MANHATTAN, Kansas (K-State Athletics) – K-State (2-2-2) continues a four-match home stand at Buser Family Park, as the Wildcats host (16) Memphis on Thursday at 7 p.m., and Oral Roberts on Sunday at 6 p.m. For tickets, call (800) 221-CATS or visit kstatesports.com/tickets.
• Thursday’s match is Fraternity and Sorority Night. The highest percentage of fraternity or sorority house members in attendance will win a customized K-State foosball table for their house. Thursday’s match will also feature a bucket hat giveaway, as the first 250 K-State students will receive a K-State soccer bucket hat.
• Sunday’s match is a Wildcat Weekend, as fans can purchase a general admission ticket for $5 at the Buser Family Park ticket windows when showing their football game ticket from Saturday’s game against Troy.
• Both matches will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, as Brian Smoller (play-by-play), Oscar Montenegro (analyst) and Hannah Whetstone (sideline) will be on the call.
Last Time Out
• K-State dropped its first two matches of the season, falling 1-0 at Vanderbilt to end the month of August. The Wildcats opened September with a 4-0 loss against Nebraska.
• K-State’s 2-1-2 record in Aigust marked the fourth time the Wildcats have finished the opening month of the season with a .500 or better record.
• In its second ever match against an SEC opponent, K-State saw its school record streak for consecutive shutout minutes end at 416:44.
• The Commodores scored on a penalty kick in the 67th minute. K-State opponents are 11-of-14 on penalty kicks.
• Nebraska registered four goals in the first half, the third time K-State has allowed four goals in an opening half.
• The Wildcats have been held without a goal in its last three matches, which is an active streak of of game time of 320:50.
Dibbini In Eighth Season at K-State
• K-State announced the formation of its women’s soccer program on Oct. 12, 2014. With the task of building a program from the ground up, K-State announced on Dec. 26, 2014, that Mike Dibbini would be the first head coach in program history.
• Dibbini is in his eighth season with the Wildcats. He owns a 299-154-48 (.645) career mark, including a 34-76-17 (.335) mark at K-State.
• Prior to coming to K-State, Dibbini spent eight seasons at Kansas Wesleyan (NAIA) and two seasons at Cal Poly Pomona (NCAA D-II).
Purple Pitch
• K-State has played 59 home matches in its 127-game history, but have felt more comfortable at Buser Family Park.
• The Wildcats are 19-34-6 (.373) at home, including a school record four-match home field winning streak and a five-match unbeaten streak which spanned the end of the 2016 home schedule and the start of the 2017 home slate.
• In the 59 home matches, the Wildcats have been outscored by its opponents, 77-59 (-18).
• Overall in matches played within the Sunflower State, Kansas State owns a record of 21-35-7 (.389).
K-State vs. Ranked Foes
• Kansas State has played 20 matches in its brief history against United Soccer Coaches ranked opponents.
• The Wildcats are 0-17-3 against ranked opponents. K-State secured its first road draw at a ranked opponent, registering a 0-0 draw at 18th-ranked Northwestern on Aug. 20, 2023. The road draw snapped a nine-match road losing streak to ranked foes.
• Kansas State has played four ranked opponents in a season twice (2018 and 2019).
• K-State has faced eight opponents ranked among the top-10 in the United Soccer Coaches poll: (9, West Virginia, Sept. 29, 2017; 9, Texas, Oct. 15, 2017; 9, Santa Clara, Aug. 30, 2018; 7, BYU, Sept. 21, 2019; 6, Kansas, Oct. 2, 2020; 5, TCU, Oct. 25, 2020; 9, West Virginia, Oct. 7, 2021; 9, TCU, Sept. 30, 2022).
Shot Prevention is Goal Prevention
• K-State has prevented opponent shots, especially on goal, in the first third of the 2023 season.
• The Wildcats have limited its foes to a combined 13.2 shots per match and just 4.5 shots on goal per game.
• In three of its six matches, K-State has allowed two shots on goal in each of those matches.
• K-State’s 2022 version of the defensive backline was one of the best defensive units in the seven seasons of the program.
• The Wildcats allowed 12.5 shots per game and 5.5 shots on goal per game.
• The 12.5 shots per game were 1.6 shots per game lower than the previous record season of 2021 at 14.1 per game.
• The 5.5 shots on goal allowed per game in the 2022 season were 1.1 less than the previous record low of 6.6 shots on goal allowed per game in 2018.
• K-State’s 1.26 goals against average last season was the second-lowest in program history.
Blank Sheaff
• Sophomore goalkeeper Murphy Sheaff notched a record-setting shutout streak in her brief time as a Wildcat.
• She carded a career-best streak and school record of 416:44 of shutout soccer. This surpassed her previous high of 325:28 last season at Jacksonville.
• Sheaff hauled in five saves at 18th-ranked Northwestern on August 20 to register the first of three straight shutouts.
• The product of Sunshine Coast, Australia, is the second goalkeeper in program history to card a shutout against a ranked opponent, joining Alaina Werremeyer’s 2021 shutout of 23rd-ranked Baylor.
• Her three shutouts this season are tied for the Big 12 lead and ranks 18th in the nation. She is tied for second in school history for shutouts in a sophomore season.
• Sheaff owns eight shutouts in her collegiate career, notching five while a member of Jacksonville last season.
• A season ago, Sheaff led the nation in save percentage (.902) and finished second in the ASUN and 17th in the nation for goals against average (0.60).
Punching the Time Card
• Senior Maddie Weichel and junior Kenzi Gillispie have been mainstays in the K-State lineup during their time in the Little Apple.
• Weichel is ninth in school history for career matches played with 57 appearances. She is tied for eighth in school history for games started with 43.
• Gillispie is also tied with Weichel and two others (Tatum Wagner, 2016-18; Avery Green, 2017-20) for career starts. Gillispie has started 43 consecutive matches since debuting against Weber State on Aug. 19, 2021.
• Both Weichel (3,632:49) and Gillispie (3,617:40) have played over 3,600 minutes in their K-State careers.
- Buy Tickets (vs. Memphis)
- Big 12 Now on ESPN+ (vs. Memphis)
- Live Stats
- Buy Tickets (vs. Oral Roberts)
- Big 12 Now on ESPN+
- K-State notes (pdf)
Thursday, September 7, 2023 | 7 p.m. | Buser Family Park | Manhattan, Kan.
WATCH LIVE
Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Play-by-Play: Brian Smoller
Analyst: Oscar Montenegro
Sideline: Hannah Whetstone
LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com
SERIES HISTORY
First meeting in the series
Last Meeting: –
Last Result: –
Last K-State win: –
K-State vs. AAC: 3-0-0
MATCH #8
Oral Roberts (1-2-3) at K-State (2-2-2)
Sunday, September 10, 2023 | 6 p.m. | Buser Family Park | Manhattan, Kan.
WATCH LIVE
Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Play-by-Play: Brian Smoller
Analyst: Oscar Montenegro
Sideline: Hannah Whetstone
LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com
SERIES HISTORY
K-State leads, 1-0-1
Last Meeting: Aug. 24, 2017 (Tulsa, Okla.)
Last Result: K-State won, 1-0
Last K-State win: Aug. 24, 2017
K-State vs. Summit League: 8-3-3
