BIG 12 CHAMPS!!! Jayhawks take down No. 7 TCU 1-0 in Kansas City

There will be teams seeded higher and there will be teams with more wins, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find any team that’s hotter than Kansas when the NCAA women’s soccer tournament begins.

The Jayhawks officially secured their berth into the NCAA Tournament with a 1-0 win over No. 7 TCU in the Big 12 tournament title match on Saturday night at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

Makayla Merlo scored the game’s lone goal on a penalty kick midway through the second half, and her heroics, along with another stellar game by the KU defense, pushed the Jayhawks to their eighth win in a row and a 13-5-4 overall record heading into the postseason.

Picked to finish in a tie for 12th in the preseason poll, first-year coach Nate Lie has rejuvenated the KU program with a mixture of confidence, tenacity and new talent.

KU outscored its opponents 6-2 in its four wins at the Big 12 tournament, including back-to-back victories over top-20 teams.

The Jayhawks have not lost since falling to Oklahoma State at home on Oct. 5, more than a month ago.

Now, with plenty of celebrating still to do before the next step, the Jayhawks will await to find out where they’re headed in the NCAA Tournament during Monday’s selection show, set for 1 p.m. and streamed online at NCAA.com. All tournament games also will be streamed on NCAA.com.

The first and second rounds will be played Nov. 16 and 17 at sites to be determined.

Here’s a look back at some of the magical moments from Saturday’s Big 12 title game victory.

• Photos by Sarah Buchanan •

— For tickets to all KU athletic events, visit kuathletics.com