K-State Honors Seniors in Final Home Match of 2019

Sunday, October 27

Manhattan, Kan.

1 p.m.

Kansas State University

3-12-2, 1-7-0Big 12

West Virginia

9-6-2, 4-3-1Big 12

West Virginia

Kansas State

Oct 27, 2019 | Soccer

Box Score Buser Family Park Ribbon Cutting Senior Day Ceremony Photo Gallery Box Score (pdf)

MANHATTAN, Kansas – K-State officially cut the ribbon on the completion of Buser Family Park in a pregame ceremony and bid an emotional goodbye to the 2019 senior class in a post-match ceremony. In between the festivities of the final home match, K-State held its own with West Virginia, but the Mountaineers came out on top, 3-0.

"We've competed all year, this one was another one of those," said K-State head coach Mike Dibbini about Sunday's result. "I thought we played well enough to win the game. We had some balls sitting on a silver platter for us today to take the lead, tie the lead, you name it. We couldn't convert in those moments and they converted on their moments so, you know, story of our season. We're a very good, competitive team, having a great identity, we're just lacking a little bit of luck and putting the ball in the back of the net to keep us in the matches. I'm proud of these girls, they played hard, they battled hard and we've come a long way."

In the pregame ceremony, Dibbini was joined by K-State director of athletics Gene Taylor, University President Richard Myers and members of the Buser family to cut the ribbon to officially dedicate and signal the completion of Buser Family Park.

For the young program, the facility includes a seating for 1,400 fans, a new locker room, team meeting room, player lounge, training room, offices for the coaching, press level and suite seating.

Senior goalkeeper Emma Malsy was impressed with the newest K-State facility.

"It's been a long, long time coming so to see the girls react and see how it's affected their mentality and just how they approach playing, it's a huge deal for us and this is something that we really, really needed. We're very appreciative of our donors and very thankful that they made this happen for us.""

In the match, K-State (3-12-2, 1-7-0 Big 12) controlled a majority of the first half. The Wildcats outshot the Mountaineers, 8-3, and carded a 3-2 edge in corner kicks.

However, West Virginia (9-6-2, 4-3-1 Big 12) tallied the first goal of the match late in the opening stanza. Aaliyah Scott played a through ball to Gabby Robinson. Robinson took a touch on the right side of the 18-yard box and finished by kissing her shot off the left post.

In the second half, West Virginia notched goals in the 64th and 65th minutes from Enzi Broussard and Jade Gentile, respectively, to give the Mountaineers distance from K-State's pesky offensive attack.

West Virginia finished the afternoon with a 14-13 edge in total shots and an 8-3 lead in shots on goal. The Mountaineers ended the match with a 7-4 lead in corner kicks.

K-State's senior class of Katie Cramer, Laramie Hall, Emma Malsy, Aly Rocha and Ashley Zane were recognized in the post-match ceremony for their contributions to helping build the program over the first four seasons of play. Zane had a chance to reflect on some of her memories after the match.

"Our first win was awesome, we won 6-0, our first one, was really a cool moment. Overall, just the moments with my teammates, I'll just always remember, I'll cherish those memories. Having Laramie Hall as my best friend, she's so awesome and fun and I have so many memories with her and so it'll be cool to keep those with me.""

Kansas State will close out its fourth season of action on Thursday, October 31, at 17th-ranked Texas Tech at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on FOX Sports Southwest. The game will also be available in Manhattan on 101.5 KROCK and for free at kstatesports.com.

What They Said
MIKE DIBBINI, HEAD COACH
Opening Statement…
"We've competed all year, this one was another one of those. I thought we played well enough to win the game, we had some balls sitting on a silver platter for us today to take the lead, tie the lead, you name it. We couldn't convert in those moments and they converted on their moments so, you know, story of our season. We're a very good, competitive team, having a great identity, we're just lacking a little bit of luck and putting the ball in the back of the net to keep us in the matches. I'm proud of these girls, they played hard, they battled hard and we've come a long way."

On the lack of scoring was more on their defense or lack of capitalization…
"I think it came down to us shooting ourselves in the foot a little bit because we had our chances more so than anything else and like I said, they had their chances, they capitalized, we had our chances and we couldn't do it so we've got to be better in those areas and that's something we'll concentrate on."

On being down 1-0 at half…
"I think that the way that we wanted to play wasn't happening as much as it was in the first half because we were going into the wind in the second half so our services weren't quite as sharp. I felt like we still continued to battle, we created chances but it's tough."

ASHLEY ZANE, SENIOR MIDFIELDER
On what stands out in her time at K-State…
"I think just where the program is now, I've gotten to see it build so I think the proudest moment in my point of view is just the culture that we've built and I have full confidence that, yeah I'm leaving, but this program is going to continue to be successful and we're going to start winning and once we figure it out it's going to be awesome. I think that this, the overall culture of it, is building into a positive culture, we're a team now, we're not individuals so it's been cool to see that grow."

