Colorado Beats Kansas 4-0 To Close Out Regular Season

Friday, October 27

Lawrence, Kan.

2 p.m.

Colorado

11-5-2, 5-4-1

Kansas

11-7-0, 6-4-0

Colorado

Kansas

Photo by: Chip Bromfield, ProMotion Ltd.

Colorado Beats Kansas 4-0 To Close Out Regular Season

October 27, 2006 | Soccer

Box Score

By: Lindsay Lew, Associate SID

LAWRENCE, Kan. - The University of Colorado women's soccer team defeated the University of Kansas by a score of 4-0 here Friday afternoon at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex.

The Buffs finish the regular season 11-5-2, with a record of 5-4-1 in Big 12 play, good for fifth place in the Big 12 Conference. Colorado has won four games in a row, their longest winning streak of the season.

Colorado got two goals from Nikki Marshall and one apiece from Allie True and Alex Cousins to match CU's second-highest scoring tally of the season.

"Today was as hard as we have played all year," said head coach Bill Hempen. "They were really engaged today and we demanded that of them and I'm so proud of how they showed up today. Now we will refocus and prepare to see Kansas again next week in the Big 12 Tournament."

Marshall, a freshman forward, scored her 13th goal of the season 14:56 into the match.  True played a through ball to Marshall on the right flank. She took a touch and then hit a driven ball on the ground with her left foot, and KU goalkeeper Julie Hanley hesitated on her goal line. By the time she made up her mind the ball snuck inside the right post for the 1-0 Buff lead. The goal snapped a Kansas scoreless streak that had lasted 374:56 for KU and Hanley.

True staked the Buffs to a 2-0 lead with 12:13 to play in the first half. After Laura Munnelly sent a long ball to the corner, which Marshall ran onto. Marshall cut it back and knocked a short pass to Cousins who knocked it again to Katie Griffin. Griffin hit a shot in to the box, which got past Hanley but was going wide, so True ran through the ball and bodied it into the goal. It was her second goal of the season. It also marked the first time since Sept. 15 that the Jayhawks had given up more than one goal in a game.

Colorado finished the first half with the edge in shots, getting seven shots off and five of them on goal. True led the way with two shots, both on goal. Kansas had four shots in the half, one on goal. Hanley had two first half saves and the Jayhawks also got a team save from Jessica Bush. CU's starting keeper Kirstin Radlinski had one save.

The Buffs got their third goal of the match early in the second half off another nice play by Marshall. She took the ball on the left flank and was able to get past her defender. She played a solid cross in to Cousins, who hit a one-timer into the back of the net at the 57:27 mark. It was Cousins' fourth goal of the season, and Marshall's third assist and marked CU's largest goal total in Big 12 play this season.

Colorado held onto their lead for the rest of the half and got some solid chances but weren't able to put one in until Marshall got her second goal of the afternoon with 36 seconds left. Junior defender Brittany Dornseif earned the first assist of her career knocking a long ball into the last third of the field. Marshall ran onto it, taking the ball and beating two KU defenders with her first touch, then going around Hanley and walking it into the goal for her 14th goal of the season at 89:24.

She now holds the school record for goals in a season with 14, breaking the record set by Griffin a year ago. She also added to the points mark she set last weekend against Baylor, now with 31 on the season, and is the leading scorer in the Big 12 Conference. Marshall finished the game with five points, while True and Cousins all registered three points in the game. Radlinski posted her third shutout of the season.

Colorado now leads the overall series with Kansas 6-5 overall, and moves to 3-3 in Lawrence. CU's four game shutout streak is their longest since Oct. 17-29 when the Buffs also shut out four straight teams in Big 12 play. This is CU's first win in Lawrence since a 1-0 decision on Aug. 8, 2000. It marks CU's largest margin of victory over KU ever. Just two weeks ago the Buffs were on the outside of the conference tournament looking in, and have since rallied and are now poised for their fourth-straight NCAA Tournament.

"We had hit a wall and we needed to get back to the way were playing," said True. "We needed to remember how to play our game. In big 12's they have kind of gotten us out of how we play our game and have hit our stride again. We need to refocus and stay on top of our game for Wednesday."

Colorado will now travel to San Antonio, Texas, to face Kansas in the first round of the tournament. It will be the first time the two teams have met in the postseason. The game will kick off on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 12:30 p.m. MST at the Blossom Soccer Complex. For more information, visit www.big12sports.com.