Last night, Kansas refound its footing with a big 3-1 win over Drake, who hails from the Missouri Valley Conference.
You may find it exaggerated to call last night’s victory “big,” seeing as Kansas is rising to be considered one of the better teams in the nation, combined with the fact that the Jayhawks are still undefeated. Yet it is worth noting that Nate Lie’s side was on a bit of a slide.
Kansas is coming off two draws. One against No.2 Florida State, which ended 1-1, that came after a stale 0-0 tie against Utah State, which marred the Jayhawks' opening three-game win streak.
The Jayhawks found a fluid first goal, as junior Emily Tobin, who was situated towards the right back position, picked up the ball just past the halfway line, then drove centrally towards the pitch into a discombobulated Drake defense and was able to slice a pass past the Drake backline onto the feet of senior Lexi Watts who calmly shifted the Drake keeper to the ground before pushing Kansas in front 22 minutes into the match.
Lie’s side kept their foot on the pedal as 33 minutes into the match, the Jayhawks found their second goal of the night thanks to a lofted pass from freshman Lydia Viets, whose skied pass broke the Drake backline, allowing Jordan Rowen to snag possession of Viets’ pass before weaving in and out of Drake defenders as she doubled Kansas’ lead.
Both sides traded blows with each team finding the odd chance to finish off the first half, yet six minutes into the second half, the Jayhawks sealed victory with an awry third goal from a corner kick. Midfielder Jillian Gregorski notched a straight header, onto the back of Izzy Snowden’s head, where the ball was then lobbed over everyone’s head, leaving Drake goalkeeper Addie Ford with nothing to do but watch as Kansas mounted a third goal.
Drake was able to find its lone goal of the match through a scrappy battle at the edge of Kansas’ box before forward Isabella Balsley found a deflected effort to her feet, allowing her to bring the score to 3-1.
Kansas’ next match takes place next Sunday, September 7th, as the Jayhawks take on Yale in Connecticut.