photo by: Kansas Athletics

Kansas midfielder Jillian Gregorski jockeys for position during the exhibition against Arkansas on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Fayetteville, Ark.

It was a night of firsts for the Kansas soccer team on Thursday, as freshmen Jillian Gregorski and Shea Ryan each scored in their collegiate debut and the Jayhawks took down South Dakota State 2-1 in the season opener under new coach Nate Lie.

KU goalie Sophie Dawe stopped all four shots on target from the run of play as the Jackrabbits scored their lone tally on a free kick by Laney Murdzek in the 20th minute. Shortly afterward, Gregorski, who signed with KU shortly after Lie’s hiring, brought KU level by sliding to knock in a low cross from Lexi Watts that had redirected off Ryan and had drawn SDSU keeper Stephanie Leckwold out to the far post.

“I think it calmed us down and I think it instilled some belief,” Lie said of the opening goal in a press release. “We had some players come up big and score scrappy goals… I don’t think it’s a coincidence that two freshmen found the back of the net because they have been doing it all preseason.”

After a short lightning delay, Ryan, a late-summer addition to the roster, scored the eventual game-winning goal in the 35th minute. Emika Kawagishi lofted a ball into the box for Gregorski that bounced away at an odd angle, allowing Ryan to poke it in past Leckwold.

Ryan and Gregorski ended up with reciprocal assists on each other’s goals.

“I came into this game and I had a different role,” Gregorski said in the release. “I wanted to be an attacking threat and I wanted to help do my part to help this team succeed.”

The two teams played a scoreless second half, as Emma Knack replaced Leckwold in goal and recorded one save in 45 minutes. Murdzek and Watts each had a team-high four shots on the night.

In all, 21 players saw action for the Jayhawks, with defenders Caroline Castans and Brooke Otto playing the full 90 minutes on Lie’s high-pressure back line. SDSU outshot KU 13-12, but despite having six corner kicks to KU’s zero actually managed fewer overall shots on target. The Jayhawks also committed 13 fouls on the night.

SDSU had made the NCAA Tournament last season and won 56 of its last 69 games at home prior to Thursday, but the Jayhawks moved to 6-0-1 all time against the Jackrabbits.

“That is a very, very good team,” Lie said. “We just got done talking as a staff, and they’re going to win a lot of games. I think they taught us a few lessons on the field tonight.”

KU will continue its season-opening road trip at Drake on Sunday at 1 p.m.

“I think we came in hungry,” Ryan said in the release. “We all wanted it more than we could imagine and I know we’re going to come out on Sunday even harder. I had a blast out there and I think we all did.”