Kansas University’s soccer team, which tied for second in the Big 12 Conference regular season, did not get an invitation to the NCAA tournament’s field of 64 teams when the brackets were released Monday.
“It was probably pretty close, had we won the first game down in San Antonio (against Nebraska) we probably would have gotten in,” said KU coach Mark Francis, whose 11-7-2 defending Big 12 champions lost 3-1 to the Cornhuskers in the Big 12 tourney on Wednesday.
Five other conference schools, including Texas — which KU defeated 2-1 two weeks ago — got in. The Longhorns, who will host the first two rounds, finished 11-8-1 and were 6-4 in the Big 12 compared to KU’s 6-3-1 mark.
“That surprised me a little bit,” continued Francis said of Texas, which won its Big 12 tourney opener. “We finished ahead of them in the conference, but I don’t know all the factors involved.”
Five Jayhawk seniors — including KU’s career scoring leader Caroline Smith, who tallied 51 goals — finish their careers with two NCAA tournament appearances. However, three out of the last four years Nebraska has ended the Jayhawks season.
Kansas University’s soccer team has earned the Team Academic Award by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
A total of 336 soccer programs (71 men, 265 women) posted a team grade-point average of 3.0 or higher to qualify for the award.
KU finished with a school-best 18-6-1 record.
Lubbock, Texas ? Freshman Rachel Gilfillan scored two goals as Kansas University’s soccer team edged Texas Tech, 3-2, on Friday at Fuller Stadium.
Sophomore Lacey Woolf also scored for Kansas, which scored all three of its goals in the first half.
“It was really windy, and that made it hard to play,” KU coach Mark Francis said. “We had some chances to score in the second half, we just didn’t finish them.”
Kansas (8-3, 4-1 Big 12) tied a school record with its eighth victory and set a school record with its fourth league victory. Tech dropped to 3-10 and 0-5.
Kansas plays Colorado on Sunday at Boulder, Colo.
Kansas University’s women’s soccer team will return to SuperTarget Field this weekend.
The Jayhawks played their last three home matches in Overland Park and Olathe because of turf damage at their on-campus facility.
Kansas, 2-2 in the Big 12 and 5-5 overall, will play host to Iowa State (0-1, 4-4-1) at 4 p.m on Friday and to unbeaten Nebraska (1-0, 10-0) at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
