Kansas State soccer opened up its short non-conference road trip Sept. 5 against Arkansas State, resulting in a 0-0 draw.

K-State pitched its third shutout of the year and second consecutive, but the offense’s lack of aggressive play cost the ‘Cats a victory.

“We didn’t switch the point of attack enough,” head coach Mike Dibbini said in a statement from K-State Athletics. “We did not drive enough when we switched the point of attack, and we played very straight today.”

When the offense did have opportunities, its timing was off, leading to six offsides penalties.

The game saw back-and-forth action the entire way with neither team dominating possession, but Arkansas State did hold a slight advantage. Dibbini said the defense deserves plenty of props for its efforts, keeping the game tied and not turning it into a losing effort. 

“I think we did a decent job defending,” Dibbini said. “I feel like getting shutouts is a tell of that. I feel there were moments that we almost had mental lapses, but we stayed focused in those moments.”

K-State led the total shots 12-7 and shots on goal at 6-3 for the game with sophomore forward Morgan Struttman leading the team with shots on goal at three. Junior keeper Murphy Sheaff improved her shutout streak in goal while recording three more saves on the season.

K-State will have to find itself offensively quickly as it goes to No. 7 Memphis on Sunday, Sept. 8. 

“We have to make a lot of adjustments,” Dibbini said. “I mean, we are playing a top-10 team. We have got to be mentally and physically prepared for a battle.”

With the tie, K-State has moved to 3-2-1. On Sunday, the Wildcats will finish their final non-conference game of the year before starting conference play at home on Sept. 12 against Colorado.