Kansas State University Athletics
Thursday, September 28
Fort Worth, Texas
7 p.m.
Kansas State University
2-7-3, 0-3-1
0
at
2
TCU
7-3-2, 3-0-1
1
2
F
Kansas St.
0
0
0
TCU
1
1
2
K-State Drops Road Match to TCU
Sep 28, 2023 | Soccer
FORT WORTH, Texas – Facing its second straight NCAA RPI top-50 opponent on the road, K-State looked to spring the upset at TCU on Thursday night. The Horned Frogs defended the pitch at Garvey-Rosenthal Stadium with a 2-0 win over the Wildcats.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- K-State (2-7-3, 0-3-1 Big 12) slowed a TCU offense that had scored 12 goals in its last four matches, including five at West Virginia on September 24.
- TCU (7-3-2, 3-0-1), which entered the match ranked 37th in the most recent NCAA RPI, took the lead in the 13th minute. A ball over the top of the K-State defense found Seven Castain on the other end. Castain finished her attempt into the lower right corner for the 1-0 lead.
- The Horned Frogs added an insurance goal in the 78th minute, as Skylar Heinrich finished inside the K-State 18-yard box into the lower left corner.
- TCU outshot K-State, 15-5, including a 6-0 advantage in shots on goal.
QUICK FACTS
- TCU leads the series with K-State, 7-0-0.
- The Wildcats are 8-49-6 in Big 12 matches.
- K-State is 1-4-1 on the road this season.
- Head coach Mike Dibbini owns a career coaching record of 299-159-49. He is 34-81-18 in eight seasons as the only head coach in K-State history.
PLAYER NOTES
- Sophomore goalkeeper Murphy Sheaff registered three saves.
- Senior Maddie Weichel played in her 63rd career match on Thursday. She ranks tied for sixth in school history with Christina Baxter (2017-20; 63) for career matches played.
- With their starts on Thursday, Weichel and junior Kenzi Gillispie are tied for sixth in school history for career starts with 49. Gillispie has started every match of her career and owns the longest active consecutive start streak on the 2023 roster.
- Senior Aliyah El-Naggar made her 44th career start on Thursday. She ranks 10th in school history for career starts.
- Freshman Reece Walrod made her first career start.
FROM THE HEAD COACH
K-State Head Coach Mike Dibbini
On the match as a whole...
"We played a really good team tonight. The thing we wanted to make sure we did tonight was give 100% effort and competed for 90 all minutes, which I felt we did. We just faced a really good team today. They're deep, but we did what we had to do to keep ourselves in the game in the first half. We made some adjustments and they got us again. We just need to regroup and get ready to go on Sunday."
On the execution of the defensive game plan...
"Our focus was making sure that we were not ball-watching. They're a team that likes to get teams ball-watching and that's where they get you. I thought we did a pretty good job in that first half of limiting them to one goal and we knew that they were going to keep coming with their style of play. We just wish we could put one away and give us the momentum in the attack. We can't find that one to open the game. Like I said, overall, we competed. We did everything we could to go toe-to-toe with them, but they ended up with the goals that they needed to separate from us."
On the team's energy and effort in the last two matches...
"I think it starts with our leadership and our group coming in every day and understanding that part of our game has to be brought to the front. And if we do that everything else becomes easier for us to develop. We talk about the X's and O's and that is important, but it is about the intangibles of your effort and your energy which is the most important piece and aspect of this blue collar team that we are. We just need to continue to work hard and keep developing and, hopefully, the ball will fall our way as we keep going forward."
UP NEXT
K-State returns to Buser Family Park on Sunday afternoon, as the Wildcats host Baylor at 1 p.m. Sunday is Junior Wildcat Day, as all Junior Wildcat members can take part in pregame activities and have access to a sundae bar.
Sunday's match will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- K-State (2-7-3, 0-3-1 Big 12) slowed a TCU offense that had scored 12 goals in its last four matches, including five at West Virginia on September 24.
- TCU (7-3-2, 3-0-1), which entered the match ranked 37th in the most recent NCAA RPI, took the lead in the 13th minute. A ball over the top of the K-State defense found Seven Castain on the other end. Castain finished her attempt into the lower right corner for the 1-0 lead.
- The Horned Frogs added an insurance goal in the 78th minute, as Skylar Heinrich finished inside the K-State 18-yard box into the lower left corner.
- TCU outshot K-State, 15-5, including a 6-0 advantage in shots on goal.
QUICK FACTS
- TCU leads the series with K-State, 7-0-0.
- The Wildcats are 8-49-6 in Big 12 matches.
- K-State is 1-4-1 on the road this season.
- Head coach Mike Dibbini owns a career coaching record of 299-159-49. He is 34-81-18 in eight seasons as the only head coach in K-State history.
PLAYER NOTES
- Sophomore goalkeeper Murphy Sheaff registered three saves.
- Senior Maddie Weichel played in her 63rd career match on Thursday. She ranks tied for sixth in school history with Christina Baxter (2017-20; 63) for career matches played.
- With their starts on Thursday, Weichel and junior Kenzi Gillispie are tied for sixth in school history for career starts with 49. Gillispie has started every match of her career and owns the longest active consecutive start streak on the 2023 roster.
- Senior Aliyah El-Naggar made her 44th career start on Thursday. She ranks 10th in school history for career starts.
- Freshman Reece Walrod made her first career start.
FROM THE HEAD COACH
K-State Head Coach Mike Dibbini
On the match as a whole...
"We played a really good team tonight. The thing we wanted to make sure we did tonight was give 100% effort and competed for 90 all minutes, which I felt we did. We just faced a really good team today. They're deep, but we did what we had to do to keep ourselves in the game in the first half. We made some adjustments and they got us again. We just need to regroup and get ready to go on Sunday."
On the execution of the defensive game plan...
"Our focus was making sure that we were not ball-watching. They're a team that likes to get teams ball-watching and that's where they get you. I thought we did a pretty good job in that first half of limiting them to one goal and we knew that they were going to keep coming with their style of play. We just wish we could put one away and give us the momentum in the attack. We can't find that one to open the game. Like I said, overall, we competed. We did everything we could to go toe-to-toe with them, but they ended up with the goals that they needed to separate from us."
On the team's energy and effort in the last two matches...
"I think it starts with our leadership and our group coming in every day and understanding that part of our game has to be brought to the front. And if we do that everything else becomes easier for us to develop. We talk about the X's and O's and that is important, but it is about the intangibles of your effort and your energy which is the most important piece and aspect of this blue collar team that we are. We just need to continue to work hard and keep developing and, hopefully, the ball will fall our way as we keep going forward."
UP NEXT
K-State returns to Buser Family Park on Sunday afternoon, as the Wildcats host Baylor at 1 p.m. Sunday is Junior Wildcat Day, as all Junior Wildcat members can take part in pregame activities and have access to a sundae bar.
Sunday's match will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
Team Stats
KSU
TCU
Goals
0
2
Shots
5
15
Shots on Goal
0
6
Saves
3
0
Corners
1
11
Fouls
12
3
Scoring Plays
Seven Castain (6)
Assisted By: Camryn Lancaster
GOAL by TCU Castain, Seven Assist by Lancaster, Camryn.
12:37
Skylar Heinrich (2)
Assisted By: Gracie Brian
GOAL by TCU Heinrich, Skylar Assist by Brian, Gracie.
77:50
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
2
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
D
/ SoccerD
/ Soccer
GK
/ Soccer
D
/ Soccer
F
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