photo by: Parker I. Johnson/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas defender Caroline Castans (15) on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026 at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence.

The Kansas soccer team claimed a 2-0 win over the Arizona State Sun Devils in its Big 12 home opener on Thursday evening.

Senior forward Jocelyn Herrema and senior defender Caroline Castans accounted for the Jayhawks’ goals in the match.

The game was Kansas’ first of five home matches on its 2026 conference slate and the Jayhawks’ first game in Lawrence in three weeks. The win also marked head coach Nate Lie’s first victory in a Big 12 home opener — he was previously 0-2 in those games.

While not a goalscorer on Thursday night, fifth-year senior Livvy Moore added two assists and bringing her season total to eight. Moore ranks near the top of the NCAA in total assists, with Wisconsin freshman midfielder Izy Traub having led the nation with eight heading into Thursday night’s slate of games.

The Jayhawks struck first in the 33rd minute. After ASU senior defender Natalie Drotzmann was handed a yellow card for taking junior midfielder Sydni Fink to the ground, the Jayhawks received a free kick and put the pressure on the Sun Devils.

A shot deflected by ASU gave Kansas a corner, and Moore served a pass right to Herrema in front of the Sun Devils’ net. Herrema cashed in, deflecting the ball with her back turned to the net and giving the Jayhawks the lead with her second goal of the season.

The rest of the half was relatively uneventful, with ASU unable to generate any offense with its aggressive play before halftime sent both teams to the locker room.

Out of the half, the Jayhawks continued to dominate possession. After the Jayhawks’ corner kick in the first minute of the second half yielded no offense, Moore collected her second assist of the evening. She launched a ball from deep outside the penalty area near the far touchline and found Castans behind the goalkeeper, and the wing back tapped in the Jayhawks’ second goal with a header.

Following Castans’ goal, the Jayhawks appeared to ease off the pressure, allowing ASU to control the ball for much of the second half of action. Even with the drop in offensive energy, Kansas still stood strong on the defensive side of the ball.

The Sun Devils’ best chance at scoring during the match came in the 80th minute, but Kansas senior goalkeeper Sophie Dawe stood strong, saving a shot on goal and fighting off a flurry of action right in front of her net during the final 10 minutes of play.

Kansas now turns its attention to the Arizona Wildcats, who will visit Rock Chalk Park on Sunday afternoon. That game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Central.