The Kansas soccer team was leading 1-0 on the road in the second half at Brown, looking to remain undefeated and knock off a squad that won a game in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
But weather rolled into Providence, Rhode Island, forcing a two-hour lightning delay that began around 2:20 p.m. Eastern Time, and eventually led to the cancellation of the game with no result recorded for either team.
The game’s outcome does not count because it did not reach the 70-minute mark; 55 minutes and 51 seconds had been expended at the time of the suspension. The no-contest result also annuls the first career goal for freshman Kate Langfelder, assisted by classmate Shea Ryan, that had put KU ahead in the 22nd minute.
First-year head coach Nate Lie asserted that the Jayhawks were willing to stay and continue the game — which kicked off at 1 p.m. Eastern on Monday — on either Monday night or at some point on Tuesday.
“We were winning the game 1-0 in the 60th minute or so, outplaying our opponent, felt confident about our situation,” he said in a video on social media. “We had some weather that happens this time of year, and then you go and you have to figure out what’s next.”
The NCAA’s inclement weather policy specifies that restarting a match more than three hours after its initial start time requires mutual agreement between teams or determination by a “governing sports authority” (such as an athletic director or conference commissioner). Lie indicated that Brown did not agree to resume later on.
“Certainly would have loved to show competitive spirit and do everything we can to get these student-athletes a game since they only get 18, 19, 20 a year,” Lie said. “Unfortunately, both teams have to agree to that. And so one of the teams didn’t, and now we’re headed back to Lawrence with a no contest.”
A Brown athletics spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
Brown’s press release on the cancellation reads, “A makeup date has not been scheduled at this time,” while KU’s says that the match “will not be resumed or made up.”
The teams had produced a combined one shot on target in nearly 56 minutes of play.
“I’m happy with our performance, just wish we could have seen it out,” Lie said.
KU, which remains 2-0-1, will host South Florida on Thursday at 7 p.m. for its second home match of the season. USF is 3-1 and has won its last three games, all at home, by a combined score of 14-1.
Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World
