Jayhawks Advance to Big 12 Championship Via Shootout
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Freshman goalkeeper Kat Liebetrau’s save on Texas Tech midfielder Maggie Fete – the Red Raiders’ fifth shooter – advanced the Jayhawks to the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Soccer Championship Monday at Blossom Soccer Complex.
The match, which officially goes down as a 1-1 tie, was a play-in match to determine the No. 8 seed in the conference tournament.
The Jayhawks move to 12-7-2 overall, while Tech finishes the season at 8-8-4. KU advances to meet top seed Missouri at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Soccer Championship.
After the teams played 110 minutes of soccer tied 1-1, the match moved to a shootout. Kansas’ Emily Cressy, Monica Dolinsky, Whitney Berry, Kim Boyer and Shelby Williamson all connected on their chances from the penalty kick line. Tech made its first four chances, before Liebetrau made a sprawling save to the far post on Fete’s shot.
It marks the first time in school history that KU has advanced in a tournament – conference or NCAA – via penalty kicks.
Tech controlled play for most of the match, outshooting the Jayhawks 24-13, however Liebetrau made a career-high nine saves to keep the score tied.
Kansas drew first blood in the first half as Berry used her head to direct in a cross from Dolinsky. Senior Kim Boyer started the play with a throw in, and after Dolinsky made a move around a defender on the far sideline, she sent a ball across the box, connecting with Berry. It was the freshman’s sixth goal of the season, and it came at 19:33.
The Red Raiders responded 30 seconds later as Tiffini Smith launched a line drive shot from 25 yards out into the upper part of the net at 20:03.
The teams played the second half and two overtime periods without a goal. KU’s best chance to win the game came in the first overtime, when Dolinsky found space outside the box and blasted a shot from 23 yards away on the left side that hit the crossbar and bounced away.
Kansas will be making its 10th straight appearance in the conference tournament, which is the third-longest streak in league history.
