SE: First Soccer Sunflower Showdown Filled with Reunions, In-State Talent
Oct 06, 2017 | Soccer, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Ashley Zane will play against one of her best friends. Morgan Mauck will defend against a school she grew up rooting for. Jessica Smith will coach against her alma mater.
These are just a few of the storylines leading into K-State soccer's first Sunflower Showdown with Kansas in Lawrence on Friday at 7 p.m. Simply put, Friday's match has some added significance to it.
"It does mean a little more," said Zane, a sophomore from Wichita who grew up with the Jayhawks' sophomore forward Katie McClure, tied for second on the team with eight points (three goals, two assists) this season. "We grew up playing together since we were four years old. Our moms went to high school together and they did sports together.
"I think it will be fun to get out to KU and have the first Sunflower Showdown. It'll be a good competitive match."
Mauck, a junior midfielder, was raised a Jayhawk fan but converted to purple once the soccer program was started at K-State, where she could pursue her dream of becoming a veterinarian while also playing soccer.
"Obviously I'm a huge K-Stater now," Mauck said. "I'm just so ready to play them."
Smith, now an assistant coach for the Wildcats, played four seasons and scored 16 career goals for Kansas from 2002-05 under current head coach Mark Francis. She returned to the Jayhawks in 2009 as a volunteer assistant. She was bumped up to an assistant role in 2011, staying until she joined the Wildcats' new program in 2015.
"It's going to be fun to go back and play against (Francis) and actually coach against him for the first time. He's going to have the team organized and playing a good style of soccer, so we've got to be ready to counter that," Smith said. "Having a rivalry game, I think it's just so good for the ladies on both sides of the field. It's fun to have something to play for."
While K-State (5-6-1, 0-3-0) is playing for its first Big 12 victory, the Wildcats are also competing for in-state bragging rights that could carry into recruiting battles. Kansas may not be known, at least nationally, as a hotbed for soccer talent, but Friday's Sunflower Showdown at Rock Chalk Park will display plenty of it.
"We've done a nice job of identifying as a coaching staff and trying to recruit the best and most talented Kansas kids, first and foremost, because that's kind of the K-State model," said K-State head coach Mike Dibbini, whose team is coming off a hard-fought 1-0 loss to No. 9 West Virginia. "We're doing a good job of identifying and we're trying to win the state battle for those kids."
Of K-State's 42 points this season, half of them have come from six different in-state players. Even more, Kansas-born players have scored eight of the Wildcats' 13 goals in 2017.
"I do feel like we do not get enough credit for our talent," Mauck said of the state's soccer base. "We have big teams in Kansas and a lot of talent comes out of Kansas, so I do feel like we don't get enough credit and we should get more, but we are competitors as Kansas athletes."
Brookelynn Entz, a freshman out of Newton, leads K-State with seven points. Mauck, from Overland Park, ranks third on the team with five points, while Katie Cramer, who played at Wichita Northwest, has contributed four points.
"There's a lot of Kansas players that are definitely going to be recognized in these next couple of years," added Zane, who has one goal this season. "It's been fun growing up with the Kansas players. It's been very competitive in Kansas and there's a lot of good players."
For the Jayhawks (6-5-2, 1-1-1), in-state products have tallied 23 of their 52 points (44 percent) this season. Both Grace Hagan, a junior forward from Wichita with five goals and three assists, and McClure, also from Wichita, highlight the Jayhawks' local talent.
"Those are two great players that we're going to have to watch out for," said Zane, who has also played club soccer with Hagan, a 2016 First Team All-Big 12 selection. "She's an awesome player, super good to play with, connects well everywhere on the field, just tons of energy."
Before K-State started its program, Kansas stood alone as the only Power Five school in the state with women's soccer. Zane and Mauck agreed that having another major program in the state will only help to display more of the talent embedded within it.
"With the opening up of the soccer program here, it opens up so many doors for female athletes in Kansas," Mauck said. "I think that's really great."
"It's great for the state, getting Kansas players to K-State and KU," added Zane. "That's awesome and I think it'll continue."
Friday's match will be broadcast by Spectrum Sports and streamed on ESPN3. It will also be available on 101.5 KROCK in Manhattan and kstatesports.com.
