Jayhawks play to draw with Jackrabbits, 1-1

Box Score (PDF)

BROOKINGS, S.D. – More than 100 minutes were not enough to separate the Kansas Jayhawks and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits as the two squads played to a 1-1 draw Sunday afternoon at Fishback Soccer Park. Freshman Katie McClure netted the first goal of her career in the tie.
 
The draw moved Kansas to 2-1-1 on the year and extended the Jayhawks’ unbeaten streak to three games, while South Dakota State went to 1-2-1 in its 2016 campaign.
 
“Today was just the same story of our previous games so far; a lot of chances but the quality still isn’t there,” said head coach Mark Francis. “We need to move on and learn from this. Hopefully we’ll show up to training tomorrow and the rest of this week focused and ready to go. If we do those things, we should have a better team take the field against Nebraska on Friday.”
 
For the third-consecutive match, a Jayhawk freshman netted her team’s lone goal in the opening half. McClure was found on the end of a well-played pass downfield from junior Hannah Lukinac. Lukinac’s service caught McClure at the top of the SDSU box, where she beat the final Jackrabbit defender and slotted home a shot under the goalkeeper and inside the right post. The goal, which marked the first of McClure’s young Jayhawk career and Lukinac’s first assist, put Kansas up 37 minutes into the match.
 
The gusty winds at Fishback Soccer Park made it difficult for the Kansas offense to get into a rhythm during the second half, as KU found itself going against a stiff South Dakota breeze. That’s not to say the Jayhawks didn’t have their chances. McClure came close to a brace on two occasions over the remainder of the match, with a pair of one-on-one opportunities with the SDSU goalkeeper, Maggie Smither. However, each were stopped by the Jackrabbit keeper for three of her five saves on the day.
 
The home side leveled the score with just over eight minutes remaining in the match. SDSU midfielder Madison Yueill took advantage of a Jackrabbit free kick just inches outside the KU penalty area. Yueill sent in a high strike that snuck in just under the crossbar to pull her team into a 1-1 tie in the waning minutes of regulation.
 
In the Jayhawks’ first overtime match of the season, neither team could notch the game-winner over the 20 minutes of extra time, resulting in a 1-1 draw.
 
McClure led all players with five shots on the day, four of which were on target. KU ended the game outshooting SDSU by a tally of 20-6, with five of those KU attempts coming in the overtime periods.
 
Kansas goalkeeper Maddie Dobyns made three saves on the day and came just eight minutes short of her third-straight shutout. The Jackrabbit goal with 81:36 on the clock brought KU’s opponent scoreless streak to an end at 283 minutes.
 
UP NEXT
The Jayhawks will head to Lincoln, Nebraska for the second-straight year to take on former conference rival, Nebraska. The Jayhawks and Cornhuskers will meet for a 7 p.m. match-up on Friday, Sept. 2. KU will remain in Lincoln for a match two days later against Valparaiso. Kickoff against the Crusaders is slated for 10 a.m.
 
 
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