Kansas Closes Out Regular Season at K-State Friday Night

Kansas (8-5-4, 5-4-1 Big 12) at Kansas State (3-11-3, 0-8-2 Big 12)
When	Friday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. CT
Where	Manhattan, Kan. // Buser Family Park
Watch	ESPN+
Live Stats	Stats
Game Notes	Kansas \| Kansas State \| Big 12
Social Media	@KUWSoccer \| @kansassoccer \| Facebook

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas soccer will wrap up the 2024 regular season on Friday night with the Dillons Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State at Buser Family Park. The match is scheduled to kickoff at 7 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

"We have started to play our best soccer down the final stretch of the season," head coach Nate Lie said. "It was exciting to come back from Arizona with six points and we need to attack this final regular season game with the same mentality. Rivalry games bring out the best in the two teams and its fanbases. We need to focus on ourselves and be sharp from the first whistle through the final whistle."

Kansas (8-5-4, 5-4-1 Big 12) is riding a three-match winning streak, which includes a pair of victories at Arizona and Arizona State last week. The Jayhawks have won three consecutive Big 12 matches for the first time since the 2020 season. That has positioned Kansas to already qualify for the Big 12 Championship in Kansas City next week.

Entering the final regular season game, Kansas has five conference wins which is the program's most since the 2020 season. Three of those victories have come on the road after not winning a conference game on the road in the last three seasons combined. The wins at Arizona and Arizona State last week marked the first time since 2016 that Kansas won two Big 12 games on the road in the same week.

Freshman Jillian Gregorski leads the team this season with eight goals and is tied for the team lead with 17 points. Gregorski's eight goals on the season are tied for the seventh most among all freshmen in Division I and tied for the most among freshmen in the Big 12. Her eight goals are also the most by a Kansas freshman since Ashley Williams in 2012.

Junior Lexi Watts set a new single-season career high with her seventh goal of the season on Sunday at Arizona State. Watts has had a strong second half to the season as she has scored all seven of her goals in the last 10 matches.

ABOUT KANSAS STATE
Kansas State (3-11-3, 0-8-2 Big 12) will close out its 2024 schedule on Friday night as the Wildcats have been mathematically eliminated from qualifying for the Big 12 Championship. The Wildcats have dropped their last four matches after earning a draw in back-to-back matches against UCF and Iowa State. Despite the tough road, K-State has scored 17 goals as a team this season which is the third-most in a season in program history.

SERIES HISTORY
Kansas leads the all-time series 5-2-2 against K-State. KU has posted five shutouts in the nine matchups, which began in 2017. Last season, Kansas beat K-State by a score of 2-1 in the season finale. Raena Knust and Jocelyn Herrema both scored for Kansas in the victory.

HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
Friday night's match will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Live statistics can be found here, while live updates will also be provided on the team's official X page @KUWSoccer.

UP NEXT
Kansas will play in the Sprouts Farmers Market Big 12 Soccer Championship on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. Opponent and time of the first round match will be determined following the conclusion of regular season play on Friday night.

Kansas Closes Out Regular Season at K-State Friday Night

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jillian Gregorski

Jocelyn Herrema

Raena Knust

Lexi Watts

University of Kansas Athletics

Kansas Closes Out Regular Season at K-State Friday Night

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jillian Gregorski

Jocelyn Herrema

Raena Knust

Lexi Watts

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