk freshman have had on the field.
Matches started 59
Matches played 82
Goals 7
Assists 5
Game-winning goals 5