Jayhawks fly past Beavers, 2-0

CORVALLIS, Ore. – An impressive outing from senior goalkeeper Maddie Dobyns as well as another two-goal effort from the KU offense keyed a 2-0 victory for the Kansas soccer team against Oregon State Sunday afternoon. Senior Hannah Lukinac sent in the eventual game-winner with a header in the 39th minute, while sophomore Sophie Maierhofer netted her third goal of the year in the 72nd minute.
 
The victory marked the third-straight for the Jayhawks, who moved to 3-1-0 on the year. The loss was the first of the season for Oregon State, which dropped to 1-1-2 in its season.
 
“I thought the girls played great today,” said head coach Mark Francis. “(Oregon State) is a very tough, physical team and I thought that was the part that we really excelled at. We really competed well in the physical aspect of the game. Our back four and our goalkeeper were great all weekend. We’ve been really tough to break down and I think that will be key for us moving forward.’
 
Kansas entered the match with a streak of nearly 200 minutes without allowing an opponent goal, however the streak appeared as though it would not last long against a determined Oregon State squad, which came out of the gates sprinting right from the opening whistle. Within the opening 10 minutes of the match, the Beavers tallied five shots and a pair of corner kicks to put Kansas on its heels early. The KU defense didn’t break though, withstanding the early Beaver charge and keeping the game scoreless.
 
The Jayhawks turned the tide and eventually broke through in the 39th minute, putting in their third goal off a corner kick set piece in in as many games. Sophomore Madison Meador served in a ball that flew toward the penalty spot where it met the head of the senior midfielder, Lukinac. The shot lobbed over the outstretched arm of the OSU goalkeeper and just under the crossbar to give the Olathe, Kansas native her first goal of the year and her team the 1-0 edge as it headed to the halftime locker room.
 
KU continued to put the pressure on Oregon State in the second half, creating opportunities early in the period. In the 53rd minute, junior Grace Hagan nearly tallied her second goal of the weekend, but her shot clipped the right goal post to dash her hopes of a second goal in as many games.

Senior Maddie Dobyns 
Oregon State looked primed to tie up the score in the 65th minute when the referee signaled a Beaver penalty kick attempt following a Jayhawk foul in the box. But, senior goalkeeper Maddie Dobyns managed to stop the Paula Leblic penalty try with one of her six saves of the match, keeping the Beavers of the scoresheet and preserving the Jayhawks’ shutout streak.
 
With just under 20 minutes to play, Maierhofer gave KU some insurance with her goal in the 72nd minute. The Graz, Austria native received a long cross from freshman Isabella Cavalcante at the top of the Oregon State penalty area. From there she unleashed a left-footed strike that flew into the back of the net to give the Jayhawks a commanding 2-0 lead.
 
From there the Jayhawks cruised to the win and their third-straight shutout. Kansas ended the match having extended its shutout streak, which now stands at over 291 minutes.
 
The Beavers managed to narrowly outshoot KU, 15-14, however the Jayhawks held the advantage in shots on goal at 7-6. Dobyns secured her 24th-career win between the posts for KU with the help of six saves.
 
UP NEXT
The Jayhawks will return to Rock Chalk Park on Sept. 1 when they play host to the Colorado College Tigers. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. Two days later the defending NCAA Champion USC Trojans will come to town for a Sunday-night contest. The match will begin at 7 p.m., and will be televised on Spectrum Sports and streamed on ESPN3.