After a rough game against the Denver Pioneers on Thursday, the Kansas State soccer team (4-2-0) rebounded against Colorado State (0-2-2) on Sunday afternoon with a 4-0 victory.
The Wildcats were aggressive from the opening whistle, paying off in the 11th minute of the game when junior forward Marisa Weichel took advantage of some sloppy CSU defending. She stole the ball from a defender and put it in the back of the net to give K-State an early 1-0 lead.
K-State’s aggression earned them three corners in the first half. In the 37th minute, another opportunity presented itself for the Cats when freshman midfielder Katy Coffin crossed in a beautiful pass to the middle of the box.
On the receiving end of the pass was sophomore midfielder Caylee Thornhill, who headed the ball into the top right corner of the Ram’s goal for her first career goal at K-State.
Caylee Thornhill out here making #SCTop10 goals
⚽️ @caylee_thill#KStateSOC x #RiseWithUS21 pic.twitter.com/Uv23YcIynQ
— K-State Soccer (@KStateSOC) September 5, 2021
K-State head coach Mike Dibbini was pleased with the set pieces from the team so far this season.
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“A lot of things go into the set-piece goals and we have players in the box that are able to get their head on the ball and not only win the first and second ball but today just shows how dangerous they can be in finishing real chances,” Dibbini said to K-State Athletics. “When they work on our set pieces, the right way, good things can happen and it was a really nice service by Katy Coffin and a really nice finish from [Caylee] Thornhill.”
The Wildcats kept applying pressure, paying off right before halftime when junior midfielder Roo Yarnell-Williams found freshman forward Riley Baker on the left side of the field. Baker used some fancy footwork to pass a defender and squeezed out a shot between two more to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead going into the break. This also marked the first career goal for Baker.
The relentless attack continued after the half. In the 60th minute, freshman defender Kenzi Gillispie had a great through ball downfield to Marisa Weichel, who managed to beat the goalkeeper to secure her second goal of the day.
Marisa Weichel now has four goals on the season in six games as a Wildcat. She’s on pace to break super-senior midfielder Brookelynn Entz’s record of seven in one season, set back in 2020.
On the defensive end of the pitch, sophomore goalkeeper Peyton Pearson made her third start of the season, recording her third shutout. Pearson has not allowed a goal for 270 minutes of gameplay.
Good work today
🎙 @CoachDibbini#KStateSOC x #RiseWithUS21 pic.twitter.com/oYCKViPs2z
— K-State Soccer (@KStateSOC) September 5, 2021
After winning four of their last five games, the Wildcats conclude their road trip traveling to Lafayette, Indiana, on Thursday to face Purdue. The match kicks off at 6 P.M. CDT and will stream online on the Big Ten Network Plus. The action will also be relayed through the K-State soccer Twitter account @KStateSOC.
