When first-year Kansas soccer coach Nate Lie took over the program last spring, he delivered a message to his team that has played a huge role in helping the Jayhawks reach the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament while winning 11 games in the process.
Not bad for a team with a completely new coaching staff and 15 new players on the roster.
“The biggest thing he always tells us is if you’re making a mistake, make it going forward,” all-Big 12 defender Caroline Castans told R1S1 Sports in a sit-down interview two days before the 6th-seeded Jayhawks’ semifinal match against No. 2 seed Texas Tech.
That philosophy pairs perfectly with the Jayhawks’ pressing style of play, which is designed to keep the field tilted toward the opponents’ goal and keep Kansas in attack mode.
While it makes sense for offensive-minded talents like Lexi Watts (9 goals on 76 shots), Jillian Gregorski (8 goals on 34 shots) and Saige Wimes (5 goals on 35 shots) to benefit the most from that, KU’s approach has paid off in a big way for the KU defense, as well.
Few players know that better than Castans, who has scored three goals in just six shots on goal, including what proved to be the game-winner in a Round 1 win over Arizona State last week.
A self-described “defender at heart,” Castans said KU’s style has fit perfectly with the way this team prefers to play, both collectively and as individuals.
“I played forward some in high school, but just being a wing back here gives you more of an opportunity to be in the attack and I’ve just really tried to implement that into my game more and more,” she said. “The past few games we’ve been pressing the teams really well and kept them in their defensive side, so the rest of the team doing their job has allowed me to be on the attack a lot more.”
Her goal against ASU — a rocket from the top of the box to the upper-right side of the net — was so good that, a few days later, during the Jayhawks’ team meeting at Rock Chalk Park before hopping on the bus to head over to Kansas City for their quarterfinal match against West Virginia, Castans was serenaded with a slow-mo loop of the goal set to the popular song “Sweet Caroline.”
“It played for probably 30 seconds,” she said. “I was surprised, but I loved it. It was so nice. And it was fun. It really got everyone excited for the game.”
The aftermath of Caroline Castans' goal against ASU that turned out to be the game-winner. [Chance Parker photos]
It’s not just Castans who has found a home in this new style.
Sophie Dawe, the Jayhawks’ redshirt freshman goalkeeper, who was twice named Big 12 freshman of the week this season, also has made the shift to being a little more offensive-minded.
She hasn’t gone as far as to cross midfield and flat-out join the Jayhawks’ attack. But she has joined the rest of KU’s defenders in pushing up to shrink the field, supporting the high press on the other end and returning the ball into the attacking zone as quickly as it leaves on occasion.
“I trust all of our backs,” said Dawe, who has recorded 38 saves while giving up less than a goal per game in 19 starts this season. “And Caroline has had so many dangerous crosses into the box when she’s up there, so it’s really great to see them pay off and to see her get some shots off, too.”
Dawe became a goalkeeper at an early age, in large part because she was taller than everyone on her team. She loved it, though, and has stuck with it, working hard to improve her game year after year until getting the opportunity to start this season after redshirting a year ago.
“I didn’t know (I was starting) until we sat down before season and talked about it,” she said. “So I was pretty much fighting for my position from the moment (the new coaches) got here. I saw it as kind of a fresh start. It was a little nerve-wracking, but meeting the staff and getting to know them, I feel like they got to know us so well and now it feels like this team has been playing together for years.”
“One big thing that we’ve gone over is sacrifice, so I feel like I’m just another piece of the puzzle and I’m willing to put my body on the line any time,” added Dawe, who recorded eight shutouts this season. “I don’t even think about it anymore. I just go.”
That worked out brilliantly in the quarterfinal win over West Virginia, when her aggressive mindset jump-started the play that wound up being the game winner.
A hockey assist, they call it — from her foot to Wimes’ head to Watts in the scoring area for the golden goal.
“Dangerous.” That’s another word that Lie likes to use when talking to his team about how and when to attack.
“He always says to be dangerous in those situations,” Castans said of her critical goal against the Sun Devils. “If you’re at the top of the box with an open shot, you’re more likely to be dangerous just shooting the ball.”
One of the reasons Castans feels so free to join the attack is her trust in her keeper.
Although the high press and KU’s ball control have both been so good at times that things have become a little boring back there in her area, Dawe has shown the ability to stay locked in throughout the match, even when shots aren’t coming her way.
In the event that the opponents do slip behind the Kansas defense, Castans has total faith in the Jayhawks’ last line of defense.
“Sophie’s amazing at 1-v-1’s with forwards, which is really important,” Castans said. “And it’s really nice to know that if I get beat I’ve got someone amazing behind to save it as well. Her communication and the way she always gives us reassurance is something she does really well.”
All of it has worked flawlessly together to put the Jayhawks in the position they’re currently in, with a lot of “firsts since” filling up the postgame recaps.
• First time playing in a Big 12 semifinal match since 2019
• First 6-game winning streak since 2019
• First season with double digit wins (11) since 2019
On and on it goes.
At this point, the Jayhawks (11-5-4) are comfortable playing at this stage and with these stakes. That makes it easy to focus on doing their jobs and having fun.
“I just think we have so much talent on this team and getting a few wins under our belt, especially these last two games, has given us so much confidence,” Castans said. “We have so much faith that we can go out and give it a good run against anybody.”
Kickoff for tonight's Big 12 semifinal match against 2nd-seeded Texas Tech (XXX) is set 7 p.m. at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
The winner will advance to the title game on Saturday night.
— For tickets to all KU athletic events, visit kuathletics.com
