Cats Look to Grow Together on Road Trip
Aug 23, 2022 | Soccer, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
After starting off the season with two home matches in four days, the Kansas State women's soccer team prepares to embark on a key stretch away from Manhattan as the Wildcats will tackle a season-high three straight road matches.
K-State, which followed up a 2-1 loss to Northwestern last Thursday with a 1-1 tie against Northern Colorado on Sunday, will be looking for wins as it travels to UTRGV in Edinburg, Texas, on Thursday, then meets UTSA in San Antonio on Sunday before taking on Weber State in Ogden, Utah, on September 1.
The UTRGV match kicks off Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+. The UTSA match kicks off on Sunday at 12 p.m. and will be available on CUSA.tv.
"It's going to test us for sure," K-State head coach Mike Dibbini said. "It's going to test our character and see who we are."
K-State doesn't have to go too far back to recall a more daunting road stretch. The Wildcats played five consecutive matches away from home last season, one of the longest road swings in program history, as it played Austin Peay (win), North Alabama (win), Denver (loss), Colorado State (win) and Purdue (loss) all away from Buser Family Park.
K-State opened its inaugural season in 2016 with eight straight road matches and finished out the campaign with four more consecutive road contests. The Wildcats recorded three straight road matches in 2017 and 2018 prior to last season's five-match trek away from home.
K-State will seek its first three-game road sweep in program history.
"This is the best team that K-State soccer has had and I'm really excited," senior goalie Rachel Harris said. "We're using all these non-conference games to get ready for conference and it's just one game at a time."
K-State's 12 seniors, five juniors and six sophomores recall the road grind all too well.
"At this point, a lot of us are used to (road matches)," senior defender Kursten von Klahr said. "As much as travel wears on you, it's good to get points on the road. That's what we're looking forward to. We're here to play soccer. Anywhere we're doing it is good. We love it."
K-State, 0-1-1, came mightily close to capturing the season's first victory against Northern Colorado. The Wildcats piled up a 14-2 shot advantage in the first half and then scored in the 52nd minute when freshman Sophie Harlan found sophomore Adah Anderson for a goal into the left corner. However, Northern Colorado, 1-0-1, broke through the K-State defense in the 81st minute to tie the match on one of its three shots on goal.
"We're creating chances, but we have to be able to put those chances away," Dibbini said. "We've got to execute. We have to just continue to figure out ways to gel as a unit in key moments of the game. If we can continue to grow that for longer periods of time — this is why we're playing these games, to prepare for the Big 12."
Nineteen different players saw action for K-State. Ten players recorded a shot and nine recorded a shot on goal.
"We have a lot of depth, which is a great advantage," Anderson said. "We can really go after teams. Having that many players get good looks at the goal is a great thing and it'll help us down the road, especially in Big 12 play."
As for gelling as a unit, well, players believe a good old road trip will only help the bonding process.
"Road trips are always fun," Anderson said. "That's when you bond with your teammates, especially the younger players, so I'm looking forward to it. After last year, I feel like we can do anything. We had five or so straight road games. With this group, we've bonded and we're great friends.
"We'll get through this together."
After starting off the season with two home matches in four days, the Kansas State women's soccer team prepares to embark on a key stretch away from Manhattan as the Wildcats will tackle a season-high three straight road matches.
K-State, which followed up a 2-1 loss to Northwestern last Thursday with a 1-1 tie against Northern Colorado on Sunday, will be looking for wins as it travels to UTRGV in Edinburg, Texas, on Thursday, then meets UTSA in San Antonio on Sunday before taking on Weber State in Ogden, Utah, on September 1.
The UTRGV match kicks off Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+. The UTSA match kicks off on Sunday at 12 p.m. and will be available on CUSA.tv.
"It's going to test us for sure," K-State head coach Mike Dibbini said. "It's going to test our character and see who we are."
K-State doesn't have to go too far back to recall a more daunting road stretch. The Wildcats played five consecutive matches away from home last season, one of the longest road swings in program history, as it played Austin Peay (win), North Alabama (win), Denver (loss), Colorado State (win) and Purdue (loss) all away from Buser Family Park.
K-State opened its inaugural season in 2016 with eight straight road matches and finished out the campaign with four more consecutive road contests. The Wildcats recorded three straight road matches in 2017 and 2018 prior to last season's five-match trek away from home.
K-State will seek its first three-game road sweep in program history.
"This is the best team that K-State soccer has had and I'm really excited," senior goalie Rachel Harris said. "We're using all these non-conference games to get ready for conference and it's just one game at a time."
K-State's 12 seniors, five juniors and six sophomores recall the road grind all too well.
"At this point, a lot of us are used to (road matches)," senior defender Kursten von Klahr said. "As much as travel wears on you, it's good to get points on the road. That's what we're looking forward to. We're here to play soccer. Anywhere we're doing it is good. We love it."
K-State, 0-1-1, came mightily close to capturing the season's first victory against Northern Colorado. The Wildcats piled up a 14-2 shot advantage in the first half and then scored in the 52nd minute when freshman Sophie Harlan found sophomore Adah Anderson for a goal into the left corner. However, Northern Colorado, 1-0-1, broke through the K-State defense in the 81st minute to tie the match on one of its three shots on goal.
"We're creating chances, but we have to be able to put those chances away," Dibbini said. "We've got to execute. We have to just continue to figure out ways to gel as a unit in key moments of the game. If we can continue to grow that for longer periods of time — this is why we're playing these games, to prepare for the Big 12."
Nineteen different players saw action for K-State. Ten players recorded a shot and nine recorded a shot on goal.
"We have a lot of depth, which is a great advantage," Anderson said. "We can really go after teams. Having that many players get good looks at the goal is a great thing and it'll help us down the road, especially in Big 12 play."
As for gelling as a unit, well, players believe a good old road trip will only help the bonding process.
"Road trips are always fun," Anderson said. "That's when you bond with your teammates, especially the younger players, so I'm looking forward to it. After last year, I feel like we can do anything. We had five or so straight road games. With this group, we've bonded and we're great friends.
"We'll get through this together."
Players Mentioned
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/ Soccer
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/ Soccer
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/ Soccer
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