Texas Defeats Kansas to Eliminate Jayhawks From Big 12 Tournament
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Texas senior forward Kelly McDonald scored with 2:04 remaining in the second overtime period to lift the No. 8 seed Longhorns to a 3-2 semifinal victory over top-seeded Kansas on Friday at the Blossom Soccer Complex. The loss eliminates the Jayhawks from 2004 Big 12 Soccer Tournament, while Texas advances to Sunday’s championship match.
Junior forward Caroline Smith got the Jayhawks on the board first in the match, as she was able to head a ball into the net off a free kick from senior midfielder Lauren Williams in the game’s 32nd minute. The goal was the team-leading 11th of the season for Smith.
No. 7 Kansas (17-4) led 1-0 at the half, despite being outshot by the Longhorns 12-8.
Early in the second half, Kansas was able to add to its lead as senior forward Monica Brothers collected her fourth goal of the season off passes from Smith and Williams. On the play, Williams drove the middle of the field and found Smith in the box who flicked the ball back to Brothers who beat Texas goalkeeper Alex Gagarin with a low shot.
The two assists in a match tied a career-high for Williams, who tallied a pair of assists on Sept. 5, 2003, in a 3-0 win at Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
No. 21 Texas (13-5-2) cut the KU lead in half at the 70:12 mark as Longhorn forward Amy Burlingham was able to fire a ball into the back of the net past Jayhawk goalkeeper Meghan Miller who was caught out of position.
Miller set a career-high with 10 saves in the match, but for the first time all season the Jayhawks surrendered more than one goal in a game.
Texas senior forward Kelly Wilson knotted the game at 2-2 in the 84th minute as she was taken down in the box by a KU defender and was awarded a penalty kick, which she converted for her 14th tally of the season.
With the game tied at 2-2, Kansas and Texas went to overtime for the second time this season.
After Kansas was unable to score despite outshooting the Longhorns, 5-1, in the first overtime period, the game went to a second overtime period, where Texas would capitalize. UT’s Kelly McDonald scored the golden goal with only 2:04 remaining in the second overtime period to give the Longhorns the win and a berth in the tournament’s championship game
Kansas will now await its NCAA tournament fate, as they will find out their postseason destination on Monday, when the NCAA Tournament selection show will be shown on ESPNews at 2 p.m.
