PAGE 10
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2012
SOCCER
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Jayhawks getting boost from sophomore star
NICOLE EVANS
nevans@kansan.com
An explosive presence when she joined the team a year ago, sophomore forward Jamie Fletcher has continued to play aggressively and make the number 11 constantly appear in the stat books as she returned for her second year to play for the crimson and blue.
Forward Jamie Fletcher dribbles the ball around a Denver defender.The Jayhawks lost to Denver on Friday night, Sept. 14, in a 0-1 defeat
Trekking to the Midwest from Albuquerque, N.M. Fletcher is wasting no time in creating a presence on the Jayhawk squad. She made a memorable debut by scoring three goals in her first two games. Last year, she not only had the best freshman debout in Kansas history, but Fletcher was awarded Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for her explosive performance.
Fletcher started all 21 games her freshman year, a trend she has carried over into this season. At the end of last season, she tallied up four assists and seven goals, two of which were game winners. She finished fourth amongst her teammates, ending with 18 points on the season. Fletcher is not slowing down this year as she looks to improve upon a terrific start to her career as a Jayhawk.
"Id like to improve on everything," Fletcher said. "I can be quicker, I can be stronger; you can always improve on everything."
Already matching her total number of assists from last season before conference play has even begun, Fletcher has made a brilliant effort in staying involved with any offensive play, whether it is setting
up a teammate or scoring herself. She has amassed eight points on the season so far, with four assists and two goals.
And those numbers will only increase as the season continues to progress. Fletcher has already attempted 32 shots, 12 of which have been on goal. It will only be a matter of time before the ball finds the back of the net, as Fletcher has done so many times before, if she continues to play with her insistent, intense style of play.
"Right now I play center-mid, and personally I like it better [than forward] because I get more of the ball," Fletcher said. "I like playing [offensively] so I can score."
Two weekends ago, Fletcher played a huge role in助着 the Jayhawks to victory. She got the game rolling against Missouri State in the 7th, scoring within the first 10 minutes after tapping in a ball from fellow forward junior Caroline Kastor. Kastor and Fletcher would click for the rest of the weekend, as Kastor would score against both Missouri State and NC State from Fletcher's passes. When the forward duo are in-sync, they are a deadly combination for opponents to face on the pitch.
"I think they will continue to develop their relationship and continue to score," head coach Mark Francis said.
Fletcher starting playing soccer when she was five before switching it up to try and play softball. By the time she was nine, however, she switched back to soccer, a decision that the lajhayws have benefited from many years later. When not
on the pitch or in the classroom, Fletcher is watching documentaries and indie films, a passion that she hopes to turn into a career after she graduates with a major in Film.
"I'd like to be a documentary filmmaker, traveling around
Europe with a backpack and a mophead," said Fletcher.
TYLER ROSTE/KANSAN
While soccer is not part of her post-college plans currently, Fletcher has definitely made a positive impact by playing on the Jayhawk squad with a year and half
already behind her. Still half a season and two more potential years ahead of her, Fletcher has plenty of opportunities to continue scoring and helping her team improve while also bettering her own skills. Her next chance to utilize her
talents will be this Friday at 5 p.m., as the Jayhawks host conference rival Oklahoma State here in Lawrence.
Edited by Sarah McCabe
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Forward Courtney Dickerson attempts to make a shot on the Denver goal. The Jayhawks lost 0-1 to Denver on Friday night.
Soccer team prepares for league play
NICOLE EVANS
nevans@kansan.com
A tough, offensive Denver squad formed up on the pitch last weekend in Lawrence, catching the lajwahys by surprise and ultimately winning the match 1-0. The Pioneers created a very physical, foul-oriented
After being shutout for the first time this season, the Jayhawks hope to redeem themselves this Friday, when conference play finally begins.
Denver has a very similar style of play as Kansas and a strong core in the midfield, so the Jayhawks expected to be more evenly matched against the Denver Pioneers. Kansas was slow to respond during the first half as the Pioneers maintained possession and controlled the tempo of the game by dominating the midfield, scoring the single goal of
atmosphere that Kansas has not been faced with often this season. This brought Kansas' current standings to 6-2-1 on the season.
the match in the 18th minute off a free kick.
Yet Kansas was not an absent presence on the pitch. After allowing a goal off a set piece — something Kansas has struggled with all season — the team increased their level of play, especially during the second half. They created plenty of chances, outshooting the Pioneers 11-1 in the second half, but only managed to send five shots on target. Defending set pieces and capitalizing on opportunities continues to plague the lajawhacks this season.
"We've given up most of our goals on set pieces, but really, we've done a pretty good job defending set pieces. It's really just been a mental or focus breakdown," head
coach Mark Francis said. "However, in the run of play, we're not giving up a lot of goals, and our defensive has improved."
However, the lajayhaws will not allow the unfortunate loss to trip them up, as they are using the game against Denver as a learning tool for the rest of the season. They turn focus toward Oklahoma State, who they play Friday for their first taste of conference play this season.
"The they have a really good goalie, so we're just going to focus on finishing," said senior midfielder/forward Whitney Berry. "Hopefully we can get any little kinks out to improve where we shoot the ball and score."
Oklahoma State carries an
impressive 9-1-0 record into Lawrence, currently riding on a three game winning streak at home. Their only loss came from the University of Oklahoma on the road. Kansas hopes to use their home field advantage to give the Cowgirls their second loss of the season on the road.
"We've got to take advantage that we're at home this weekend," Francis said.
Oklahoma State has been strong defensively this season, with senior goalkeeper Adrianna Frannie earning her fourth shutout of the year against Fresno State last Sunday. Kansas' own goalkeeper, senior Kat Liebetrau, has three shutouts on the season. Last season, the Jayhawks struggled with allowing too many chances and too many goals. They have managed to turn that around this season, allowing their opponents only nine goals from 82 total shot attempts.
The Jayhawks were 3-5-0 last season during conference play. And the last time these two teams battled, Kansas fell short, losing 2-0 at home. Kansas does not plan to let history repeat itself, as the team has a strong chemistry that allows them to take down opponents — if they play at the level they are capable of playing and have displayed many times this season.
"It's really going to come down to individual match-ups," Francis said. "They are very similar to us [in style of play], so it will be key for us to win those individual battles."
After coming off of one-game weekends, both teams should be well-rested going into Friday's game. The Cowgirls will be driven by the desire to extend their current win-streak, while Kansas looks to redeem themselves from last weekend and start conference play with a victory. The game is at lay-hawk Soccer Complex on Friday at 5 p.m.
Edited by Laken Rapier