The goal for KC NWSL is pretty simple: score more goals as season draws near

Sprinting through on goal one-v-one, Brittany Ratcliffe looked Kansas keeper Melania Pasar in the eye and didn’t think twice about slotting the ball past her and into the bottom corner from 15 yards out.

The second-half goal put KC NWSL up 2-0, seemingly out of reach of their collegiate counterparts, but this was a bit of a flash in the pan so far this preseason.

There’s no denying the team has been solid defensively — in three preseason games, Kansas City is yet to concede a goal.

But putting aside a 14-0 victory over semi-pro Orlando FC Royals, KC has produced a slender 1-0 win over Orlando Pride and a 2-0 win over KU Tuesday.

And although Kansas City scored twice against KU, when put into comparison with the team’s shot total being in the high teens it’s not the conversion rate that coach Huw Williams would like to see.

“Getting a shot on target is just not enough,” Williams said Thursday. “Have the composure, have the coolness, just to slot balls home or just find those side settings.”

The ability to score more regularly seems to be the last big piece of the puzzle eluding KC so far this preseason.

There’s no denying the solid job Williams and his staff have done so far. In a short span of time, they’ve taken a team comprised of players who struggled in Utah and some new additions and molded a completely new tactical game plan.

It’s been a process from back to front. Williams wanted to see more from his defense, passing the ball into the midfield and working out from the back. Then he needed to figure out his outside-back options to fit into his game plan of the outside backs joining the attack when in possession.

Against KU, the team focused on pressing certain zones of the field and creating double-teams and transitioning from defense to attack with speed.

All of this seems to be working with great effect so far, but the finish isn’t yet where it needs to be on a regular basis. The service seems to be there for KC — the team created enough chances against KU that even with a 25% conversion rate they should have been expected to score around four goals.

“I think when it comes to finishing you need to be able to take a deep breath,” Ratcliffe said. “Because in front of goal it’s frantic, it’s hectic, the ball is moving so quickly you need to be able to take a deep breath and pick your spot or make the second move to get your shot or make it an even easier shot.”

Ratcliffe also scored three goals in the 14-0 victory over Orlando FC Royals.

The need for more goals is so urgent, with KC now just three weeks out from its Challenge Cup opener against Portland, that this has become Williams’ primary focus.

KC next hosts Kansas State at Swope Soccer Village on Saturday. With the rest of the cogs in the machine moving smoothly, the coach simply wants to see more goals scored against the Wildcats.

“We had a different plan going into K-State — our plan for this game is just to finish,” he said. “We have to have numbers in the box, we have to have a high-quality service into the box, and we have to be finishers rather than just shooters.”

Ratcliffe has already set her target high for Saturday’s game: at least five goals as a team.

“Going into the K-State game, just continue to work what we’re working on,” she said. “Working on finishing, scoring goals.”