Oct 30, 2022

K-State opens Big 12 quarterfinals against Texas

Posted Oct 30, 2022 12:18 AM
Photo courtesy&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com">kstatesports.com</a>
Photo courtesy kstatesports.com

K-State Sports

MANHATTAN - K-State (6-9-3, 2-5-2 Big 12) makes its first appearance in the 2022 Sprouts Farmers Market Big 12 Soccer Championship, as the Wildcats are slotted into the postseason tournament as the eight-seed and will face 2022 Big 12 regular season champion Texas (13-1-4, 7-0-2 Big 12) in the quarterfinals on Sunday at 11:30 a.m., at the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex.

• Sunday’s match will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, as Lincoln Rose (play-by-play) and Jessica Stamp (analyst) will have the call.

• Sunday’s match will be the second neutral site match in program history, as the Wildcats faced North Alabama in Clarksville, Tennessee, during the 2021 season.

2022 Season Snapshot

• K-State has tied the school record for wins in a season with six (2017 & 2021).

• K-State is 5-7-0 in matches decided by a goal. The 12 matches decided by a goal this season are the second-most in program history (13; 2017).

• The Wildcats have been led, offensively, this season by seniors Kyler Goins and Caylee Thornhill and sophomore Adah Anderson. Goins has notched 12 points (five goals, two assists), while Thornhill has added seven points (two goals, three assists). Anderson has chipped in with six points (one goal, four assists).

• The Wildcats have had nine players register a point this season, including eight players with at least one goal.

Last Time Out

• K-State closed out its 2022 regular season schedule, as the Wildcats dropped a 1-0 decision at West Virginia.

• Despite the loss, Kansas State clinched its first appearance in the Big 12 Championship with a loss by Baylor against Oklahoma State later on Thursday night.

• K-State finished its road schedule with a 3-4-1 record. K-State tied the school record for road wins in a season.

• Junior goalkeeper Alaina Werremeyer pocketed three saves. With her 90 minutes in frame in Morgantown, Werremeyer surpassed the 1,500-minute mark (1,530:00) for the season. She is the third K-State goalkeeper and first since 2018 to play 1,500 or more minutes between the pipes.

K-State vs. Ranked Opponents

• Kansas State has played 18 matches in its brief history against United Soccer Coaches ranked opponents.

• The Wildcats are 0-16-2 against ranked opponents. K-State snapped a 13-match losing streak against ranked opponents with consecutive draws with ninth-ranked West Virginia (Oct. 7) and 23rd-ranked Baylor (Oct. 10) in 2021.

• Kansas State has played four ranked opponents in a season twice (2018 and 2019).

• K-State has faced eight opponents ranked among the top-10 in the United Soccer Coaches poll: (9, West Virginia, Sept. 29, 2017; 9, Texas, Oct. 15, 2017; 9, Santa Clara, Aug. 30, 2018; 7, BYU, Sept. 21, 2019; 6, Kansas, Oct. 2, 2020; 5, TCU, Oct. 25, 2020; 9, West Virginia, Oct. 7, 2021; 9, TCU, Sept. 30, 2022).

Shot Prevention is Goal Prevention

• K-State’s 2022 version of the defensive backline has been one of the best defensive units in the seven seasons of the program.

• The Wildcats have allowed 12.1 shots per game and 5.3 shots on goal per game.

• The 12.1 shots per game are 2.0 shots per game lower than the record season of 2021 of 14.1 per game.

• The 5.3 shots on goal allowed per game this season are 1.3 less than the current record low of 6.6 shots on goal allowed per game in 2018.

• K-State’s 1.11 goals against average this season is the lowest in program history.