Jayhawks Upend Cyclones, 1-0
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Freshman Katie Williams scored her first collegiate goal, while senior goalkeeper Colleen Quinn recorded four saves for her third shutout in four matches as the Kansas soccer team clinched a spot in the Big 12 Championships with a 1-0 triumph over Iowa State at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex Sunday.
KU improves to 6-9-4 overall and 4-2-3 in the Big 12, while the Cyclones drop to 8-6-3 and 4-4-1 in conference play. With the win, the Jayhawks qualify for the conference tournament for the eighth consecutive season.
Williams, a freshman defender from Houston, Texas, gave KU the spark it needed to pick up its fourth conference victory of the season.
“We played pretty well, especially in the first half,” Kansas head coach Mark Francis said. “We were patient with the ball and did a good job of possessing it. It would have been nice to finish a few more of our chances, but the kids did a good job of making sure we held on to the win.”
Late in the opening half, Williams finished a Jessica Bush corner kick with her head from three yards out to provide the team all the offense it would need. From the far corner, Bush clipped the ball towards the near post where freshman Kaitlyn Cunningham deflected it to the front of the box, connecting with Williams. It was Williams’ first goal of the season as well as Cunningham’s first assist. Bush was credited with her team-leading sixth assist.
That was all the support Quinn needed. The 5-foot-6 keeper made four saves – all in the second half – to record her third shutout in the last two weekends. Since surrendering two second half goals to Oklahoma on Oct. 14, she has allowed just one goal in her last 380 minutes in net.
Quinn’s biggest save came in the 76th minute when Iowa State’s Leslie Hill collected a loose ball deep in the box and fired a point-blank shot. The senior goalkeeper dove and deflected the ball to safety as the Jayhawk defense held on.
Kansas outshot the visitors 12-6 in the match, including 7-1 in the first half. KU also matched a season-high with 10 corner kicks.
Sophomore Kim Boyer and senior Nicole Cauzillo led the offensive attack with three shots a piece.
The win, coupled with results from Sunday’s action, moves KU into a tie for fifth-place with Colorado in the conference standings. The Jayhawks sit just three points back of second-place Missouri.
KU could move into second place and claim the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament with a win over the Tigers next Friday in a 3 p.m. match at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex. Kansas would also need a Texas loss to Colorado.
