Soccer team kicks off season in Hawaii

Ten new players join for this season’s play

By Alison Cumbow

Thursday, August 30, 2007

The KU women’s soccer team, en route to the Ohana Hotels & Resorts No Ka Oi Tournament, will open its season this weekend in Hawaii.

It will mark the fifth time in 13 years that Kansas will have opened a season on the road.

Today the team will play against Hawaii and on Saturday it will face off against Auburn.

Eighteen letter winners and nine starters return to the KU women’s soccer team this season and 10 new players have been added to the roster as well. The Web magazine Soccer Buzz ranked Kansas No. 26 this season and ranked Kansas’ incoming class as the fifth best in the Central Region and the third best in the Big 12.

The Jayhawks were also picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 by the league’s coaches in the annual preseason poll. Texas A&M was picked to finish first, its in-state rival, Texas, following at second, Colorado at third, and Oklahoma State at fourth. Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri, Baylor, Texas Tech and Iowa State, respectively, were picked to follow Kansas.

This season is the third time that Kansas has been anticipated to finish fourth or lower in conference, but the team hasn’t placed lower than fourth since 2002.

Last season, the Jayhawks finished 11-7-1 overall and 6-4 in the Big 12.

This weekend’s first opponent, Hawaii, finished 8-11-2 in 2006, and placed sixth in the Western Athletic Conference. Hawaii has 17 letter winners and 10 starters returning, while five new additions will complete the roster.

Today’s game will be Kansas’ first time playing against Hawaii and its first time playing against a Western Athletic Conference school.

The Jayhawks’ second opponent of the weekend, Auburn, won the Western Division in the Southeastern Conference last season. The Tigers finished 11-6-3 overall, and also made an NCAA tournament appearance. They have 17 returning letter winners and seven starters.

Both games will kick off at midnight CST, which is 7 p.m. in Hawaii.

— Edited by Amelia Freidline

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