According to a release from K-State Athletics, Kansas State women’s soccer registered an opportune goal in the first half and kept Oral Roberts at arm’s length defensively to record its first win of the 2017 season and end a three-match road trip with a 1-0 decision at Case Soccer Complex on Thursday night. The win was the third road win in program history and the first since Sept. 4, 2016 at Omaha.
Kansas State (1-1-1) took a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute following the Wildcats’ second corner kick of the night. Freshman Hannah Davis played the corner kick deep to sophomore Laramie Hall. Hall lined up a rocket and sent a line drive from 35 yards towards the net.
Oral Roberts (1-2-0) goalkeeper Ryleigh Bohnenstiehl made the initial save but was off balance and was falling into the net. To prevent an own goal, Bohnenstiehl tossed the ball back into play. Junior defender Haley Sutter was the only player near the ball and blasted it from the door step into the open net. The goal was the second of Sutter’s career, while Hall was credited with her first assist of the season and the fourth of her career.
“It was a really great shot (from Hall),” said Sutter about her goal. “I just jumped on the opportunity. I saw the keeper about to fall into the goal and she had to do something with the ball. I just stayed to get the ball at the end of it.”
Head coach Mike Dibbini was pleased with the outcome of the set piece that resulted in the first goal of the season.
“They executed one of our set pieces that we trained them on early on this fall. It is good to score. We played a good team that played really well on their home field tonight. They were dynamic. They are going to surprise a lot of teams. Our girls got the shutout and got the win. We move on from this and we now prepare to play our first home game.”
The goal ended a pair of scoreless streak for Kansas State. The goal ended a 575:09 stretch without a goal, just over six matches. The tally also snapped a 655:38 road scoreless stretch, just over seven matches. Sutter also scored the last road goal before Thursday night, notching her first career goal at Little Rock on Sept. 11, 2016.
In the 64th minute, Oral Roberts threatened to equal the match. The Golden Eagles took a free kick from 23 yards from goal and chipped it over the K-State wall. The ball found the head of Oral Roberts’ Chloe Basnett, who put it on frame. K-State goalkeeper Miranda Larkin deflected the ball from going in, but a second chance by Oral Roberts from in front of the open net was spoiled by the pressure of Morgan Egan as the shot went over the crossbar.
The teams finished the night tied in both shots and shots on goal with 14 and five, respectively. Junior forward Tatum Wagner registered a team-high four shots. The Wildcats held the edge in corner kicks, 7-0.
The shutout was Larkin’s seventh of her K-State career and her second this season. Dibbini was happy to register the team’s second shutout.
“They did a nice job in collecting the shut out. It was a collaborative effort from everybody. You saw the defending start up higher on the field. It was a domino effect with everyone defending. They were very dynamic and we did a good job of containing them and keeping them in front of us. We dodged a couple bullets but they dodged a couple of our bullets as well. We need to continue to do a better job in the final third and in the box.”
Kansas State will return to Manhattan to play the first home contest of the 2017-18 K-State Athletics calendar. The 2017 home opener is on Wednesday, August 30, against Omaha at 7 p.m. Standing room only tickets are available for Wednesday’s match.