Adam Buhler/Journal-World PhotoIf Caroline Smith was really good as a Kansas University soccer freshman, then she’s really, really good now.
Smith scored three goals and had an assist for a school-record seven points as KU clipped Northwestern, 4-1, in its season opener Friday evening at SuperTarget Field.
Smith, who set a school record with 12 goals last season despite missing five games because of a knee injury, is on pace to shatter that standard.
“I’m better physically than I’ve ever been,” Smith said. “I’m faster, I’m quicker, and I’m fit. I’m way better than I was before I got injured.”
Northwestern coach Jenny Haigh wasn’t about to argue.
Adam Buhler/Journal-World Photo“What a great player,” Haigh said. “What I love about her is that in addition to her obvious soccer skills, she’s an absolute competitor. She’s feisty, and she’s physical.”
And Smith stands just 5-foot-2. She and junior midfielder Amy Geha are, in fact, the shortest players on the Jayhawks’ 20-player roster. But, as KU Mark Francis said, “She’s tough to handle and she busted it the whole game.”
Actually, Smith didn’t play the entire game. Francis took her out after her second penalty kick had given KU a 4-1 lead with 10:07 remaining.
“To be honest,” Francis said, “it looked like she was getting tired.”
Two of Smith’s goals came on penalty kicks after she had broken away from defenders who reacted by more or less mugging her.
“People can’t contain her within the rules,” Francis said, “so either you foul her or go outside the rules.”
Smith’s lone open-field goal began the KU scoring with 29:23 left before halftime. Smith sped past a defender, fielded a perfect pass from teammate Lauren Williams and drilled the ball into the net.
Fifty-three seconds later, she broke loose again, but was sandwiched by a couple of Wildcats just outside the goal mouth. Smith easily converted the penalty kick and KU quickly led, 2-0.
That’s the way it stayed until the break, then Northwestern cut the gap in half with a goal about 15 minutes into the second half.
“We were a little flat to start the second half,” Francis said. “When they scored, that woke us up a little bit.”
Nearly 14 minutes later, Jessica Smith — also a sophomore but no relation to Caroline Smith — scored with assists credited to Geha and Smith. About four minutes later, Caroline Smith booted her penalty kick after clipped from behind by a frustrated NU defender, becoming the fourth player in KU history to record a hat trick.
Afterward, Smith conceded she was a little nervous before the kick-off.
“I wondered if I would be as good as I was as a freshman,” she said. “Hopefully, though, all the questions were answered.”
Kansas, 1-0, has another home game scheduled at 1 p.m. Sunday. It’s against Evansville U.
If Caroline Smith was really good as a Kansas University soccer freshman, then she’s really, really good now.
Smith scored three goals and had an assist for a school-record seven points as KU clipped Northwestern, 4-1, in its season opener Friday evening at SuperTarget Field.
Smith, who set a school record with 12 goals last season despite missing five games because of a knee injury, is on pace to shatter that standard.
“I’m better physically than I’ve ever been,” Smith said. “I’m faster, I’m quicker, and I’m fit. I’m way better than I was before I got injured.”
Northwestern coach Jenny Haigh wasn’t about to argue.
“What a great player,” Haigh said. “What I love about her is that in addition to her obvious soccer skills, she’s an absolute competitor. She’s feisty, and she’s physical.”
And Smith stands just 5-foot-2. She and junior midfielder Amy Geha are, in fact, the shortest players on the Jayhawks’ 20-player roster. But, as KU Mark Francis said, “She’s tough to handle and she busted it the whole game.”
Actually, Smith didn’t play the entire game. Francis took her out after her second penalty kick had given KU a 4-1 lead with 10:07 remaining.
“To be honest,” Francis said, “it looked like she was getting tired.”
Two of Smith’s goals came on penalty kicks after she had broken away from defenders who reacted by more or less mugging her.
“People can’t contain her within the rules,” Francis said, “so either you foul her or go outside the rules.”
Smith’s lone open-field goal began the KU scoring with 29:23 left before halftime. Smith sped past a defender, fielded a perfect pass from teammate Lauren Williams and drilled the ball into the net.
Fifty-three seconds later, she broke loose again, but was sandwiched by a couple of Wildcats just outside the goal mouth. Smith easily converted the penalty kick and KU quickly led, 2-0.
That’s the way it stayed until the break, then Northwestern cut the gap in half with a goal about 15 minutes into the second half.
“We were a little flat to start the second half,” Francis said. “When they scored, that woke us up a little bit.”
Nearly 14 minutes later, Jessica Smith — also a sophomore but no relation to Caroline Smith — scored with assists credited to Geha and Smith. About four minutes later, Caroline Smith booted her penalty kick after clipped from behind by a frustrated NU defender, becoming the fourth player in KU history to record a hat trick.
Afterward, Smith conceded she was a little nervous before the kick-off.
“I wondered if I would be as good as I was as a freshman,” she said. “Hopefully, though, all the questions were answered.”
Kansas, 1-0, has another home game scheduled at 1 p.m. Sunday. It’s against Evansville U.
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