MANHATTAN - K-State will begin its sixth season of action this weekend, as the Wildcats host Weber State on Thursday at 7 p.m., and Omaha on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
• Tickets for both matches can be purchased by contacting the K-State Athletics Ticket Office at (800) 221-CATS, visiting kstatesports.com/tickets or at the Buser Family Park ticket booth. Thursday’s match will include free pizza and ice cream for K-State students on National Ice Cream Day. Sunday’s match is Youth Sports Day, as kids will receive a medal and can take part in K-State Olympics activities.
• In accordance with University policy, it is required that face coverings be worn in all inside spaces of Buser Family Park, regardless of vaccination status, unless actively eating or drinking. In all outdoor spaces, face coverings are not required and are at the discretion of each patron.
• Both matches will be available on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, as Brian Smoller (play-by-play) and Oscar Montenegro (analyst) will have the call.
Last Time Out
• K-State played a two-match exhibition slate last week, as the Wildcats went unbeaten (1-0-1).
• The Cats came back to capture a 2-1 win at South Dakota State on Thursday, August 12. Freshman Adah Anderson scored two goals, roughly 45 seconds apart, in the 80th and 81st minutes to secure the road win.
• In the final preseason tuneup, K-State played to a 1-1 draw against Wyoming on Sunday, August 15.
• Trailing in the 83rd minute, Marisa Weichel played a through ball to Aliyah El-Naggar. El-Naggar took two dribbles and fired the equalizer into the upper left corner.
• In the two matches, K-State outshot its opponents, 31-11, including a 15-4 advantage in shots on goal.
Dibbini In Sixth Season at K-State
• K-State announced the formation of its women’s soccer program on Oct. 12, 2014. With the task of building a program from the ground up, K-State announced on Dec. 26, 2014, that Mike Dibbini would be the first head coach in program history.
• Dibbini is in his sixth season with the Wildcats. He owns a 285-132-41 (.667) career mark, including a 20-54-10 (.298) mark at K-State.
• Prior to coming to K-State, Dibbini spent eight seasons at Kansas Wesleyan (NAIA) and two seasons at Cal Poly Pomona (NCAA D-II).
K-State in Season Openers
• The Wildcats are 1-3-1 in its previous five season-openers. This will be the first time K-State will open consecutive seasons at home.
• K-State has scored at least one goal in three of the five season-openers.
• K-State will play just its third home season-opener, as the Wildcats downed Saint Louis in the 2018 season-opener, 1-0, and dropped a 3-0 decision in 2020.
K-State in Home Openers
• The Wildcats will play their sixth home-opener in program history. K-State is 2-3-0 in its previous five home-openers.
• Kansas State has been outscored by its opponents in the five home-openers, 7-5 (-2).
Wildcats to Make Debut
• K-State’s 2021 roster includes 14 newcomers including nine true freshmen. Of the 14 newcomers, five have collegiate soccer experience: Rebecca Bartosh (18 matches; Pitt), Porter List (10 matches; Wisconsin), Jesse Loren (47 matches; Colorado), Marisa Weichel (8 matches; Texas Tech) and Roo Yarnell-Williams (25 matches; Colorado).
• During its brief history, K-State has seen one freshman score in a season-opener as Katie Cramer delivered the first goal in program history scoring directly on a corner kick at Saint Louis on August 19, 2016.
– kstatesports.com –