Kansas soccer battled for a 1-0 win over Saint Louis on Saturday afternoon at Hermann Stadium in St. Louis. Midfielder Marit McLaughlin scored the game-winning goal in the 86th minute, as the Jayhawks improved to 6-2 on the year and pushed their win streak to three games.
The first half was relatively quiet, as both sides tried to get a feel for one another.
The Jayhawks led the Billikens 5-1 in first-half shots. Kansas forward Jocelyn Herrema was the only player in the first half to have a shot on goal, which was saved by Billikens’ keeper Pepper Escher.
Kansas’ offense came out aggressive to start the second half, picking up two shots on goal within the first six minutes, one by Norah Jacomen and one by Jillian Gregorski, but both were saved by Escher. The Jayhawks ended up tallying five shots within the first 15 minutes of the half, but they still couldn’t find the back of the net.
Saint Louis recorded its first shot on goal in the 80th minute, but a diving save by Kansas keeper Sophie Dawe kept the game scoreless.
The Jayhawks finally broke through in the 86th minute when Herrema headed a cross to McLaughlin in the middle. McLaughlin initially headed the ball off the crossbar, but it bounced right back to her, and she tapped it in with her left foot to give Kansas the lead.
The goal was McLaughlin’s third of the year. Herrema was also credited with the assist, which was also her third of the season.
Kansas outshot Saint Louis 16-3 in the game. Of Kansas’ 16 shots, nine were on goal, compared to Saint Louis’ one.
Despite the loss, Escher recorded an impressive eight saves to keep the Billikens in the game. Her performance helped prevent the Jayhawks from adding to their lead and kept Saint Louis in the game for 90 minutes.
The Jayhawks’ attention now shifts to conference play. Kansas will travel to Cincinnati for its Big 12 opener on Friday, Sept. 18. The match is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
This article was edited by Sports Editor Jacob Webb. If the information in this article needs to be corrected, please contact jwebb7583@ku.edu.