photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas' Lexi Watts scores in front of sliding Cincinnati defender Faith Broering on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Lawrence.

The Kansas women’s soccer team picked up a much-needed Big 12 Conference win on Sunday afternoon, shutting out Cincinnati, 1-0, at Rock Chalk Park.

“Most importantly, I’m proud that we were able to find a way to win,” said Kansas head coach Nate Lie, whose team was coming off a 2-2 tie with No. 24 West Virginia Thursday night. “Wins are much harder to come by at this point in the season, and this was a crucial win for us. As a coach, you try to find a balance between letting your players understand what’s at stake and not talking about it, but (before the match) we talked about how our backs were against the wall. We needed a win and we got it.”

Kansas (10-3-3, 4-3-1) controlled most of the run of play in the first 45 minutes, having possession for 65 percent of the first half and generating offensive pressure on the Cincinnati goal, but neither team was able to find the back of the net, sending the match into halftime in a 0-0 tie.

Kansas – which is now 2-0-1 in its last three matches and 3-1-1 in its last five outings – outshot Cincinnati 6-0 in the first half, but none of the Jayhawks’ shots were on goal. Kansas also led the corner kicks, 4-0, and the teams were whistled for 16 fouls (nine on Kansas, seven on Cincinnati) in the opening 45 minutes.

After a pair of corner kicks in the 55th and 58th minutes, Kansas broke through at 58:31 to score the first goal of the match. After Cincinnati (3-7-6, 1-5-2) failed to clear a cross, Jillian Gregorski corralled the loose ball and passed it to Kate Langfelder, who then found an open Lexi Watts, who put a left-footed shot into the top of the net for her team-leading

seventh goal of the season, giving the Jayhawks a 1-0 lead.

“It can be frustrating when you keep shooting or keep getting chances and you don’t score,” said Watts, who netted her first match-winning goal of the season. “But you just have to keep the same mentality and keep making opportunities until something goes in.”

Kansas kept trying to get a second goal, peppering Bearcat keeper Camryn Miller with shots, but the Jayhawks were unable to score again. Cincinnati’s best opportunity to tie the match came in the 79th minute, but Coley Sidloski’s shot went over the top of the crossbar, keeping it 1-0 Jayhawks.

“This was a tough match,” Lie said. “Cincinnati fought hard and played a style of match we haven’t seen a lot of this season, in that they were very compact and we had the ball a lot of the match.”

Kansas outshot Cincinnati, 17-2, for the match, including 4-0 in shots on goal. The Jayhawks had all six corner kicks and a total of 27 fouls (14 on Kansas, 13 on Cincinnati) were called.

Watts had a match-high five shots, and the duo of Livvy Moore and Saige Wimes added two shots apiece, as 11 different Kansas players had at least one shot in the match. Jayhawk goalie Sophie Dawe didn’t have to make a save to pick up the win in net for Kansas, which now has five clean sheets on the season, two coming in conference play.

Kansas now hits the road for a pair of crucial Big 12 Conference matches, starting Thursday night at BYU (8-4-2, 3-3-1) in Provo, Utah. Going into Sunday’s matches, the Cougars were tied with Kansas for seventh place in the Big 12 standings with 10 points, and the top eight teams qualify for the conference tournament, which starts Nov. 3.

“All three remaining matches (at BYU, at Utah and versus Colorado) are going to be tough,” Lie said. “Points are really valuable right now, and there’s a big difference between one and three points. We want to approach all three matches as matches we want to win and can win. (BYU) has been a fortress for a long time, and none of the matches will be easy. We have to find a way.”

Kickoff for Thursday’s match at BYU at South Field in Provo, Utah, is scheduled for 8 p.m. Central time.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas’ Kate Langfelder controls the ball against Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas’ Lexi Watts charges forward against Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas’ Kate Langfelder leaps for a header against Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas’ Faith Johnston sends the ball toward the goal against Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas’ Jordan Rowan makes a pass against Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas’ Lexi Watts celebrates a goal against Cincinnati with her teammates on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas’ Lexi Watts celebrates a goal against Cincinnati with teammate Kate Langfelder on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas’ Lexi Watts connects with the ball ahead of Cincinnati’s Karson Yon on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas’ Caroline Castans passes the ball past Cincinnati’s Rylee Felton on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas’ Faith Johnston battles with Cincinnati’s Carly Oubs on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas’ Kate Langfelder looks to make a pass against Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas’ Jordan Fjelstad makes a pass against Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas’ Lexi Watts races for a ball with Cincinnati’s Karson Yon on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas’ Olivia Page makes a pass against Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas’ Lexi Watts fights for the ball against Cincinnati’s Karson Yon on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas’ Lexi Watts attempts a shot against Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Lawrence.