photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas head coach Nate Lie instructs his players against Texas Tech during the Big 12 tournament at CPKC Stadium on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo.

As much as Kansas soccer accomplished during its run through the Big 12 tournament, the Jayhawks never had to play from behind.

After conceding an early goal to Saint Louis’ Emily Gaebe on Friday night in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, KU had to do just that for 70 minutes.

To their credit, the Jayhawks turned up the heat after an extremely slow start and challenged the Billikens far more than they had during their lackluster early stretch. But SLU held on in much the same way KU had throughout several matches late in its season, and the Jayhawks never found an equalizer. They lost 1-0 at Hermann Stadium in St. Louis.

With seven minutes remaining, a pair of freshmen nearly drew the Jayhawks level. Lauren Wood centered the ball for Jillian Gregorski, who slid in for an attempt that drew keeper Emily Puricelli off her line. The ball popped straight up in the air, and SLU defender Lyndsey Heckel leapt in to head the ball off the line.

The Jayhawks’ memorable first season under head coach Nate Lie, headlined by a Big 12 title, came to an end at 13-6-4.

KU had shut out a top-10 TCU team six days earlier, but looked incredibly vulnerable on defense early on Friday. It only took a minute and a half for Gaebe, the Atlantic 10 offensive player of the year, to get a golden chance on goal off a through ball by Hannah Larson, but she skied the shot. Ten minutes later, the pair connected in the opposite order and Sophie Dawe had to make a diving save on Larson.

KU was unable to exert any sort of control over the flow of the game in the early stages, and as a result, Gaebe and Larson continued generating opportunities, one of which yielded the opening goal for the Billikens, Gaebe’s 16th of the season to tie her own single-season team record.

Playing from behind for the first time since Oct. 20, the Jayhawks won a much more reasonable share of possession down the stretch in the first half, reversing the run of play. Caroline Castans did some damage up the left wing and Lexi Watts took a couple shots from distance but didn’t do much to challenge Puricelli.

On the strength of their early flurry, the Billikens held a 7-4 advantage on shots at halftime; by the end of the night the two teams were even at 10 shots apiece.

The Jayhawks tested Puricelli early in the second half when Saige Wimes tracked down a long ball from Castans and managed to get off a shot, but it curled over the crossbar.

KU had another of its best opportunities in the 62nd minute when Castans outmaneuvered a Billken on the left wing and played a ball toward the goal that bounced around, requiring saves from Puricelli on threatening attempts from both Gregorski and Watts. She denied Watts again seven minutes later at the far post on a ball lofted in by Castans.

Puricelli wrapped up a bouncing ball in the box off the foot of Assa Kante in the final seconds to seal the result. SLU advanced to the second round of the tournament to face either USC or Sacramento State.

A pair of consolations for the Jayhawks: Not only does Lie have another offseason to acquire more players who fit his high-pressure style, KU can bring back nearly everyone from this year’s successful roster.