Kansas Completes Unbeaten Arizona Trip with 2-1 Win at Arizona State

Sunday, October 20

Tempe, Ariz.

03:00 PM

University of Kansas

8-5-4, 5-4-1

Arizona State

8-6-3, 3-6-1

Kansas

Arizona St.

Kansas Completes Unbeaten Arizona Trip with 2-1 Win at Arizona State

10/20/2024 6:11:00 PM | Women's Soccer

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TEMPE, Ariz. – Kansas soccer officially clinched its spot in the Big 12 Championship with a 2-1 victory against Arizona State at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium on Sunday. Saige Wimes and Lexi Watts each scored for the Jayhawks, who have now won their last three matches.

After not winning a conference game on the road in any of the last three seasons, the Jayhawks have won three matches away from Lawrence in 2024. With a current overall record of 8-5-4, Kansas has also secured a winning record this season for the first time since 2020.

"Today was a typical Sunday game under the sun," head coach Nate Lie said. "Pretty hot out here in Arizona. We were coming off a really good game on Thursday where a lot of things came together. I think we were hoping to see some of those carry through to today. Unfortunately, the first half we just weren't sharp. We came out really flat. Gave up a set piece goal against a team that's dangerous on set pieces…We went into halftime 1-1 thanks to a few people, but Saige really showed up for us in that first half. She was the player even when we were on our back foot and was initiating a lot of our attack and then found that goal out of not a ton. Great stuff by Saige to get us to halftime tied."

Lie continued, "I let the team know that I was disappointed at halftime. Probably one of the more colorful conversations that we have had. Credit to the group, they came out in the second half and played better. We found that goal to go up 2-1. Then, the last 15-20 minutes felt like an ugly college soccer game where one team is protecting a lead and the other is chasing it…It's never easy and especially on Sunday. We've been on the road for five days. We showed a little bit of character there in the second half to find a way to get this win. I told the team even though this is what we consider probably a little below our standard, we have to leave Arizona happy. If we think we could have done better, then let's fix it on Friday. If you think you could have played better as an individual that's fine, but as a team we went out and got six road points in the most important part of the season. Proud of the group.

Arizona State got on the scoreboard quick as the Sun Devils found the first goal of the match in the fifth minute. A corner kick by Arizona State bounced around in the box and eventually found the foot of Olivia Coleman in the six-yard box to finish it past the Kansas defense. The goal made it 1-0 Sun Devils.

Kansas had an answer in the 28th minute. Sophomore Caroline Castans served a ball into the middle of the box to Wimes who turned and put it in the back of the net. That tied it up at 1-1. The scored stood tied at half.

The Jayhawks kept working in the second half and were rewarded in the 66th minute. Wimes sent a cross through the box that found the foot of junior Lexi Watts to direct the ball into the goal. The seventh goal of the season for Watts turned into the game-winning goal for Kansas. KU maintained that 2-1 lead through the final whistle.

The Jayhawks held an 11-3 edge on shots and a 6-4 advantage on corner kicks. Kansas improved to 8-5-4 on the season and 5-4-1 in conference play, while Arizona State dropped to 8-6-3 this year and 3-6-1 in Big 12 action.

NOTES
• Kansas qualified for the Big 12 Championship for the first time since the 2022 season.
• Kansas has three conference wins on the road this season after not having one conference win on the road in the last three seasons combined. The three conference road wins are the most since the 2016 season (3).
• Kansas has won three consecutive Big 12 matches for the first time since the 2020 season.
• Kansas won two conference games on the road in the same week for the first time since Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2016.
• Kansas won a Sunday conference game on the road for the first time since Oct. 23, 2016 at #24 Baylor (W, 3-1).
• Kansas has five conference wins, its most since the 2020 season.
• Kansas has clinched a winning record for the 2024 season. The last time Kansas had a winning record was the 2020 season.
• Wimes scored her fifth goal and recorded her fifth assist of the season.
• Watts now has a career-high seven goals this season. Her previous career high was six goals her freshman season in 2020. She has four game-winning goals this season.
• Castans collected her fifth assist of the season.

UP NEXT
Kansas will finish the 2024 regular season with a match at Kansas State. The game is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.