Missouri beats Kansas 3-1 to advance in NCAA women’s soccer tournament

Even before the NCAA women’s soccer selection show, Missouri coach Bryan Blitz and Kansas’ Mark Francis were exchanging texts about the possibility of renewing the rivalry for the first time since Oct. 21, 2011.

Sure enough, the Tigers took their assignment and made the familiar trip back to Lawrence, and they left with a 3-1 victory at Rock Chalk Park on Sunday. It evened the all-time series record at 10-10-1.

“We miss the rivalry in some respects, but it is what it is,” Blitz said. “We can’t stand each other during the 90 minutes, but after that we know how to be gentlemen and move forward.”

Despite struggling much of the season to find the net early, Missouri struck first with a goal from Taylor Grant who tapped in a cross from Reagan Russell at the far post in the third minute. Entering the game, 26 of the Tigers’ 34 goals came after halftime.

“I think that took a little weight off our shoulders,” Grant said. “It was a relief, but it was a push, too, because we knew we had to keep going.”

Kansas had two chances to answer with shots from Shawnee Mission South graduate Ali Kimura and Liana Salazar but both were collected by McKenzie Sauerwein, who finished with seven saves. The defense was stifling for the next 17 minutes as the Tigers held the Jayhawks without a single shot. They took seven in that time and took a 10-to-six shot advantage into halftime.

The Tigers started the second half in virtually the same way with a goal three minutes in from Grant, who scored on an assist from Liberty graduate Kaysie Clark. It was Grant’s ninth goal of the season and the third time this season she scored multiple goals in a game.

The Jayhawks had an answer this time and Salazar cut the lead in half with a goal in the 57th minute, but the Tigers roared back with an unassisted goal from Russell to put the game out of reach in the 66th minute.

“The killer was the third goal,” Francis said. “When we scored ours I thought we had the momentum. I really thought we could come back.”

And with good reason, because this was the just the third time this season that the Jayhawks had allowed more than one goal, and the first time they had allowed three in a game.

Kansas finished the season 15-6-0 after starting with eight consecutive victories.

Missouri improved to 12-6-3 and advanced to the second round where it will face Washington. The Tigers have yet to make it past the second round in three attempts. They were knocked out by the Jayhawks in 2003.

“This is cool getting my last chance to play them with it being such a big rivalry to get those two goals, but getting a goal in any game is big,” Grant said. “The biggest thing is moving along to the next round.”

This story was originally published November 16, 2014 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Missouri beats Kansas 3-1 to advance in NCAA women’s soccer tournament."