Sept. 9, 2009

LAWRENCE, Kan. -

Coach Francis Previews Colorado College Invitational

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Following the team's second 5-0 start in as many seasons, the Kansas soccer team will look to keep things rolling at the Colorado College Invitational at Stewart Field in Colorado Springs this weekend. The Jayhawks will face Denver Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m., before facing host Colorado College at 3:30 p.m. CDT on Sunday.

Statistical updates from both matches will be available via Gametracker, which is produced by CBS College Sports. The link for Gametracker is available on the kuathletics.com web site. Colorado College is also providing live video for both contests on their web site (www.cctigers.com) for a $7 subscription fee.

About the Jayhawks

Kansas has won its first five matches of the 2009 season, marking the second-straight year that the team has won five in a row to open the season. Last weekend, KU defeated Long Beach State and Rhode Island by 3-1 scores.

The Jayhawks have featured a very balanced offensive attack as six different players have scored goals, while 10 different Jayhawks have points. Defensively, KU has held its opposition to an 0.60 goals against average and 11.8 shots per match. 

Scouting the Pioneers

Denver enters the match with Kansas at 3-1-1, having split a pair of contests this past weekend. The Pioneers fell to in-state rival Colorado, 1-0, before knocking off Colgate, 1-0, in double overtime. Like the Jayhawks, DU has also been air-tight on defense this season, allowing just three goals in five matches.

The Pioneers' offense is led by senior midfielder Kelli Breidenbach, who scored the game-winning goal in the 103rd minute against Colgate on Sunday. She has two goals and four points this year. Seniors Lizzy Carlson and Mariah Johnston are tied for the team-lead with two assists. In goal, freshman Lara Campbell has been among the nation's best, posting an 0.54 goals against average and a .909 save percentage. She has made 30 saves in 33 chances so far this season.

This marks the first meeting between Kansas and Denver since KU ended the Pioneers' season last year at the NCAA Tournament. This will be the first regular-season meeting between the teams.

Jayhawk-Pioneer Connections

• Kansas goalkeeper Kat Liebetrau and DU's Kaitlin Bast, Lauren Cavarra and Megan Flannery were teammates at Aparahoe High School in Centennial, Colo. Liebetrau was club teammates with DU's Taylor Bailey on Real Colorado.

• Jayhawk senior Estelle Johnson and Denver's Kelli Breidenbach, Emily Davidson, Alison Kenney, Jessie Rogers, Caitlin Rollins and Kalie Vaughn all grew up in Fort Collins, Colo. Johnson was high school teammates with Breidenbach and Kenney at Rocky Mountain High.

• Estelle Johnson is a product of the same club program - Fort Collins Arsenal - as Emily Davidson, Alison Kenney and Jessie Rogers. 

• Kansas senior Kim Boyer grew up in Arvada, Colo., along with DU's Jessi Keller. Boyer and Keller were high school teammates at Ralston Valley High School.

Scouting the Tigers

Colorado College enters the weekend at 2-2 after sweeping a pair of matches the first weekend of the year, and then dropping a pair last weekend at the Washington Invite. The Tigers have scored six goals, but have given up eight this season. CC will face TCU on Friday before taking on the Jayhawks in the final match of the Colorado College Invitational on Sunday.

Junior forward Tiffany Brown leads the Tigers with a goal and three assists this season, while redshirt juniors Kelly Lavoie and Emily Beans have each recorded a pair of goals. In goal, sophomore Caitlyn Hulyo has played all 360 minutes, has a 2.00 goals against average and has made 15 saves in 23 chances.

This will be the first contest between Kansas and Colorado College on the soccer pitch. The Jayhawks are 9-4 all-time against teams from Conference USA. 

Jayhawk-Tiger Connections

• Kansas senior Estelle Johnson and Colorado College junior Lacey Wirt both grew up in Fort Collins, Colo., and played in the same club program, the Fort Collins Arsenal.

• Kansas senior Monica Dolinsky and Colorado College freshman Kaitlin Kirkpatrick both grew up in Carmel, Ind., and were briefly teammates at Carmel HS. Dolinsky was also teammates with CC's Emily Beans on the Indiana ODP team.

• Kansas freshman Logan Reed and Colorado College sophomore Kelsey Wise are both products of the North Texas ODP program.

• Kansas redshirt freshman Kat Liebetrau and Colorado College freshman Hanna Berglund are both products of the Real Colorado club team.

Dolinsky Earns Three Weekly Honors

Senior midfielder Monica Dolinsky was selected Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week as well as to the Soccer America and TopDrawerSoccer.com's National Team of the Week following her performances against Long Beach State and Rhode Island.

Dolinsky, a senior from Carmel, Ind., scored two goals and collected two assists this past weekend, including the game-winning goal against Rhode Island Sunday. The senior midfielder is the third Jayhawk to be honored by the Big 12 this season.

Jayhawks Move Up To No. 13 In Soccer America

Following its 5-0 start, the Kansas soccer team finds itself ranked 13th in this week's Soccer America poll. The No. 13 ranking is the highest for the Jayhawks since Nov. 9, 2004, when the team was also ranked No. 13 in the Soccer Times poll.

KU defeated Long Beach State and Rhode Island by 3-1 scores over the weekend at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex to start 5-0 for the second consecutive season. This marks the third time in team history that the Jayhawks have won at least five-straight matches to open the season.

Cressy Comes Alive

Sophomore forward Emily Cressy has again gotten off to a fast start this season. The 5-foot-4 forward has scored three goals in KU's last four matches to give her the team lead. Fast starts are nothing new to Cressy, who scored five goals and recorded 11 points in KU's first seven contests last season.

She became the second-fastest Jayhawk to collect 10 goals in her career, reaching that total in her 26th career match.

Corner Kicks

• Kansas will face non-conference foes Denver and Colorado College as part of the Colorado College Invitational this weekend. This will be KU's second invitational tournament this season, after winning two games at the Lady Vol Invite Aug. 28-30.

• One reason for KU's NCAA Tournament berth last season was due to its record against non-conference opponents. Dating back to the 2007 season, the Jayhawks are 14-4 in their last 18 regular season contests against competition outside of the Big 12.

• The Jayhawks are off to a 5-0 start, which marks the third time in team history that KU has won at least five-straight to open the season. In the other two seasons where KU got off to a 5-0 start (2004 and 2008), the Jayhawks qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

• Kansas midfielder Monica Dolinsky recorded two assists over the weekend, moving her within one of Caroline Smith's team record 24 career assists.

• Kansas freshman Shelby Williamson scored her first collegiate goal against Rhode Island Sunday. Williamson became the sixth different Jayhawk to score a goal this season.

• Sophomore Jordyn Perdue, who saw her first action of the 2009 season Sunday, made the most of her second-half stint. The second-year midfielder collected an assist on Emily Cressy's 88th minute goal, which was Perdue's first collegiate point. Two other Jayhawks, senior Julie Hanley and junior Kaitlyn Cunningham, also saw their first action of the season this past weekend.

• The Jayhawks defeated Arizona State on Aug. 30 with an own goal that was deflected in off a Sun Devil defender. It marks the first own goal that KU has scored since a 1997 meeting with Iowa on Oct. 26.

• Kansas was whistled for a team-record eight offsides against Rhode Island on Sunday. This was two more than KU's previous high, which was six against Oklahoma State in 1998.

Up Next
Kansas will host the Jayhawk Invitational next weekend, facing non-conference foes No. 21 San Diego and South Dakota State in the team’s final non-league matches at home. KU will take on the Torreros at 5 p.m. Friday, before facing the Jackrabbits at 1 p.m., Sunday.