MATCH PREVIEW: vs. West Virginia

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The No. 23 Kansas Jayhawks (11-4-1) welcome the West Virginia Mountaineers (8-6-1) to Lawrence for the regular-season home finale on Thursday, Oct. 24. Kickoff from Rock Chalk Park is set for 7 p.m. and will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

MATCH INFORMATION

Date/Time:	Oct. 24 at 7 p.m.
Opponent	West Virginia
Location	Rock Chalk Park
Watch	Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Listen	Jayhawk Radio Network

QUICK KICKS

The Jayhawks host the West Virginia Mountaineers in the regular-season home finale on Thursday, Oct. 24 at Rock Chalk Park.
With three matches remaining in league play, the Jayhawks sit in a tie for fourth with 10 points. KU sits behind Oklahoma State, who sits atop the table with 16 points, but the Jayhawks are one of six Big 12 teams within six points of the Cowgirls.
Kansas is 14-8-1 on senior day matches and the Jayhawks are unbeaten in five of their last seven regular-season home finales.
Kansas was slotted at No. 17 in the season’s fifth Rating Percentage Index (RPI) released by the NCAA this week. It marked the first time since 2014 that the Jayhawks were slotted in the top-20 of the RPI in five-straight weeks.
The Kansas defense hasn’t conceded a goal in its last three outings, a streak which now sits at 318-straight minutes. The current stretch ranks as the 10th-longest in program history.
KU’s 31 goals scored this season rank 42nd in the NCAA and third in the conference. The figure has already surpassed the goals scored in each of the last four seasons.
Sophomore goalkeeper Sarah Peters was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the second-consecutive week after posting her third-straight shutouts and seven saves against K-State last week.
Peters’ clean sheet against the Wildcats marked the 16th shutout of her career, a number that moves her to No. 2 on KU’s all-time shutouts list.
Katie McClure recently moved to No. 2 on KU’s all-time points list. The senior forward has amassed 80 points via her 33 goals and 14 career assists.
Since 2014, the Jayhawks are 50-2-1 in matches in which they score two or more goals. This includes a 16-1-0 mark since the start of the 2018 season, with the lone blemish coming in the 5-2 loss to OSU three weeks ago.
Ten different Jayhawks have scored a goal this season. McClure leads the team with 11 goals, which ranks her ninth in the NCAA.
The KU defense has amassed a goals-against average of 0.80 after its first 16 outings, a number that ranks the Jayhawks third in the Big 12.

STORYLINES

SO LONG, SENIORS!
Thursday’s match will mark the final regular-season home game for Jayhawk seniors Eva Eliasdottir, Sophie Maierhofer, Madison Meador, Katie McClure, Addisyn Merrick, Elise Reina, as well as redshirt junior Mandi Duggan. These seven have been a part of 42 KU victories since 2016 and have helped their team to a top-three finish in the Big 12 and a pair of NCAA Tournament berths. Combined, these seven have accumulated 279 starts and have played over 25,294 minutes during their careers. This class has also combined for 53 goals, 29 assists and 373 shots. The Jayhawks’ record on Senior Day matches is 14-8-1 and KU is unbeaten in five of its last seven regular-season home finales.
LET’S GET DEFENSIVE
The Jayhawks have once again proven to be a stout defensive team, carrying over the trend from their last several seasons. Kansas currently boasts a goals-against average of 0.80 this season, which encompasses eight shutouts in those its 16 outings. The Jayhawks are allowing just over three opponent shots on goal per match. KU has already put together several impressive shutout streaks to start this season. The Jayhawks are currently in the midst of their longest shutout streak of the season, a 318-minute stretch. KU has now tallied five opponent scoreless streaks of 300 minutes or more in the last five seasons.
PETERS REPEATS AS BIG 12 DEFENESIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
For the second-straight week goalkeeper Sarah Peters was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday. The sophomore earned the honor after claiming her third-straight shutout in the Jayhawks’ 3-0 win over Kansas State on Oct. 18. The announcement marked the fourth time a Jayhawk has been named the conference’s player of the week this season. Peters, who hails from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, recorded her third-straight shutout as the Jayhawks topped in-state rival Kansas State, 3-0, at Rock Chalk Park Thursday. The sophomore goalkeeper tallied seven saves in helping her team extend the Jayhawks’ current opponent scoreless streak to 318 minutes. Peters’ seven shutouts on the year are the most in the league and her 0.76 goals-against average is second among Big 12 keepers who have played at least 800 minutes.

UP NEXT
The Jayhawks will journey to Fort Worth, Texas to meet the TCU Horned Frogs on Sunday, Oct. 27. Kickoff from Garvey-Rosenthal Stadium is slated for 1 p.m. on Fox Sports Southwest.

University of Kansas Athletics

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