Soccer surges to victory over Missouri
Kansas moves to third in conference going into Big 12 Tournament
On Kansas’ Senior Day, freshman Katie Williams was the team’s star. Williams, a defender, scored two goals within four minutes of each other, leading the Jayhawks to a 2-1 victory over No. 18 Missouri.
By Alison Cumbow (Contact)
Monday, November 5th, 2007
In their last game of the regular season, the Jayhawks played the best they have this year.
Kansas wrapped up its regular season with a 2-1 victory against No. 18 Missouri Friday. The victory was the third straight for the Jayhawks.
Although it was Senior Day, one freshman Jayhawk outshined the rest on Friday night. Freshman defender Katie Williams put two goals in the net, just minutes apart, after Missouri had taken a 1-0 lead. The Jayhawk players and fans alike were ecstatic, and the atmosphere at the game was the best possible conclusion to a rocky season — the Jayhawks won only one game out of their first 10.
Photo by Sarah Leonard
Nicole Cauzillo, senior midfielder, goes for a kick against her last home game Friday afternoon against Missouri. The Jayhawk's 2-1 win boosted them to 3rd seed in the Big 12 Tournament, which starts on Wednesday in San Antonio.
Williams’ first goal came during the 71st minute when she headed the ball on a corner kick received from sophomore forward Monica Dolinsky. As the ball hit the net, and shouts of joy erupted from the field and the bleachers. Less then four minutes later, Williams did exactly the same thing with a corner kick from the other side by sophomore forward Shannon McCabe.
A strong finish
After the team overcame a losing streak at the beginning of the season, Kansas’ final record reached 7-9-4 overall and 5-2-3 in the Big 12. Texas’ victory against Colorado this weekend put the Jayhawks into third place in the conference standings. This season marks the Jayhawks’ highest ranking since they entered the Big 12 Tournament ranked No. 1 in 2004.
Seniors honored
Kansas’ five seniors were honored in a ceremony after the game. After their families escorted them to the middle of the field, Kelsey Archuleta, Nicole Cauzillo, Quinn, Afton Sauer and Emily Strinden were greeted with flowers from their coaches and pictures with their teammates.
Up next
Next up for the Jayhawks is the Big 12 Tournament in San Antonio, Texas. Their first game will be on Wednesday against Oklahoma State at 7:30 p.m.
— Edited by Matt Erickson
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