On her memories from the first season…
"Our first win was awesome, we won 6-0, this game, our first one, was really a cool moment. Overall, just the moments with my teammates, I'll just always remember, I'll cherish those memories. Having Laramie Hall as my best friend, she's so awesome and fun and I have so many memories with her and so it'll be cool to keep those with me."

On what made her want to come to K-State…
"I visited other schools but just the culture on campus, the coaching staff was so friendly, welcoming, and I knew right away on my visit that I was coming here over the other schools and just the fact that I got to start a new program was something that grabbed my attention. The coaches are awesome, they really made it happen for me."

KATIE CRAMER, SENIOR FORWARD
On what made it hard to score this match…
"Definitely not their defense, just us not capitalizing, we set ourselves up to score, I know I had probably five good chances where I could have put it in the back of the net and I didn't and I know other girls feel the same way. It's just the execution piece and, honestly, I think the big part for us this year was getting to the part where we can execute, then I think next year, the piece is going to be putting it in the back of the net and completing our arsenal and just winning a lot of games. I'm excited to watch the games in the future."

On how much this last game meant to her…
"It meant a lot just knowing that we started here, we started the program, our team has been so awesome and this whole year was not just about seniors on this day because it's our last day but all year has been like we want to work for you guys. They're incredible people and incredible teammates and I just wouldn't trade anything in the world even knowing the result."

On memories that stand out from her first season…
"The first season memories were not great memories. It was kind of like you're out for yourself and you're just trying to survive. That makes this year so much more special because it's not that way at all, we have a culture here and we have each other, we love each other. It's been worth it."

On what made her want to come to K-State…
"Just the atmosphere and even beyond athletics, when I came on my visit here it was, 'welcome to K-State, how can we help you?' You just really feel like you're at home and I know that's kind of cliche to say but it's true and I know that whenever the recruits get here in Manhattan, they're going to know exactly what I'm talking about. It's just a very special atmosphere."

LARAMIE HALL, SENIOR MIDFIELDER
On what made it so hard to score in this match…
"Honestly, I think it was just execution because we got in the right positions, we got really close, it's not like we couldn't break lines so I think that the biggest part was just executing the final chances because honestly I think first half we out shot them 8-2 or something like that so, yeah, it's just execution."

On what how much the support meant to her when coming in to K-State her first year…
"Honestly, I think it's meant everything to me, like, there's this new word called clout, and I don't know if you know what that means, but people typically do it for the clout. But we did not, because we didn't have anything and we just grinded through it and so I think it means a lot because there's a lot of emotion and just a lot of raw effort, dedication, and time put into where we are now."

On what made her want to come to K-State…
"I think that it was just a cool idea that I could be the start of something and that I could help build something from the ground up and so honestly that just was really appealing to me and that's why I chose it, and the coaching staff is awesome."

ALY ROCHA, SENIOR DEFENDER
On what made it hard to score in this match…
"I feel like it's just us not capitalizing on our chances. Their defense was definitely there but I think we definitely could have put a little more effort into it going in there."

On what this program means to her…
"It's really just from starting from scratch, from building from the ground up and I think it's just been one of the best four years coming into experience everything literally from scratch, building from the ground up and just seeing how big this program's going to be going into the future."

On what made her come to K-State…
"Mostly (Assistant Coach) Gabe (Romo). He was just pushing it like 'Just come give it a try!' and I'm like 'it's in Kansas and I'm all the way from California.' and he's like 'I know, I'm from there too but still.' I think he really just pushed me to try out a new experience and I definitely needed to grow up a little bit coming out of there."

EMMA MALSY, SENIOR GOALKEEPER
On how the two goals in the second half happened…
"I think that going into the half, our goal was to not concede anything so definitely giving up a goal in the last five minutes of the half kind of shifted momentum in their favor. I think that the final nail in the coffin for us kind of came with the second goal, she was kind of to my left side and she got a free look on goal basically and we didn't step fast enough to close it down and she just picked out that top right corner for me. It was a very good shot and something that's very hard to save and you save it by luck basically. Then with the third goal, she was at the right place at the right time with the clinical finish. It was just something that I think went in their favor and they capitalized on the chances they got."

On being down by only one at halftime…
"We came together in the locker room and we kind of said this can either go one of two ways we can either come back, like we did against Iowa where we won down 1-0 at the half and we ended up coming back and winning 2-1 so that was definitely our mentality heading into the second half and unfortunately it didn't go that way for us but I think our biggest thing going into the last five minutes, kind of coming together was let's fight, let's fight for one and let's not go down without a fight."

On having new locker rooms…
"It's been a long, long time coming so to see the girls react and see how it's effected their mentality and just how they approach playing, it's a huge deal for us and this is something that we really, really needed so we're very appreciative of our donors and very thankful that they made this happen for us."