Thomas Tallies Game-Winner Over No. 25 Kansas

Lincoln-Freshman forward Molly Thomas found the back of the net in the 106th minute to propel the Nebraska women’s soccer team to a 2-1 overtime upset of No. 25 Kansas at the Nebraska Soccer Field on Friday. The win extended several streaks for the Huskers. NU moves to 13-0 all-time in Big 12 openers and is undefeated in its last six contests this season. Nebraska has a winning record for the first time this year at 5-4-1, while the Jayhawks fall to 6-3-0 and 0-1 in the conference.

 

After exchanging one goal halves, the two teams battled through a scoreless overtime before Thomas earned her first career game-winning goal midway through the second overtime. Senior defender Lindsay Poehling sent a high, long ball over the KU defense where Thomas beat a defender and ran down the ball. After a few dribbles, she sent a low shot to the far corner of the net that Jayhawk goalkeeper Julie Hanley just missed. Thomas is second on the team with nine points on four goals and one assist and leads the team with 68 percent of her shots going on goal.

 

NU made it to the second overtime after several solid saves by senior Brittany Pfeil between the pipes in the first overtime. Pfeil, who made a career high six saves, came up with back-to-back stops on point-blank scoring chances for the Jayhawks. Pfeil stopped a KU breakaway but couldn’t collect the ball before another Kansas player took another shot, which she also stopped. Pfeil improved her record as a starter to 5-1-1.

 

Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Nebraska tied the game in the 70th minute courtesy of junior forward Shay Powell. Sophomore forward Michaella Fulmer took a shot that was blocked directly to Powell, who collected the ball and scored her team-leading sixth goal of the season. Powell has 13 points, while Fulmer earned the assist for her sixth point.

 

Powell led the Huskers in shots with seven, including three on goal, while Thomas and senior forward Aysha Jamani both had four. NU totaled 19 shots to 12 for the Jayhawks, as both teams directed eight shots on net. Nebraska added 10 corner kicks, including nine in the second half, to three for Kansas. Redshirt freshman Katie Goetzmann made her first career start, after sophomore midfielder Anna White was unable to play due to illness.

 

The win is the first double-overtime victory for Nebraska since a 1-0 win over Western Carolina on Sept. 12, 2006 and the first victory over a ranked opponent since a 2-0 win over No. 16 Missouri on Sept. 22, 2006.

 

The Huskers return to the pitch on Sunday for a 1 p.m. showdown with Missouri at the Nebraska Soccer Field.