The Kansas State soccer team fell 2-1 at home to the Iowa State Cyclones on Friday at the team’s final match of the 2017 season, finishing the season with a 6-11-1 record overall and a 1-8-0 record in the Big 12 conference.
Iowa State scored in the 40th minute when Taylor Wagner snuck a goal through the legs of Wildcat senior goalkeeper Miranda Larkin from 28 yards out.
The Cyclones’ final goal came in the 73rd minute, when Emily Steil nailed a penalty kick to seal the victory. The Cyclones finished the season with a 3-12-3 overall record and a 1-6-2 Big 12 record.
K-State almost tied the match up in the final minute before halftime, but Iowa State narrowly kept sophomore forward Katie Cramer’s shot out of the goal.
The lone Wildcat goal came from freshman midfielder Brookelyn Entz in the 64th minute. Entz converted a penalty kick to tie the match at 1-1. The goal was Entz’s fifth of the season, and she set a new K-State record for career goals.
The Wildcats outshot the Cyclones 21-19, but had one less shot on goal, 5-6. The combined 40 shots from both teams set a new Big 12 record.
The loss ended a tough season for the Wildcats. While they didn’t have a winning season, the squad won one more match than they did last season and got their first ever Big 12 win against the University of Kansas.
Friday also marked K-State’s Senior Night. Seniors Larkin, defender Kelcy Fiser, forward Abby Sieperda, and midfielder Jade Anderson were all honored as they donned their Wildcat uniforms for the last time.
Head soccer coach Mike Dibbini said he was pleased with his team’s first season of Big 12 conference play.
“I think we overachieved and we were a lot more accelerated than people anticipated,” Dibbini said to K-State Sports. “We were picked last because we were new. We managed to stay and compete in every match.”
Dibbini also said he is optimistic about the Wildcats’ future in their next soccer season.
“I think we gained a lot of respect,” Dibbini said to K-State Sports. “We stayed in games and we did not lose by very much when we did. We really challenged our opponents and put them to the test … but I wished we would not have gotten last [in the Big 12] because that is what everybody expected of us. We were really trying to prove everyone wrong, but I feel like we did well in this season overall.”
K-State will return its top two scorers, Entz and junior midfielder Morgan Mauck, next season. A lot of progress was made by the soccer team this season, and fans should be excited to see what 2018 has in store.
