LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas Soccer will take the field for the first time on Friday afternoon in its first and only exhibition match. The Jayhawks will host the South Dakota State Jackrabbits at 1 p.m. CT. Admission to Rock Chalk Park will be free for the match and fans attending the contest will receive the official team schedule poster.
Kansas will look to continue its streak of strong preseason tune-ups when it welcomes South Dakota State. The Jayhawks are unbeaten in 10 of their last 12 exhibition matches with a 7-2-3 mark and boasts a record of 11-4-3 in preseason friendlies since 2004.
The Jayhawks return 16 letterwinners and eight starters from last year’s squad that qualified for the Big 12 Championship for the first time since winning the tournament in 2019. Despite Rylan Childers (Kansas City Current) and Kaela Hansen (ŽFK Spartak Subotica) moving on to play professional soccer, KU returns 70 percent of its scoring production from a season ago.
Senior Shira Elinav, who led the Jayhawks in goals last season, and sophomore Lexi Watts, a 2022 Big 12 All-Freshman Team selection, are a pair of forwards who will play a significant role offensively. The duo combined to score 14 of the team’s 30 goals last season. Defensively, Kansas returns seniors Mackenzie Boeve and Moira Kelley on the back line, while super-senior Melania Pasar and redshirt sophomore Hayven Harrison are each back after combining to fill the goalkeeper role all of last season.
UP NEXT
Kansas will begin the 2023 regular season on the road next Thursday, Aug. 17 at Wisconsin. The home opener for the Jayhawks will come the following week on Aug. 24 against Vanderbilt.
Season tickets and individual tickets for the 2023 season are on sale now. Season tickets cost only $55 and includes all nine regular season home matches at Rock Chalk Park. Single-game and season tickets can be purchased here or by calling the Kansas ticket office at 785-864-3141. Single-game tickets will also be available to purchase at the ticket window at Rock Chalk Park on gamedays, beginning one hour prior to kickoff.
