Monday, November 3, 2008
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Playing to keep its NCAA Tournament at-large bid hopes alive, Kansas suffered its worst defeat in nearly a decade against No. 20 Missouri on the final day of the regular season.
The Tigers dominated proceedings from the opening whistle Friday night against the team’s border rivals, cruising to a decisive 6-0 victory in front of 368 fans at Walton Stadium. The victory is Missouri’s first against its border rivals since 2002.
Dann Wunderlich/The Maneater
Photo courtesy Dann Wunderlich/THE MANEATER Kansas goalkeeper Julie Hanley reacts after giving up a goal in the Jayhawk's 6-0 loss to the Missouri Tigers on Oct. 31 at Walton Stadium in Columbia, Mo.
Following the devastating defeat, Kansas’ stunned players and coaches solemnly shuffled off the field while Missouri celebrated a triumphant senior night and a third place conference finish in the background.
“Nobody expected us to lose 6-0, except maybe Missouri,” junior goalkeeper Julie Hanley said. “I don’t even know what to say. We are in shock.”
Coach Mark Francis declined to comment following the program’s most lopsided defeat since losing at No. 4 Nebraska 8-1 in 1999, his first season as coach.
The Jayhawks finished the regular season 11-7-1 (4-5-1) after jumping out to a 5-1 record. Francis’ team enters this week’s crucial Big 12 Tournament with a losing conference record and a seventh place conference finish, their worst since 2000.
Kansas hasn’t played in the NCAA Tournament since 2004, the last time it won a game in the Big 12 Tournament. Junior defender Estelle Johnson said it would take three victories to have any opportunity of playing in the postseason.
“I think there is no hope of making the NCAA Tournament unless we win the Big 12 Tournament,” Johnson said of the Jayhawks’ extinguished at-large hopes. “I guess that’s what we are going to focus on now.”
Sophomore forward Alysha Bonnick scored the first of her two goals in the ninth minute when she nodded senior midfielder Mo Redmond’s cross past Hanley. The Tigers doubled their lead in the 33rd minute when junior forward Michelle Collins got her head on a nearly identical cross.
In both instances, Missouri players found themselves unmarked in the penalty area, leaving Hanley helpless to prevent the ball from finding the back of the net.
“We didn’t match up in the box when we needed to,” Hanley said. “We left people open. Too many times there were balls in the box and no one on or around them.”
Five minutes before halftime, the Tigers went ahead 3-0 when sophomore defender Lauren Jackson and Hanley failed to clear a loose ball, allowing freshman defender Mallory Stipetich to poke the ball away and walk it into an open net.
The Jayhawks opened the second half with three defenders, pushing Johnson into the attack as they looked to chip away at the three-goal deficit. Missouri capitalized on the change immediately, as Redmond scored twice in the first three minutes of the second half to put the game out of reach.
Down 5-0 with almost 38 minutes remaining, Francis had seen enough. All 11 starters were removed and finished the game watching from the bench. Missouri outshot Kansas 31-13 and had nine corner kicks to the visitors’ two.
“I don’t think it was a lack of intensity,” Johnson said of Kansas’s defensive struggles. “I would say we didn’t take responsibility for what we are supposed to do. People aren’t playing their roles.”
Kansas allowed a sixth and final goal three minutes later when Bonnick lobbed a shot over senior goalkeeper Stephanie Baugh. Senior midfielder Kristin Graves made a valiant effort to clear the ball off the line, but arrived a second too late.
Kansas will play Texas A&M in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament in San Antonio on Wednesday. The Jayhawks beat the then No. 6 Aggies 1-0 on October 17 in Lawrence.
In other Big 12 action, Oklahoma State beat Oklahoma 3-2 to finish alone as conference champions. It is the Cowgirls’ first Big 12 regular season championship.
— — Edited by Rachel Burchfield
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