⚽️ Jayhawks Blank Billikens 2-0 on Thursday Night
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas senior Rylan Childers scored a goal within the first minute in the Jayhawks’ 2-0 win against Saint Louis on a warm Thursday evening at Rock Chalk Park.
Kansas improved to 1-1-1 on the season and senior goalkeeper Sarah Peters recorded her second shutout of the season and the 28th of her KU career. Her 28 shutouts tied the KU all-time record held by Meghan Miller (2001-04). Saint Louis dropped to 0-3-0 on the season.
“It’s a blessing. I come into every game trying to get a shutout,” Peters said after the match. “The defense tonight was fully in support of the game and me and it showed on the field today.”
With the temperature reading 91 degrees at kick, Childers’ goal came 51 seconds into the match and was marked the fifth fastest in KU history and the fastest since the record was set by Jayhawk Caroline Kastor of 18 seconds at Colorado on Oct. 25, 2010.
KU kept the first-half pressure on the Billikens and went up 2-0 in the 30th minute when Brie Severns headed a goal from a cross by senior Grace Wiltgen.
“We talked about it,” head coach Mark Francis said of starting out attacking that resulted in two first-half goals. “We wanted to press them. That mentality was from the first whistle, force them to make mistakes and press the ball all over the field, especially up the field.”
For the match, Kansas outshot Saint Louis 12-11, including five shots on goal. Peters made a season-high four saves in the contest.
Kansas will continue its homestand when it hosts Iowa on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Rock Chalk Park. The contest will be televised on Big 12 NOW on ESPN+ and will be air on the Jayhawk Radio Network.
