Courtney Kuhlen/Journal-World PhotoYou can’t win, a long-forgotten ancient philosopher said, by losing.
So when Kansas University’s soccer team dropped Missouri State, 2-0, Wednesday afternoon, the old bromide came true once again.
“The biggest thing is, we won the game,” KU coach Mark Francis said. “It wasn’t pretty. In fact, it was ugly at times.”
After a frustrating tie with Michigan and an overtime loss to Wisconsin over the weekend in Topeka, the Jayhawks boosted their record to 1-1-1 with the victory at Jayhawk Soccer Complex.
“We played good over the weekend and didn’t win,” Francis said, “and we didn’t play worth a darn today, and we won the game.”
Courtney Kuhlen/Journal-World PhotoKansas grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute, when Jessica Bush cleaned up a bobble by Missouri State goalkeeper Jackie Jasper and drilled the ball into the open net from 15 yards out.
“It was definitely exciting,” said Bush, a freshman from Blue Springs, Mo., about her first college goal. “When I saw the ball loose, I knew I’d better get there quick.”
Bush did, but Francis didn’t see enough other Jayhawks getting there quickly, so he challenged his players at halftime to crank up the intensity.
“We were flat in the first half, and for this group that’s unusual,” Francis said.
Nicole Cauzillo, a co-captain, came to the rescue.
Courtney Kuhlen/Journal-World Photo“Cauz really stepped it up,” Francis said. “That’s why she’s a captain. She gets people fired up.”
Cauzillo said she was just as baffled as the coach about the slow start.
“I was really frustrated with the intensity,” she said. “We played two overtime games last weekend, but that’s no excuse.”
On paper, the Jayhawks actually were better on defense in the first half. They held the Bears to only two shots, one on goal. In the second half, Mizzou State was credited with four shots, two on goal. Lonely KU goalkeeper Colleen Quinn registered the three saves.
Meanwhile, Kansas was a bit better offensively in the second half with seven of 10 shots on goal after going 5-for-8 in the first half.
KU’s second-half goal was classic Caroline Smith. The school’s all-time leading scorer went one-on-one with a defender, then drilled a 20-yarder into the lower-left corner of the net in the 83rd minute.
Smith now scored a goal in each of the Jayhawks’ three games.
All in all, Kansas pressured Missouri State goalie Jasper repeatedly. Of KU’s 12 shots on goal, 10 were saved by Jasper. Countless other times, the Jayhawks were in attack modes that fizzled for one reason or another.
The Jayhawks will be back at JSC Friday to meet Arkansas in another 5 p.m. match.
“It wasn’t the prettiest thing,” Bush said of Wednesday’s win, “but we got it, and now we have momentum going into the Arkansas game.”
Adam Buhler/Journal-World PhotoFor a Kansas University tennis team that has been banged up all season, Saturday might have brought the biggest bummer yet.
Just when it appeared the Jayhawks would earn their first winning streak of the season and not suffer any injuries against Iowa State, top singles player Courtney Steinbock severely rolled her right ankle late in her match against Iowa State’s Sabrina Evers.
“It’s tough,” said KU coach Amy Hall, whose 5-10 squad recorded its first back-to-back wins of the season Saturday when it defeated Iowa State 5-2 at Robinson Courts.
That severity of Steinbock’s injury was not known, except that no bones were broken. Whether she will play in Monday’s match against No. 15 Oklahoma was unclear, Hall said.
“Not that everybody relies on her,” Hall said of her senior, who had to withdraw from her match, “but she’s just a huge asset — not only as a player, but a leader.
“When you see your leader go down, it somehow affects your play. It’s good to see them work out their kinks and prevail in the end.”
Prevail seems to be the word that best describes a Jayhawks’ season filled with nagging injuries.
“Everybody’s gone through some sort of injury or something,” said Hall, who is in her first year as KU’s head coach after being a Jayhawk assistant since 1997.
“Either being sick or fighting through some nagging thing.”
Senior Emily Haylock’s right ankle was wrapped tightly Saturday with medical tape. So, too, was Steinbock’s right hand, which she had surgically repaired last summer because of a childhood softball injury.
“It kind of sucks. I’m sad for her,” said Steinbock’s twin sister, Kristen, who also said she was feeling better than 50 percent for the first time in a long time.
One Jayhawk who has been hot this season, but, of course, also hobbled, was sophomore Christine Skoda.
The Big 12 Conference’s reigning player of the week extended her streak of consecutive singles victories to five. Skoda and doubles partner Brittany Brown also improved their win streak to seven with an 8-2 victory in the No. 3 doubles match.
“I’m just feeling a lot more relaxed,” said Skoda, whose serve was hampered by an inflamed elbow early in the season.
“It sucks to have Courtney go down like that,” Skoda said. “But I think as a team we are getting stronger.”
Kansas, which started the season with five consecutive losses against ranked opponents, will try to improve its Big 12 mark to 4-2 at noon Monday against OU.
Courtney Steinbock — who was down several minutes but hopped off the court with assistance and traveled to KU’s training room in a golf cart — summed up the season.
“Another one to the list,” Courtney said, riding off with a slight smile.
