⚽️ Kansas Defeats Cincinnati, 4-1, Thursday at Rock Chalk Park
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas soccer scored three first-half goals en route to a 4-1 win Thursday evening at Rock Chalk Park. The Jayhawks posted a season-high four goals in the victory.
With the win, Kansas improved to 4-2-1 winning its second-straight match. Cincinnati fell to 4-2-1. Kansas outshot Cincinnati 11-1 in the first half, with three of its seven shots on goal finding the back of the net. The three goals in the first half were the most since netting three against Oklahoma last season (11/15/20).
“I thought we played well today, especially in the first half,” KU head coach Mark Francis said. “We moved the ball really well. Credit to them (Cincinnati), they came out firing in the second half and scored a goal and our response was really good. We scored right away.”
KU sophomore Brie Severns scored her second goal of the season in the 25th minute. With senior Rylan Childers driving toward the goal she spotted and passed to Severns on her right. Severns then boomed a 20-yarder to the upper left-hand corner of the net. For Childers, it was her first assist of the season and 26th of her career.
KU went up 2-0 in the 35th minute when sophomore Moira Kelley shot hit the left and right post and fellow sophomore Shira Elinav put in the point-blank rebound. It was Elinav’s second goal of the season with both coming in the last two contests. She scored the game-winner in the 1-0 win at Arkansas State on Sept. 5. For Kelley it was her first assist of the season and second of her career.
Three minutes later, KU sophomore Kate Dreyer put the Jayhawks up 3-0 in the 38th minute. On Kansas’ fourth corner kick of the first half, Dreyer booted a rebound with her left foot that netted the right-side panel of the goal. It was Dreyer’s first career goal while at KU.
Cincinnati scored in the 52nd minute of the match to make the score 3-1 and two minutes later KU sophomore Avery Smith made it 4-1 knocking in a goal from the left side in the 54th minute. Severns picked up the assist with a cross to Smith, whose goal was the first of her career.
Kansas will next host Washington State on Sunday, Sept. 12, at 1 p.m. (Central) at Rock Chalk Park. The contest will be televised on Big 12 NOW on ESPN+ and the broadcast can be heard via KUAthletics.com.
