MANHATTAN – K-State soccer scored a goal in the third minute and never looked back as the Wildcats ended an eight-match losing streak with a 3-0 win over Oklahoma on Friday night at Buser Family Park.
The win was the third league win in program history and the first home Big 12 shutout in its five-year history.
“We are finally figuring out how to play together,” said K-State head coach Mike Dibbini. “We are figuring out our rotations defensively. And offensively, they just bought in this week. We returned to just loving the game this week, playing loose and having that mentality all week. This was a great week of practice. It’s just a great feeling right now.””
K-State (1-4-0) jumped in front in the third minute. The Wildcats earned a corner kick as Maddie Weichel drove the ball hard to the end line. Silke Bonnen then attempted the corner and her service found the head of sophomore defender Shae Turner at the left near post from two yards out.
“I mean it was a play we have worked on a lot in practice, practice makes perfect,” said Turner about her first career goal. “We started on the goal line, came right off the line and Silke played a great ball, and it just hit my head and I directed it the right way into the back of the net.”
The goal was the first of Turner’s career, while the assist was the second of Bonnen’s career. Turner is the 12th player in program history to be credited with a game-winning goal and the second defender to achieve the milestone, joining Haley Sutter on August 24, 2017, at Oral Roberts.
Oklahoma (0-3-1) was stymied in their attempt to square the match in the seventh minute. After a free kick bounced to within five yards, Reagan Glisson toed an attempt towards the frame. K-State freshman goalkeeper Alaina Werremeyer reacted quickly to make the save, her only save of the first half.
“I mean I stayed on my ball line and got as big as possible and I hoped at that point that it was going to hit me, and it did,” said Werremeyer about her crucial first half save.
The Wildcats increased their lead to 2-0 in the 24th minute. Weichel crossed a ball from near midfield and found sophomore forward Kyler Goins on the other end. Oklahoma goalkeeper Nikki Panas came off her line to stop Goins, but Goins sent a low shot between Panas’s legs and into the open net. The goal was the first of Goins’s collegiate career and the assist by Weichel was the first of her career.
The two first half goals by the Wildcats were the most goals K-State has scored in an opening half in a Big 12 match in program history. Turner and Goins were the first K-State sophomores to score a goal in a match for K-State since Brookelynn Entz at Tulsa on September 16, 2018.
In the 65th minute, Entz was able to secure a free kick for the Wildcats from just outside the 18-yard box by drawing an Oklahoma foul. Bonnen stepped forward to make the initial attack. Her line drive shot attempt caromed off the hand of Oklahoma’s Sakura Yoshida inside the box, resulting in a K-State penalty kick.
Entz would take the penalty kick and left no doubt with a powerful strike into the net for the 3-0 lead with 25 minutes to play. The product of Newton, Kansas, has now made three straight penalty kicks and holds the school record for penalty kick goals with four.
“I think that is something our team has never had to do before,” Entz said when asked about adding the insurance goal. “We don't know how to finish games, and we did that tonight. We talked about it in the locker room at halftime that 2-0 is the most dangerous lead in soccer and we wanted to come out and get the next goal and we did.””
With her goal, Entz improved her school record for career goals to 12. She is the first player in program history to score two or more goals in four straight seasons.
Werremeyer would secure her first win and shutout with three saves in the second half, while facing eight total shots. The native of Blue Springs, Missouri, is the first freshman goalkeeper in program history to earn a win and to secure a shutout.
Friday’s match was K-State’s 21st shutout in program history. This was the second Big 12 shutout in program history and the first since downing Kansas in Lawrence on October 6, 2017.
Werremeyer was quick to credit the defenders in front of her for the 90 minutes of effort.
“They were amazing, they made my job so easy tonight. I was so proud of the girls in front of me. They worked their butts off today.”
The three goals were the most by K-State in a Big 12 match and the sixth time K-State has scored three or more in a match. The eight total points by K-State were the most the Wildcats have accumulated in a Big 12 match in program history, besting the previous record of five which was achieved three times including twice at Oklahoma.
Oklahoma would hold an 11-6 edge in total shots, but each team would notch four shots on goal. The Sooners held a 7-4 advantage in corner kicks.
K-State will play a pair of matches next weekend. The Wildcats return to the state of Texas to face Baylor on Thursday, October 22, at 7 p.m. K-State then will host (6) TCU on Sunday, October 25, at 1 p.m. Both matches will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and available on 101.5 KROCK in Manhattan and for free at kstatesports.com.
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