NORMAN, Okla. – In the conference opener on Thursday night at John Crain Field, Kansas and Oklahoma played to a 2-2 draw. Second half goals by Avery Smith and Olivia Page helped Kansas come from behind to earn the draw.
Kansas trailed 2-0 at the half, but the Jayhawks came out with an edge in the second half. Smith scored her second goal of the season in the 65th minute on a header. Page’s equalizer came in the 84th minute on a header that was redirected to her on the left post.
“It was two completely different halves,” Head Coach Mark Francis said. “The team we were in the first half and the team we were in the second half were polar opposites. We changed the formation at half. We felt like it was going to give us a better opportunity and it worked. The formation worked, but the kids were the ones that made it work. I’m just really proud of how the girls came back. We showed a lot of character today.”
Oklahoma built a two-goal lead in the opening half. In the 26th minute, Danielle Wolf put the Sooners ahead 1-0 after controlling a rebound in the box and kicking it into an open net.
OU was then awarded a penalty kick in the 34th minute. Melania Pasar was able to keep the game at 1-0 with a diving save on the attempt. The save was her second of the season on a penalty kick. However, Oklahoma received another penalty kick in the 38th minute. Leonie Weber converted on that penalty kick to give the Sooners a 2-0 lead heading into the break.
Kansas pushed its first goal across in the 65th minute. Moira Kelly took a free kick from in front of the Kansas bench and played it perfectly into the box for Smith to get her head on the ball and direct it into the right corner of the net. Smith’s goal was her second of the season. Both of her goals have come on headers off a free kick from Kelley. The goal cut the deficit to 2-1.
The second goal for Kansas started off with a corner kick. Kelley played the ball short to Magali Gagné who gave it back to Kelley to send it into the box. Kelley’s cross was redirected off the head of an OU defender to the back post where Page was able to get her head on the ball and put it past the goalkeeper for her first career goal.
Pasar made four saves in the match, while Smith and Page each led the team with two shots apiece.
NOTES
• Page scored her first career goal.
• Smith scored her second goal of the season.
• Kelley tallied her third assist of the season.
• Pasar has saved two of three penalty kicks by opponents this season.
UP NEXT
Kansas continues conference play with two more road matches, next Thursday, Sept. 21 at Oklahoma State and Sept. 24 at UCF. The match in Stillwater is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
