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

Members of the Kansas Jayhawks celebrate with defender Caroline Castans after scoring a goal against Arizona State during the first round of the Big 12 tournament Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

Kansas City, Mo. — First-team all-conference selections Lexi Watts and Caroline Castans scored once each, and the Kansas soccer team weathered a sudden momentum swing midway through the second half to beat Arizona State 2-1 at CPKC Stadium.

In the 58th minute of Wednesday’s match, with KU leading 1-0, Makayla Merlo found Castans, the reigning Big 12 defensive player of the week, wide open on the left side of the box, where she launched a rocket into the top right corner of the net.

“Merlo played me a beautiful ball on top of the box,” Castans said. “So I got set up beautifully for that, and I’m just thankful for my team.”

But just moments after the announcement of Castans’ goal, KU’s Assa Kante and ASU’s Kierra Blundell were battling for the ball right in front of goalkeeper Sophie Dawe. Dawe ran out for the ball but was unable to grab it, and Blundell hit it past her to cut the Jayhawks’ lead right back to one goal. Just 45 seconds had passed.

“I thought that (Castans’ goal) might give us a little bit of cushion and a little bit of confidence, and then what you don’t want to have happen happened, with them responding right away,” KU coach Nate Lie said. “They say 2-0 is the most dangerous kind of lead in soccer, and when you give up a goal, it can really set the nerves.”

While KU had been susceptible to late equalizers and winners early in the season, though, it was able to hold on this time and punch its ticket to the second round of the Big 12 Conference tournament, matching another 2-1 result against ASU from 10 days earlier.

“We talked yesterday about growth and how far we’ve come from our first day together in the spring, then our journey through the fall,” Lie said, “and I think had we played this game with these kind of stakes and those kinds of nerves a month ago, I don’t think we would have seen it out the same way.”

Lie referenced a match against South Florida from earlier in the season in which KU relinquished a lead late. It “haunts” him, particularly with the Jayhawks now on the NCAA Tournament RPI bubble, but it helped the team grow.

“I don’t know if we see this game out tonight had we not conceded in the 88th minute (of that game),” he said.

Now, the sixth-seeded Jayhawks will advance to face No. 3 West Virginia on Saturday at 8 p.m.

The run of play favored the Jayhawks in the early going, but they had trouble turning it into quality shots. In the ninth minute Merlo stole possession in the Sun Devils’ half and KU worked the ball to the middle with passes from Merlo to Jillian Gregorski and Gregorski to Kate Langfelder, but Langfelder’s attempt on goal was too high. The Jayhawks took the first four shots of the game before a low, wide attempt by Enasia Colon in the 14th minute.

KU began to bring numbers forward with greater intensity soon afterward, and the Jayhawks got on the board first when the Sun Devils left freshman Lauren Wood too much time to send in a cross from the right wing. At the end of her cross was a bounce off Gregorski, then a lightly hit header by Saige Wimes that dribbled through the ASU defense right to Watts, who drove it home for her eighth goal of the season.

KU kept up the pressure and earned a pair of corner kicks after freshman Lauren Wood weaved her way through the Sun Devil fullbacks and sent a hard-hit shot off the hand of keeper Pauline Nelles, but couldn’t make anything of either.

A poor pass in the defensive end, a rare miscue for KU, resulted in a series of deep throw-ins for ASU inside of five minutes remaining in the first half. The Sun Devils accumulated a bit of momentum entering the break but still couldn’t muster a shot on goal; in all, KU outshot them 11-1 in the half.

The Jayhawks found themselves on the back foot in the early stages of the second half as the Sun Devils were the more energetic team initially, but KU didn’t suffer any consequences because it defended well, bringing multiple bodies forward to challenge any attacker who got near the box.

After the exchange of goals, the game proceeded into a nervy stretch on both sides, with frenetic play that largely didn’t amount to much. KU obtained a greater level of control inside of the 75-minute mark.

“They rode that sort of wave of momentum, and what I was incredibly proud of is that I thought we then kind of stemmed that momentum,” Lie said.

With two minutes remaining, Watts was able to break through to the left corner repeatedly to help run time off the clock.

“The other team was probably pretty frustrated,” Lie said.

Stadium personnel warned of lightning in the area in the waning minutes, and intense rain started to come down right before the final whistle, but the match did not suffer a weather delay.

Lie praised the Big 12 for perfectly timing the match, including slightly shortening halftime to allow it to get finished.

Now KU will look to avenge a 3-2 loss at WVU earlier in the season. The Jayhawks played without starting center backs Mackenzie Boeve and Brooke Otto on Wednesday and will hope to get healthier ahead of Saturday.

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

Kansas defender Assa Kante clears the ball against Arizona State during the first round of the Big 12 tournament Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

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

Kansas midfielder Jillian Gregorski makes a move on a defender against Arizona State during the first round of the Big 12 tournament Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

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

The Kansas Jayhawks celebrate a win against Arizona State during the first round of the Big 12 tournament Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

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

Kansas defender Olivia Page controls the ball against Arizona State during the first round of the Big 12 tournament Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

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

Kansas forward Jocelyn Herrema fights off a defender while kicking the ball downfield against Arizona State during the first round of the Big 12 tournament Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

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

Kansas defender Olivia Page connects with her head for a shot on goal against Arizona State during the first round of the Big 12 tournament Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

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

Kansas defender Caroline Castans celebrates a goal against Arizona State during the first round of the Big 12 tournament Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

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

Kansas defender Sophia Nickel passes the ball to a teammate against Arizona State during the first round of the Big 12 tournament Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

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

Kansas forward Lexi Watts celebrates a goal against Arizona State during the first round of the Big 12 tournament Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

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

Kansas midfielder Kate Langfelder high kicks the ball against Arizona State during the first round of the Big 12 tournament Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.