Soccer Defeats Iowa State 4-1 in Big 12 Tournament Action
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Senior midfielder Amy Geha scored a career-high two goals and led the No. 7 Kansas Jayhawks to a 4-1 victory over Iowa State in the first game of the 2004 Big 12 Soccer Tournament in San Antonio, Texas.
Kansas (17-3-0), the tournament’s top seed, drew first blood in the contest, taking a 1-0 lead on a penalty kick by junior forward Caroline Smith at the 4:55 mark. On the play, senior forward Rachel Gilfillan played a ball into the box for a streaking Smith, who was hauled down by an Iowa State defender to draw the penalty kick. Smith has taken both of KU’s two penalty kicks this season and has converted both attempts. The goal was the team-leading 10th of the season for Smith, who is KU’s all-time leading goal scorer with 41 career goals.
Geha put the Jayhawks up 2-0 in the 21st minute, as she took a crossing pass from Gilfillan and headed the ball past Cyclone goalkeeper Jo Haig, who made three saves in the match. The tally proved to be the second game-winning goal of the season for Geha.
Eighth-seeded Iowa State (8-12-0) got on the board in the 31st minute to cut the Kansas lead to 2-1, as freshman forward Stephanie Kaphingst redirected a free kick from sophomore midfielder Jess Villhauer past Jayhawk goalkeeper Meghan Miller. The tally was the fourth of the season for Kaphingst and sent the Cyclones to the locker room trailing by only one goal.
In the second half, Geha added to the Jayhawk lead with her second goal of the game. After driving deep into the Iowa State zone, Geha fired a low shot through traffic that found the back of the net for her fourth goal of the season.
Sophomore defender Holly Gault tallied her fourth goal of the season in the 73rd minute to push the Jayhawks’ lead to 4-1. Senior midfielder Lauren Williams and sophomore midfielder Michelle Rasmussen collected assists on the play.
Miller played 80 minutes in the match and made four saves before being relieved in goal by junior Erin Ferguson.
Kansas advances to the tournament’s semifinal round, which will be on Friday at 5 p.m. and will face off against No. 4 seed Texas. Fox Sports Net will televise the game.
