THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2014
PAGE 7B
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No.11 Kansas soccer to face third-place Texas
LIZ KUHLMANN
@LizKuhlmannUDK
with the momentum of two hard fought wins this past weekend, No.11 Kansas women's soccer will journey to Texas for the last time during this regular season to take on the Longhorns on Friday at 7 p.m.
The Jayhawks have now surpassed yet another historic program landmark as they broke the previous home-game winning streak record of nine wins. With two wins this past weekend, the active streak is now at 11.
"We're pretty confident right now, but we're trying not to get ahead of ourselves," midfielder and forward Jamie Fletcher said.
This confidence will carry the Jayhawks to one of their
toughest games of the season against Texas, a team currently ranked third in the Big 12. Coming off a 1-0 win over Iowa State on Friday, the Longhorns are 7-4-2 overall and 2-1 in the conference. The team averages 1.62 goals per game and 16.2 shots per game, only allowing .85 and 12.4 respectively from their opponents. Both Fletcher and coach Mark Francis have predicted a tough game with a great atmosphere.
nent.
"We've never played there at night in my three years," Fletcher said. "It should be a great atmosphere. Texas is a really good team, so we have to stay confident but not complacent."
Francis said, despite tough competition, if the Jayhawks play as they have been playing, the team should have no problem competing with any oppo-
"In these conference games, it's always close, you know?" Francis said. "You look at the results of the conference so far and kind of everybody is beating everybody so it just comes down to that day, that time and that game where you have to perform and execute better than the other team."
"We're pretty confident right now, but we're trying not to get ahead of ourselves."
Success this weekend comes from proper preparation and
recovery this week, Fletcher said. The team has to have a tougher mentality when they travel onto a foreign pitch.
JAMIE FLETCHER Midfielder and forward
"You have to try and have the same mentality as a home game," Fletcher said. "You're a little bit more uncomfortable because you're sleeping in a hotel and you're traveling a lot, but you have to let that not affect you in any way and have the same mindset as a home game."
Francis said he is looking forward to hopefully adding another win to the record sheet and playing good competition this weekend.
"When you're a coach or a player, you want to play against good teams," Francis said. "This is an opportunity Friday for us to do that and see where we are at."
Edited by Jordan Fox
AARON GROENE/KANSAN
Freshman forward Eli Mayr looks to score against Missouri State in Lawrence on Sunday. Kansas won 2-1.
Big 12 Soccer Power Rankings: Kansas vaults to first
BEN CARROLL
@BCarroll91
1. KANSAS (3-0, 13-1)
For the Jayhawks, the defense has been solidified during the course of the season, allowing just seven goals in 14 games. The offense, led by junior midfielder Liana Salazar and her conference-leading nine goals, has been a force. Ten different players have been able to net goals this season for the Jayhawks. They remain undefeated at home and have lost just one game all season, which is the highest winning percentage in the nation.
2. OKLAHOMA (2-0, 8-3-2)
The Sooners are the only other team besides Kansas still undefeated and without a tie in the Big 12, which is why
they get the number two spot. They have three loses, one of which came to No. 2 Florida State. The Sooners have some impressive wins on their résume. They have defeated No. 5 Florida and beat No. 15 Texas Tech last Friday.
3. WEST VIRGINIA (1-0-1,
8-2-2)
WVU used to be ranked ahead of all Big 12 teams at No. 14, but have since fallen down to No. 17. After losing two of the first three games at the start of the season, West Virginia has put together a winning streak against tough opponents. The Mountaineers have defeated a versatile Texas team but lost to TCU, a team Kansas has defeated, so they rank third.
4. TEXAS (2-1, 7-4-2)
4. TEXAS (2-1, 7-4-2)
Although the Longhorns sit in third place in the Big 12, they get the fourth spot in the Power Rankings because of a conference loss. Nonconference losses to teams such as South Florida (7-5-1) and No. 18 Central Florida (11-2) should have been won. Texas ranks outside the top 25 and ranks fifth in the Big 12 in goals per game.
5. OKLAHOMA STATE (1-1-1,
6-7-1)
Oklahoma State had arguably one of the toughest nonconference schedules, which is why they aren't ranked closer to the bottom with that below average winning percentage. The Cowgirls lost to Florida State and Florida, who are currently ranked No.
2 and 5, respectively, and also to Arkansas and No.19 Arizona State.
6. BAYLOR (1-1-1, 7-4-2)
B. BATLON (1-7-1, 7-4-2)
The only reason Baylor isn't ranked ahead of Oklahoma State is because its strength of schedule isn't nearly as high. Baylor has played quality soccer this season and has a potent style of play, which makes it hard for the opponent to play its game. But since the Lady Bears rank in the middle of the pack in nearly every single offensive and defensive category. The only category the team ranks first in is shutouts, which it shares with Kansas. Baylor sits in fifth place in the Big 12 standings.
7. TEXAS TECH (0-2-1, 10-2-1)
Before conference play began, the Red Raiders looked like the team to beat in the Big 12, sweeping nonconference play and ranking inside the top 10 at number nine. They had important wins against No. 14 Notre Dame and No. 22 California during that time. Since conference play began, TTU is winless. Losses to Oklahoma and Texas and a tie against Oklahoma State have the Red Raiders dropping out of contention fast, but still rank higher than all Big 12 teams except Kansas.
8. TEXAS CHRISTIAN
UNIVERSITY (0-1-2, 7-4-2)
TCU had a strong nonconference start to the season, going 7-3 in those ten games, but are since winless in the Big 12. Missouri and Washington State are the only
games the Horned Frogs have played against teams ranked higher than them, and they lost both. TCU needs to start winning key games in the Big 12 against powerful opponents to have any hope in making up lost ground in the standings.
9: IOWA STATE (0-4, 6-8)
The last-place decision is a no-brainer because the Cyclones have the worst conference and overall record in the Big 12. ISU ranks in the bottom three of all the team categories except for three and only have 18 goals in the team's 14 games.The Cyclones have no real shot at winning the conference title this season.
Edited by Lyndsey Havens