After dominating the first half and fending off multiple Colorado College comeback attempts in the second, K-State left Colorado Springs with a 3-2 victory and some history Sunday afternoon.

The Wildcats built a two-goal advantage before halftime and survived a back-and-forth final 45 minutes to defeat Colorado College (2-3-2). The victory completed K-State’s first unbeaten non-conference stretch in program history. It also improved the Wildcats’ record to 5-0-3 and extended its unbeaten streak to nine matches, dating back to last season.

K-State controlled the match from kickoff and produced five shots in the opening 11 minutes. The ‘Cats finally broke through in the 22nd minute behind a strike from senior forward Rilyn Rintoul, who fired a left-footed shot from near the left touchline to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead. Anna Pagano and Sydney Coffman assisted the goal — Rintoul’s third of the season — and marked Coffman’s first career assist. 

“We were really excited about how the team came out and competed in the first half,” head coach Colleen Corbin said. “The team responded incredibly well to the scout they were given and executed the game plan at a really high level. We talked about making sure that we came out on the front foot and I absolutely think the team did just that.”

K-State doubled its advantage 14 minutes later with one of the rarest goals in soccer.

After Emerson DeLuca earned the Wildcats a corner kick, freshman defender Lauren Moylan curled a left-footed inswinger directly into the net for an Olimpico goal, becoming just the second Wildcat to ever score directly from a corner. The goal sent the Wildcats into halftime ahead 2-0 after dominating much of the opening 45 minutes.

“Lauren’s goal was definitely surprising and exciting, but that’s also that type of whipped-in service we have been working on in training,” Corbin said. “Olimpico goals are always so fun, and I’m stoked that we collectively continue to score goals in multiple ways.”

Colorado College came out with energy after the break and cut the deficit in half in the 55th minute. Goalkeeper Maddie Sibbing made the initial save on a Tigers attempt, but Bella Stewart was the first to collect the rebound and finished to make it 2-1. With K-State’s lead down to one, the game intensified as both teams looked for the decisive next goal.

That next goal belonged to the Wildcats 16 minutes later courtesy of sophomore forward Gabby DeMers. Midfielder Langley Mayers sent a through ball to DeMers, who fired underneath the crossbar from a short distance to make it 3-1. The goal was DeMers’ team-leading fourth goal of the season and ultimately proved to be the game-winner — the first of her career.

“I have continued to be impressed by this team’s resilience and competitive mindset,” Corbin said. “They have proven in this non-conference slate that they are never satisfied, regardless of circumstance or situation, and that they will continue to push to score goals and win games.”

The Tigers refused to go away quietly, as Colorado College earned a penalty kick in the 88th minute. Stewart converted into the lower left corner from the spot for her second goal of the game, pulling the Tigers back within one. With just a couple of minutes to go, the crowd stood, hoping for an equalizer that did not come, and K-State held on for the crucial victory.

The Wildcats finished with a 17-13 advantage in shots, 12 of those on target. Rintoul led K-State with a career-high seven shots, while Sibbing recorded five saves. The victory capped a milestone day for Sibbing, whose 12th career win moved her into sole possession of the program record for goalkeeper victories.

More importantly for K-State, the result wrapped up a historic non-conference campaign. The Wildcats finished their opening eight-game slate with five wins, three draws and zero losses, the best in K-State soccer’s 11-year history.

The Wildcats return to Manhattan to begin Big 12 action against Houston (4-1-3 in non-conference play) at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 18 at Buser Family Park. The match will be available on ESPN+.