Ashley Zane will play against one of her best friends. Morgan Mauck will defend against a school she grew up rooting for. Jessica Smith will coach against her alma mater.
These are just a few of the storylines leading into K-State soccer's first Sunflower Showdown with Kansas in Lawrence on Friday at 7 p.m. Simply put, Friday's match has some added significance to it.
"It does mean a little more," said Zane, a sophomore from Wichita who grew up with the Jayhawks' sophomore forward Katie McClure, tied for second on the team with eight points (three goals, two assists) this season. "We grew up playing together since we were four years old. Our moms went to high school together and they did sports together.
"I think it will be fun to get out to KU and have the first Sunflower Showdown. It'll be a good competitive match."
Mauck, a junior midfielder, was raised a Jayhawk fan but converted to purple once the soccer program was started at K-State, where she could pursue her dream of becoming a veterinarian while also playing soccer.
"Obviously I'm a huge K-Stater now," Mauck said. "I'm just so ready to play them."
Smith, now an assistant coach for the Wildcats, played four seasons and scored 16 career goals for Kansas from 2002-05 under current head coach Mark Francis. She returned to the Jayhawks in 2009 as a volunteer assistant. She was bumped up to an assistant role in 2011, staying until she joined the Wildcats' new program in 2015.
"It's going to be fun to go back and play against (Francis) and actually coach against him for the first time. He's going to have the team organized and playing a good style of soccer, so we've got to be ready to counter that," Smith said. "Having a rivalry game, I think it's just so good for the ladies on both sides of the field. It's fun to have something to play for."
While K-State (5-6-1, 0-3-0) is playing for its first Big 12 victory, the Wildcats are also competing for in-state bragging rights that could carry into recruiting battles. Kansas may not be known, at least nationally, as a hotbed for soccer talent, but Friday's Sunflower Showdown at Rock Chalk Park will display plenty of it.
"We've done a nice job of identifying as a coaching staff and trying to recruit the best and most talented Kansas kids, first and foremost, because that's kind of the K-State model," said K-State head coach Mike Dibbini, whose team is coming off a hard-fought 1-0 loss to No. 9 West Virginia. "We're doing a good job of identifying and we're trying to win the state battle for those kids."
Of K-State's 42 points this season, half of them have come from six different in-state players. Even more, Kansas-born players have scored eight of the Wildcats' 13 goals in 2017.
"I do feel like we do not get enough credit for our talent," Mauck said of the state's soccer base. "We have big teams in Kansas and a lot of talent comes out of Kansas, so I do feel like we don't get enough credit and we should get more, but we are competitors as Kansas athletes."
Brookelynn Entz, a freshman out of Newton, leads K-State with seven points. Mauck, from Overland Park, ranks third on the team with five points, while Katie Cramer, who played at Wichita Northwest, has contributed four points.
"There's a lot of Kansas players that are definitely going to be recognized in these next couple of years," added Zane, who has one goal this season. "It's been fun growing up with the Kansas players. It's been very competitive in Kansas and there's a lot of good players."
For the Jayhawks (6-5-2, 1-1-1), in-state products have tallied 23 of their 52 points (44 percent) this season. Both Grace Hagan, a junior forward from Wichita with five goals and three assists, and McClure, also from Wichita, highlight the Jayhawks' local talent.
"Those are two great players that we're going to have to watch out for," said Zane, who has also played club soccer with Hagan, a 2016 First Team All-Big 12 selection. "She's an awesome player, super good to play with, connects well everywhere on the field, just tons of energy."
Before K-State started its program, Kansas stood alone as the only Power Five school in the state with women's soccer. Zane and Mauck agreed that having another major program in the state will only help to display more of the talent embedded within it.
"With the opening up of the soccer program here, it opens up so many doors for female athletes in Kansas," Mauck said. "I think that's really great."
"It's great for the state, getting Kansas players to K-State and KU," added Zane. "That's awesome and I think it'll continue."
Friday's match will be broadcast by Spectrum Sports and streamed on ESPN3. It will also be available on 101.5 KROCK in Manhattan and kstatesports.com.
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