Watts, Kansas Win 1-0 Double Overtime Thriller Over West Virginia

Saturday, November 2

Kansas City, Mo.

5:15 PM

University of Kansas

11-5-4, 6-4-1

West Virginia

12-5-2, 8-2-1

Kansas

West Virginia

Watts, Kansas Win 1-0 Double Overtime Thriller Over West Virginia

11/2/2024 9:44:00 PM | Women's Soccer

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas soccer won its sixth consecutive match with a 1-0 double overtime victory against West Virginia in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championship at CPKC Stadium. Lexi Watts scored the game-winning goal in the 101st minute of the second overtime.

Kansas improved to 11-5-4 this season and will play in the semifinals of the tournament for the first time since the 2019 season. The No. 6-seeded Jayhawks will now play the No. 2-seeded Texas Tech on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. CT.

"You don't get those kinds of games that often," head coach Nate Lie said. "There's nothing quite like winning a game in extra time with a golden goal. Lexi will probably remember this one for a long, long time. I know I certainly would if I were her. Great job to West Virginia. Two very good teams battling it out for 100-plus minutes. They limited us quite a bit throughout the game. I think they won a lot of the physical battles. They're going to do well going on [to the NCAA Tournament]. That's an NCAA Tournament team for sure. I know they'll represent the Big 12 well going forward."

Lie continued, "Super proud of this team. That's the overriding statement. As we were going into overtime, talked to the team and reflected on preseason and day one. Sitting in a locker room and trying to come up with our core values when we hardly even knew each other. It's been quite the ride with ups and downs. All you can really hope for as a coach is that these athletes who pour so much into the game and the program get the pay off. These last two [wins] have been pretty nice and this one was pretty special. Very grateful for the squad."

As the game got underway, rain started to pick up and it lasted the entire first half. Kansas was able to put five shots on goal in the half compared to only one shot on target for West Virginia. Kansas goalkeeper Sophie Dawe made a diving save in the 37th minute to keep the game scoreless. The match was tied 0-0 at the half.

The rain stopped by the start of the second half. Neither team was able to create many opportunities in the second half. The teams each had four shots in the second half, but none found the back of the net. At the end of regulation, the match was tied 0-0.

In the first overtime, Kansas had a great opportunity but a header from Saige Wimes went just wide of the left post in the 98th minute. The game was still tied at the end of the first overtime. Kansas had three shots in the first overtime and West Virginia did not have any.

Kansas kept pushing forward and was rewarded within a minute of the second overtime. Dawe punted a ball and Wimes flicked forward a header to Watts who raced past the defense and finished it in the back left corner of the net.

"It was a perfect punt by Sophie," Watts said about the goal. "I can't take all the credit. Saige had a perfect header. All I had to do was finish it low far post. Super proud of this team. We all played hard for 100 minutes which is crazy. I'm super proud of everyone and the hard work that everyone put in for the whole 100 minutes."

KU held a 15-6 advantage on shots, including a 9-3 edge for shots on target. The Jayhawks also led 6-3 in corner kicks. West Virginia fell to 12-5-2 on the season.

"Playing under a different coaching staff my first four years here it was fun with them, but I think it's been really special playing with Coach Lie," fifth year defender Mackenzie Boeve said. "Seeing the growth in the girls. We all knew that we had the potential to get to this point, but the pieces just never fell into place. Seeing us all grasp what this staff has taught us has been super special. Super grateful to be here and be around these girls and have such a dedicated team."

NOTES
• Kansas extended its win streak to six consecutive matches. The last time Kansas won six matches in a row was Oct. 31-Nov. 24, 2019.
• Kansas earned its 11th win of the season. The last time Kansas had double-digit wins was 2019 (17).
• Kansas will play in the semifinals of the conference tournament for the first time since 2019.
• Kansas won its first overtime game since a 2-1 victory vs. No. 9 West Virginia in double overtime on Oct. 10, 2021. The last time Kansas won a double overtime game in the conference tournament was Nov. 8, 2019 vs. Oklahoma State (W, 2-1) in the semifinals.
• Kansas improved to 10-14-5 all-time in the Big 12 Championship.
• Kansas is now 4-3-2 as a No. 6 seed in the Big 12 Championship.
• Kansas has eight shutouts as a team this season.
• Watts scored her team-high ninth goal of the season. The nine goals are a single-season career high for Watts. Watts also now leads the Big 12 with five game-winning goals.
• Dawe recorded her seventh shutout of the season. That is the most shutouts by a Kansas goalkeeper since Sarah Peters in 2019 (11).
• Wimes now has seven assists this season. She is tied for the most assists on the team with Makayla Merlo.

UP NEXT
Kansas advances to the semifinals of the Sprouts Farmers Market Big 12 Soccer Championship to play No. 17 Texas Tech on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. CT. The game will be played at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City and fans can purchase tickets by clicking here.