Soccer preview: at Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Sun Devil Soccer will look to continue riding momentum from last week’s conference-opening, two-goal win over Utah when Arizona State travels to the Sunflower State to play Kansas (6-2-1, 0-0-1) at 4 p.m. MST / 6 p.m. CDT at Rock Chalk Park on Thursday, Sept. 24.

Television:

• Josh Klingler (play-by-play) and Sarah Gonzalez (analyst) will call Sunday morning’s action on ESPN+, which will be available to stream on either the Disney+, ESPN or Hulu apps.

Series History:

• Thursday’s match will mark the first time Arizona State has played Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., since Sept. 2, 2012, when the programs played to a 2-2 double overtime tie.
• This week’s content will also be the first time the Sun Devils and Jayhawks have played each other since Oct. 30, 2024, when KU knocked ASU out of the 2024 Big 12 Soccer Tournament in Kansas City, Mo., with a 2-1 result.
  • Kierra Blundell, (77:59), Ella Kettles (90:00) and Addison Haws (12:00) are the only active Sun Devils to have appeared in the conference postseason tournament match between Arizona State and Kansas in 2024.
    • In that contest, Blundell scored an unassisted goal in the 59’ for ASU’s lone goal during the contest.
• Despite the all-time series being only five matches long, both Arizona State and Kansas are 1-1-1 in matches played in either Lawrence or Tempe:
  • Lawrence, Kan., on Sept. 2, 2012 – T, 2-2 (2OT)
  • Tempe on Sept. 8, 2013 – ASU 4, KU 0
  • Tempe on Sept. 20, 2024 – KU 2, ASU 1

Kicking Off:

• With a potential win over the Jayhawks, Arizona State will move to 2-0-0 in conference play for the first time since 2022, when the Sun Devils beat Colorado, 3-1, in Boulder, then knocked off Cal, 2-1, to begin its second-to-last season in the Pac-12 Conference.
  • A victory against Kansas would also mark the first win for ASU in the series since Sept. 8, 2013, when the Sun Devils won, 4-0, in Tempe.
  • Additionally, Arizona State leaving Lawrence with three points would signal the first time the Sun Devils have beaten Kansas in Lawrence.
• Entering Thursday afternoon’s match, Arizona State has won three of its seven league matches on the road:
  • 23, 2025 – 1-0 at Utah
  • 2, 2025 – 1-0 at Cincinnati
  • 19, 2024 – 2-0 at Houston
• Arizona State will be looking to open conference play unbeaten through the first two matches for the second consecutive season after the Sun Devils knocked off then-No. 10 BYU, 2-1, in Tempe, on Sept. 18, then played Oklahoma State to a 0-0 90-minute tie a week later.

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