First Jayhawk title, first national tourney cement their place in KCKCC history
by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information
For the past two years, “The Magnificent Seven” have taken Kansas City Kansas Community College women’s soccer to a level never previously approached.
The seven – forwards Corrine Hughes and Madison Broeker, midfielders Kayley Petersen and Melissa Siegel and defenders Paige Liston, Katrina Sargent and Jaidyn Yingling – combined to win 25 games. one more than Blue Devil teams won in the first seven years of the sport.
They also won KCKCC’s first- ever conference championship and the first berth in the NJCAA Division I national tournament. Six of the seven earned All-Jayhawk East honors. Hughes, Siegel, Petersen and Sargent were named to the first team; Broeker and Liston to the second team.
“They definitely changed the perception of this program and cemented their place in KCKCC history,” said Shawn Uhlenhake, the Coach of the Year in the Jayhawk East. “We’re not going to replace that group of sophomores. Hopefully, we’ll be able to mold a new group with its own personality. We’re always in search of players who care more about the team than themselves.”
The Blue Devils won a record 11 straight games to start the season and finished 11-1-1 in the Jayhawk and 12-4-1 overall. The record came on the heels of a 13-4 season in 2019 and an overall 2-year record of 25-8-1.
“They did everything we asked including staying mentally tough in a 9-month season,” Uhlenhake said. “About the sixth game, we set a goal of being the first team to hang a banner in the Field House or go to the national tournament. Because of injuries, we were not healthy from about the sixth game until the national tournament. It meant players stepping out of position and they were okay with that. They did everything the team needed.”
That was particularly true in goal.
“A forward, Suzie Lopez had never played goalkeeper but stepped up and learned the position a month before the season started,” Uhlenhake said. “The ultimate team player and our overall MVP, she was our only NJCAA Player of the Week without ever playing goal. And the one game she didn’t play in goal, she scored a goal while Mia Tomasic, who we picked up off the volleyball team and had never played soccer, posted one of our seven shutouts.”
Combined the seven sophomores scored 35 of the team’s 48 goals and broke just about every individual record. Hughes scored a record 13 goals in 2019 and added 12 more this season, Siegel finished with 34 assists including 21 in 2019 that led the nation. Broeker and Siegel each scored nine goals while Pedersen, Liston, Sargent and Yingling anchored a defense that allowed only nine goals in conference play.
“It was nice to know we were going to score goals,” Uhlenhake said. “And the defense was great. We knew we had a chance in every game.”
The cupboard won’t be totally bare, however. Four of the seven freshmen returnees were starters led by Katharina Oelschlager, who was named the Player of the Year in the Jayhawk East after scoring 11 goals and assisting on nine.
“She was a great pickup at the semester providing immediate impact,” Uhlenhake said. “She attacks well, very technical, dribbles well.”
The other returning starters are center back Grace Runyan, a second team All-Jayhawk pick; midfielder Kaylee Shaw and Lopez, who will move to forward this fall.
“Runyan did a great job on the backline while Shaw was a pleasant surprise,” Uhlenhake said. “I don’t think either were ever taken out. There was no reason to.” Other returnees include Kennia Acuna, who was the first sub off the bench; the energized Sammy Wojahn; and technically sound Piper Newell. Accuna and Wojahn played in all 17 games.
“It’s a small group but all the freshmen played in the national tournament and will provide valuable leadership because they know what it takes to get to the national,” Uhlenhake said. To that group, Uhlenhake and assistant Jefferson Roblee have 16 freshmen signed for this fall.
“We have beaten Johnson County four of the last five games and Butler three of the last four so the pressure will be on me,” Uhlenhake said. “We’re definitely going to be the hunted right from the start.”
