OU Draws With Kansas in Big 12 Opener

Thursday, September 14

John Crain Field

7 PM CT

University of Oklahoma

4-3-1, 0-0-1

Kansas

3-1-5, 0-0-1

Kansas

Oklahoma

September 14, 2023 | Soccer

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By: OU Athletics Communications

NORMAN – Thursday night's Big 12 opener was a tale of two halves for the Sooners, as Oklahoma earned a point after a 2-2 draw with Kansas at John Crain Field in Norman.

First-half goals from Dani Wolfe and Leonie Weber pushed Oklahoma (4-3-1) in front early, but two goals in the second half from KU equalized the scoreboard.

"I thought that it was a tale of two halves," first-year head coach Matt Mott said. "We came out great and started really well. We created a lot of chances and good opportunities. We were happy to get the two goals, but then we talked at the break about how resilient Kansas is. We ended up giving up two goals and are coming away with just a point, which is disappointing. But overall, I'm happy with the effort and know that we'll get better."

The Sooners were the more dominant team from start to finish, outshooting Kansas (3-1-5) 18-6 (8-2 SOG) and nearly doubling the Jayhawks up from the corner spot in the draw.

The Sooners took the match's first eight shots, with the eighth finding the back of the net when Dani Wolfe corralled a deflection from the KU keeper and put OU on top, 1-0, in the 26th minute. The goal was her third of the season and 16th of her career. It was just the third time this season that the Sooners struck first.

OU was inches away from making it 2-0 after Alexis Washington drew a foul in the box, giving the Sooners a penalty kick from the spot. Wolfe took the penalty for the Sooners, but a diving Melania Pasar kept the Sooners' second goal off the board.

But Oklahoma wouldn't be denied from the spot just minutes later when Michelle Pak took a foul in the 18-yard box in the 37th minute to give the Sooners their second penalty kick in five minutes. This time, Leonie Weber stepped up to take the penalty and beat the keeper to provide OU with a 2-0 advantage that would hold until halftime.

With Kansas throwing their attack into the OU half in the second half, the Sooner backline tried to make necessary adjustments to hold on to the victory, but the Jayhawks found a way to get back in the contest. In the 65th minute, KU's Avery Smith headed a perfect service from Moira Kelley into the back of the net off a set piece. Then, in the 84th minute, Olivia Page found the Jayhawk's equalizer off a corner to tie the game, 2-2.

The Sooners threatened over the final six minutes, with Wolfe firing a shot on goal that required a diving save from Pasar, followed by another late chance from Washington that just missed the target, delivering the 2-2 draw and a conference-opening point to each side.

Oklahoma welcomed 503 students to John Crain Field for the contest, the second-largest student attendance in the program's history and the largest in over a decade.

The Sooners will regroup before traveling to Omaha (2-3-2) for a Sunday afternoon matchup with the Mavericks at 1 p.m. The game, Oklahoma's final non-conference match, will be streamed behind a paywall on the Summit League Network.

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