photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

KU sophomore Jillian Gregorski hugs senior Lexi Watts after a goal scored by Watts against Missouri State on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence.

The 25th-ranked Kansas women’s soccer team opened its 2025 campaign in one-sided fashion Thursday night, beating Missouri State, 5-2, at Rock Chalk Park.

“I’m proud of the team and how we came out fast tonight,” Kansas head coach Nate Lie said. “I looked up about 10 or 15 minutes into the match and saw it was 2-0 and we had a lot of shots. We definitely have some players now that can score goals.”

The five goals scored by Kansas are the most ever in a season opener and the most against a Division I opponent since Kansas blanked Colorado College, 6-0, at Rock Chalk Park back on August 27, 2023. The Jayhawks are now 5-1-2 in their last eight season openers and are 12-1 all-time against Missouri State, including 12 straight wins.

Kansas (1-0) applied pressure from the opening kickoff Thursday night, earning a corner kick in the first minute of the match before breaking through at the six-minute, 30-second mark for its first goal. Caroline Castans sent a cross into the penalty area from the left wing and Jillian Gregorski headed it into the back of the net to give Kansas an early 1-0 advantage.

Kansas almost doubled its lead in the 11th minute, but Missouri State keeper Ella Becker stopped a one-on-one opportunity for the Jayhawks’ Saige Wimes. Just over seven minutes later, Lexi Watts did make it 2-0 when she intercepted a pass in the Missouri State third of the pitch and beat Becker with a shot in the lower left corner of the net.

“Not many players can score the kind of goals that we scored on those first two,” Lie said. “Getting those first two early really put us on the front foot.”

It stayed 2-0 until the 38:53 mark, when Kansas freshman Molly Shepherd sent a shot on goal that was stopped by Becker, but the ball rolled away from her and another freshman, Faith Johnston, pounced on the rebound and scored to make it 3-0 Jayhawks at halftime.

Kansas outshot Missouri State, 13-2, in the opening 45 minutes, including 7-1 in shots on goal. The Jayhawks also had eight corner kicks to none for the Bears, as the majority of the match was played in the Missouri State third of the pitch.

“Every game, we try to come out and make a statement,” Gregorski said. “We wanted to come out tonight and play hard early and get off to a good start and we did that.”

Castans netted a goal of her own off an assist by Kate Langfelder at 53:08 to make it 4-0 Kansas before the Bears (0-1) got a goal back one minute later when Maggie O’Keefe scored off a pass from Riley Smith, trimming the Jayhawks’ lead to 4-1.

Gregorski got back into the scoring at 60:22 with her second goal of the match, adding to her tally off a rebound when Becker stopped an initial shot by the Jayhawks, but the ball rolled free in the penalty area right to Gregorski’s feet and she made it 5-1 Kansas.

Missouri State scored its second goal at 79:41 when a shot deflected off a Kansas defender right to the feet of Abby Hansen, who buried the loose ball in the back of the net to get the Bears back to within 5-2.

For the match, Kansas outshot Missouri State, 23-5, including 12-3 in shots on goal. The Jayhawks earned 12 corner kicks to the Bears’ one and a total of 27 players saw action for Kansas in the win.

“(Missouri State) is a team that is going to win matches,” Lie said. “We just caught them at the beginning of the year with them not having as much experience as we do. It really helps us that we have as much experience back as we do.”

Kansas is back in action Sunday afternoon, hosting South Dakota State (0-0-1), the Summit League champion in 2024. SDSU opened its season Thursday night with a come-from-behind 1-1 draw at Missouri in Columbia. Kickoff for Sunday’s match between the Jayhawks and Jackrabbits is scheduled for 1 p.m.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

KU senior Lexi Watts looks for her next move during the Jayhawks’ match against Missouri State on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

KU redshirt junior Saige Wimes battles Missouri State’s Kayla Smith for the ball during the Jayhawks’ match on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

KU sophomore Jillian Gregorski heads a pass into the goal for the Jayhawks’ first goal of the match against Missouri State on Thursday, Aug 14, 2025, at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

KU redshirt junior Saige Wimes charges for a loose ball during the Jayhawks’ match against Missouri State on Thursday, Aug 14, 2025, at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

KU sophomore Jordan Fjelstad races Missouri State’s Julia Kristensen to the ball during the Jayhawks’ match on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

The KU women’s soccer team huddles before taking on Missouri State on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

KU redshirt sophomore Sophie Dawe gets loud before going out on to the field for the Jayhawks’ match against Missouri State on Thursday, Aug 14, 2025, at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

KU’s Jillian Gregorski is introduced in the starting 11 ahead of the season opener against Missouri State on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence.