{"id":437621,"date":"2026-09-16T10:56:30","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T10:56:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/437621\/"},"modified":"2026-09-16T10:56:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T10:56:30","slug":"k-state-opens-big-12-action-friday-against-houston","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/437621\/","title":{"rendered":"K-State Opens Big 12 Action Friday Against Houston"},"content":{"rendered":"

GAME #9
\nHouston (4-1-3, 0-0-0 Big 12) at K-State (5-0-3, 0-0-0 Big 12)
\nFriday, Sept 18, 2026\u00a0 |\u00a0 6:30 p.m. | Buser Family Park\u00a0 |\u00a0 Manhattan, Kan.
\n\u00a0
\nTELEVISION
\nESPN+
\nPlay-by-Play: Brian Smoller<\/a>
\nAnalyst: Oscar Montenegro
\nSideline: Addison Lowe
\n\u00a0
\nLIVE STATS
\nwww.kstatesports.com<\/a>
\n\u00a0
\nSERIES HISTORY vs. Houston
\n1-0-1
\n\u2022 K-State leads the series, 1-0-1
\n\u2022 Head coach Colleen Corbin<\/a> vs. Houston: 1-0-1
\n\u2022 Current streak: Draw one
\n\u00a0
\n\u00a0
\nMANHATTAN, Kan. \u2013 K-State (5-0-3, 0-0-0) opens its Big 12 Conference schedule with a three-match home stand beginning on Friday night against Houston (4-1-3) at 6:30 p.m.
\n\u00a0
\n\u2022 Friday’s match can be seen on ESPN+, as Brian Smoller<\/a> (play-by-play), Oscar Montenegro (analyst) and Addison Lowe (sideline) will have the call.
\n\u2022 Friday’s match is Pups on the Pitch night, as fans are encouraged to bring their four-legged friends to the match.
\n\u2022 K-State is one of three unbeaten teams in the Big 12 (West Virginia, Texas Tech) and one of 24 in the nation. The Wildcats enter Friday’s match with a school record nine-match unbeaten streak (5-0-4).
\n\u00a0
\nLast Time Out
\n\u2022 K-State wrapped up its non-conference schedule with an unbeaten weekend in the state of Colorado. The Wildcats recorded a draw at Colorado State, 2-2, and secured a 3-2 win at Colorado College.
\n\u2022 The Wildcats secured the first unbeaten non-conference slate in program history.
\n\u2022 When combined with the final game of 2025 in which K-State earned a draw against Iowa State, the Wildcats are unbeaten in its last nine games which is the longest unbeaten streak in program history (5-0-4).
\n\u2022 Senior defender Emerson DeLuca<\/a> scored her first collegiate goal to square the match, 1-1, in the 87th minute. Moments later in the 88th minute, sophomore forward Gabby DeMers<\/a> gave the Wildcats a 2-1 lead with her third of the season. The lead was short lived, as K-State conceded the tying goal 27 seconds later for the 2-2 draw.
\n\u2022 At Colorado College, senior forward Rilyn Rintoul<\/a> opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with her third of the season. In the 36th minute, freshman defender Lauren Moylan<\/a> scored an Olimpico for her second goal of the season. DeMers gave the Wildcats a valuable third goal and her first career game-winner in the 71st minute to capture the 3-2 win.
\n\u2022 DeMers has tallied a point in three straight matches, which is tied for the third-longest point streak in program history.
\n\u2022 With the win at Colorado College, K-State junior goalkeeper Maddie Sibbing<\/a> became the school’s career wins leader with 12.
\n\u00a0
\nAt a Glance: Houston
\n\u2022 Houston (4-1-3, 0-0-0 Big 12) is unbeaten in four of its last five matches and have won its last two matches by a combined score of 11-0.
\n\u2022 The Cougars are led by second year head coach Ben Williams. During his time in Houston, Williams owns a mark of 11-5-10.
\n\u2022 On the field, Houston is paced by Skylar Miller with 12 points (5 goals, two assists) and Bailey Cate with 11 points (5 goals, one assist).
\n\u00a0
\nPurple Pitch
\n\u2022 K-State has played 86 home matches in its 183-game history, but have felt more comfortable at Buser Family Park.
\n\u2022 The Wildcats are 28-48-10 (.384) at home, including a school record four-match home field winning streak and a five-match unbeaten streak which spanned the end of the 2016 home schedule and the start of the 2017 home slate.
\n\u2022 K-State set the school record for home wins and home field winning percentage in 2025 (4-3-1; .563).
\n\u2022 In the 86 home matches, the Wildcats have been outscored by its opponents, 109-94 (-15).
\n\u2022 Overall in matches played within the Sunflower State, Kansas State owns a record of 30-50-11 (.390).
\n\u00a0
\nCats Filling up The Net
\n\u2022 K-State has gotten off to a fast start in 2026 after setting the school record for goals in a season during the 2025 season.
\n\u2022 The Wildcats have opened the 2026 season with 18 goals (2.25 gpg) in its first eight matches. The Cats have six matches with two or more goals scored. K-State is sixth in the Big 12 for total goals. The Wildcats are fifth in the league and ranks 38th in the nation in goal differential (+12).
\n\u2022 In the 2025 season, the Wildcats registered 23 goals, which was a school record 1.28 per match. This was the second season in program history with 20 or more goals scored.
\n\u2022 In Big 12 action, K-State scored 10 goals which tied the school record for goals in a league season.
\n\u2022 K-State scored mutiple goals in a match nine times last season, setting the single season school record for matches with two or more goals scored.
\n\u2022 In program history, the Wildcats have seen 52 players register at least one career goal and the overall goal total stands at 178.
\n\u00a0
\nGame-Winning Goals for All
\n\u2022 Through 183 matches in program history, K-State has registered 50 victories. In those 50 wins, K-State has had 31 different players register a game-winning goal.
\n\u2022 Midfielder McKinnan Braswell<\/a> recorded her first career game-winner with a header against Seattle on Aug. 13 and added her second career game-winner against Missouri State. She has tied the school record for game-winning goals in a senior season.
\n\u2022 Braswell and Allison Marshall<\/a> are two of six Wildcats in program history to record two or more game-winning goals in a season.
\n\u2022 Midfielder Anna Pagano<\/a> recorded her first career goal and game-winner with a second half tally at Hawaii on Aug. 15.
\n\u2022 Midfielder Langley Mayers<\/a> registered her first career game-winning goal against South Dakota State on Aug. 23.
\n\u2022 Forward Gabby DeMers<\/a> registered her first career game-winning goal at Colorado College on Sept. 13.
\n\u2022 In the 2024 season, Marshall added her name to the game-winner ledger. Marshall was credited with the game-winning goal against both Green Bay on Aug. 29 and South Dakota on Sept. 1. She was the first player in program history to register a game-winning goal in consecutive matches.
\n\u2022 On the current roster, five Wildcats own at least one game-winning goal: Marshall (2), Rilyn Rintoul<\/a>, Braswell, DeMers, Pagano and Mayers.
\n\u00a0
\nBetter Late than Never for K-State
\n\u2022 During its 11 seasons of action, K-State has scored 104 of its 179 total goals in the second half or later of matches (58.1 percent).
\n\u2022 This season, K-State has scored 10 of its 18 goals in the second half. The latest goal of the 2026 season for the Wildcats came from Gabby DeMers<\/a> at 87:03 at Colorado State on September 10. DeMers’ goal was the seventh-latest regulation goal in program history.
\n\u2022 Ironically, 46 seconds before DeMers’ scored, junior defender Emerson DeLuca<\/a> tallied a goal at 86:17 at Colorado State. This was the first time K-State scored two goals in the same match in the 85th minute or later.
\n\u2022 In its history, the Wildcats have scored 17 goals in the 85th minute or later in the history of the program. Of those 17 goals, four were game-winning goals (Brookelynn Entz, Colorado State, Sept. 17, 2017 [ot]; Adah Anderson, vs. North Alabama, Aug. 29, 2021; Caylee Thornhill, at Kansas, Sept. 30, 2021 [ot]; Riley Baker, at Baylor, Oct. 9, 2022) and two were game-tying goals (Aliyah El-Naggar, at Missouri, March 28, 2021; Laramie Hall, at Creighton, Sept. 2, 2016).
\n\u00a0
\nHappy Helpers
\n\u2022 K-State has opened the 2026 season with 13 assists (1.63 apg).
\n\u2022 With her assist at Hawaii, McKinnan Braswell<\/a> became the 10th player in program history with five or more career assists.
\n\u2022 With her assist at Colorado State, Langley Mayers<\/a> became the 11th player in program history with five or more career assists.

\n\u2022 This is the second time in program history and first time since 2019 (Laramie Hall & Katie Cramer) in which two Wildcats were on the same roster and had five or more career assists in their K-State career.
\n\u2022 K-State registered the 150th assist in program history on Aug. 20, against Missouri State as Gabby DeMers<\/a> was credited with the assist on the Wildcats’ second of three goals.
\n\u2022 The Wildcats helped each other out in the 2025 season. K-State handed out 22 assists (1.22 apg) on its 23 goals.
\n\u2022 The 22 assists and 1.22 assists per game last season set the school records. The Wildcats had 11 assists in Big 12 action, which was a school record in league play.
\n\u2022 The 2025 season was the second season in program history with 20 or more assists.
\n\u00a0
\nA Step Up for Demers
\n\u2022 Sophomore forward Gabby DeMers<\/a> has achieved career highs in every stat category during the 2026 season.
\n\u2022 The product of Carlsbad, California, has notched four goals and two assists for 10 points on a team-high 26 shots with 12 on goal, while starting all eight matches. All are new career single-season highs. Her four goals and 10 points are tied for seventh in program history for a single season.
\n\u2022 DeMers is currently in the midst of a three-match point streak, which is tied for the fourth-longest in program history. She started the streak with an assist at Iowa on Sept. 3 and tallied a goal in consecutive matches at Colorado State and at Colorado College.
\n\u2022 DeMers tallied her first goal of 2026 at Hawaii on Aug. 15 and added her second against South Dakota State on Aug. 23.
\n\u2022 For her career, she owns five goals and two assists with a shots on goal percentage of .472 (17-of-36). She ranks tied for 10th in program history for career goals and is tied for the school record for goals per game (0.23).
\n\u00a0
\nMoylan Making Moves
\n\u2022 Freshman defender Lauren Moylan<\/a> has made an impact with the Wildcats early in her collegiate career, including a soccer rarity.
\n\u2022 The product of Jenison, Michigan, has notched two goals and an assist on eight shots with two on goal.
\n\u2022 Moylan became the fourth freshman in program history to score in a season-opener, scoring from outside the 18 against Seattle.
\n\u2022 At Colorado College on Sept. 13, Moylan scored an Olimpico, directly on a corner kick. She is the second Wildcat to achieve this feat, joining Katie Cramer from the program’s first goal in its debut match on Aug. 19, 2016.
\n\u00a0
\nRiled Up Rintoul
\n\u2022 After a successful return in 2025, senior forward Rilyn Rintoul<\/a> started the 2026 season on the right foot.
\n\u2022 She is tied for the team lead for assists (3) and is second for goals scored (3) and points (9).
\n\u2022 Against Seattle U.,\u00a0 in the season-opener on Aug. 13, she tallied an assist on the eventual game-winner and added a goal of her own for a three-point afternoon.
\n\u2022 Against Missouri State, she registered a second 3-point night with an assist in the game-winner and a second half goal. Against South Dakota State, she notched an assist on the eventual game-winner.
\n\u2022 At Colorado College on Sept. 13, Rintoul recorded her third goal of the season, scoring from a difficult angle a yard off the touchline.
\n\u2022 In her career, Rintoul is tied for fifth in program history for career goals scored (7). She ranks tied for eighth in program history for career goals per game (0.17) and sixth in career points per game (0.44).
\n\u2022 In the 2025 season, Rintoul returned from a season-ending injury in 2024 to tally a career-high four goals and an assist. She also notched a career-best 23 shots with 11 on goal. She is tied for second in school history for goals in a junior season and ranked third for points in a junior season (9). Her 11 shots on goal ranks fourth in a junior season.
\n\u2022 Rintoul was the eighth player in program history to score two or more goals in Big 12 play and the third in the 2025 season (Andra Mohler<\/a> and Hannah Palmer<\/a>).<\/p>\n

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