A&M tough test for KU soccer

By Steve Schmidt     Oct 5, 2003

Just when the Kansas University soccer team is looking to a snap a two-game conference losing streak, No. 3 Texas A&M comes to town.

Not exactly great timing, but there are no easy wins in the Big 12 Conference, if you ask head coach Mark Francis.

“To be honest, we don’t have any games on our schedule that won’t be tough,” Francis said.

Okay, there might not be any sure wins, but certainly there have to be easier contests than today’s. A&M’s only loss came to No. 1 North Carolina, 1-0.

But the Jayhawks (9-3 overall, 1-2 Big 12 ) — who were ranked nationally earlier in the year — could care less about rankings.

“It’s another game. Rankings don’t mean anything. If it did, we wouldn’t have lost our game on Sunday,” sophomore forward Caroline Smith said of her club’s 3-2 loss against underdog Texas Tech.

Junior goalkeeper Meghan Miller agreed.

“If the rankings mattered, we wouldn’t play the game, and it’d just be a paper war,” Miller said. “We need to come out and play our hearts out. It’s how you play on the day.”

The Aggies (8-1-1, 1-0-1) had won four in a row before finishing a scoreless tie at Oklahoma State Friday night. Texas A&M features an array of offensive arsenal, with junior forward Emma Smith (six goals and four assists) and senior midfielder Kristen Strutz (five goals and four assists) posing as top scoring threats.

“They’re a good team all-around, so we have to respect everyone out on the field,” Miller said.

Even with all of A&M’s firepower, perhaps Kansas’ biggest hurdle to clear will be getting past the Aggies’ stifling defense, which so far has outscored opponents 24-4. Sophomore goalkeeper Katie Jo Spisak has recorded four shutouts in her last five games.

After squaring off the Aggies — its fourth conference foe from Texas in a row — Kansas will start a four-game Big 12 North road swing Friday at Iowa State.

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