by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Led by a trio of freshmen, Kansas City Kansas Community College’s women’s soccer team ran its 2019 record to 3-1 Saturday with a 3-0 blanking of Neosho County at Chanute.
Even at 1-1 in Jayhawk Conference play, the Lady Blue Devils are right back in action Wednesday when they’ll play host to once-beaten Cowley County at 5 p.m. Men’s teams will follow at 7:30 p.m.
Midfielders Melissa Siegel and Kayley Pederson each had a goal and an assist to lead the way at Neosho.
Scoreless through the first half, the Blue Devils took a 1-0 lead in the first five minutes of the second half on a goal by Shawnee Mission South freshman defender Katrina Sargent on a pass from Siegel, a freshman from Endingen, Germany.
Siegel made it 2-0 just 2.5 minutes later when she headed in a goal on a crossing pass from Pedersen. A freshman from Shawnee Mission West, Pedersen closed out the scoring on an unassisted goal with four minutes remaining.
“It was good to get scoring from the back when Neosho was keeping our forwards in check,” KCKCC coach Shawn Uhlenhake said. “We’ve been getting goals from a lot of different people. Melissa Siegel did a very good job of finding players and Kaylee Pedersen had another good game.”
The Blue Devils got off a whopping 21 shots including 13 on goal that were blocked.
“We came out the first half a little flat and Neosho did a good job of putting pressure on us,” Uhlenhake said. “We did have opportunities but could not finish. But the early second half goals got us going and we controlled the ball the second half.”
Defensively, the Blue Devils limited the Panthers to just six shots, two of which were turned away by freshman goalkeeper Jaidyn Takaishi of Olathe North.
“Our defense made it difficult for their forwards,” Uhlenhake said. “They had some shots but nothing dangerous.”
Cowley (4-1) will come to KCKCC Wednesday on a four-game winning streak highlighted by a 2-1 win over Butler County in El Dorado Saturday.
After dropping their season opener 1-0 at Rose State, the Lady Tigers have defeated Northeast Oklahoma A&M 7-0, Northern Oklahoma Tonkawa 5-1, Allen County 5-0 and Butler 2-1 in two overtimes.